Don’t pour out your coffee; can COPD be cured?
Q: Now that California is making coffee companies and sellers label their products as cancer-causing, do I have to give up my morning cup or two? Please tell me this is just the Californication of science. — Jay J., Portland, Ore.
A: Where to start? We think there are three essential points to make right off the bat:
1. While it’s true that the acrylamide that coffee contains after roasting (french fries, chips, crackers, chocolate and grains contain it, too) is the same chemical that the International Agency for Research on Cancer has designated a 2A carcinogen (that boils down to “might or might not be carcinogenic in humans”), it’s not likely to be risky in the minute amounts found in even unhealthful foods. For example, McDonald’s fries have 328 parts per billion.
How does it get there in the first place? The chemical is formed by using what the Food and Drug Administration calls “traditional high-temperature cooking processes for certain carbohydrate-rich foods.”
2. Those small amounts per billion are far, far, far less than the straight dose of acrylamide fed to lab rats to test whether it is potentially carcinogenic. Their dose was up to 10,000 times stronger than what you’re getting from food, but it does then trigger tumor formation. Plus, rodents absorb and metabolize the chemical differently than humans.
When asked if the available tests mean that humans should stop drinking coffee, the Washington Post quoted Leonard Lichtenfeld, the American Cancer Society’s deputy chief medical officer, as saying: “No. That’s not what the science shows us.”
3. Meta-analysis of multiple studies on coffee consumption found that overall, coffee seems to offer health benefits, including a probable decreased risk of breast, colorectal, colon, endometrial and prostate cancers and cardiovascular disease. In addition, observational studies showed that caffeine is associated with a probable decreased risk of Parkinson’s disease, Type 2 diabetes and dementia, all by 20 percent or more. Dr. Mike is an avid coffee drinker and espouses the health benefits of java, both caffeinated and decaffeinated, for anyone who isn’t sensitive to caffeine (doesn’t get a headache, arrhythmia, gastric upset or anxiety from having one cup in a one-hour period).
So, don’t forgo your Joe, but always feel free to ditch added sugars and high-fat dairy.
Q: My aunt, who’s 78, has COPD. She smoked for most of her life (not anymore). Is it the end of the road for her? — Lynda M., Arlington, Virginia
A: Not necessarily. In certain cases, COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) can be arrested and even reversed. Recently, German researchers found that aggressive pulmonary rehabilitation “is an effective and cost-effective therapeutic intervention that improves physical performance ability, shortness of breath and the quality of life in patients with COPD.”
Dr. Mike’s Cleveland Clinic defines COPD as a family of diseases ranging from emphysema to chronic bronchitis. Most cases are caused by smoking, but a growing number of cases are triggered by air pollution. Sometimes, emphysema is caused by an alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency, a genetic condition in which the lungs are no longer protected from the effects of an enzyme in the white blood cells that breaks down lung tissue.
COPD causes shortness of breath and mucus buildup in the lungs, which puts a huge strain on the heart. It’s the third most common cause of death in the U.S.
So, what’s the pulmonary rehabilitation therapy routine? First off, it requires that the patient stop smoking, as your aunt has done. Then, the researchers say, it’s very effective to enroll in a three-week inpatient program that combines interval and endurance training, a healthy diet and oxygen therapy. They also say it’s beneficial (and economically smart) to enroll in an outpatient program. That’s done three times a week for six to 12 weeks. Your aunt’s doctor can recommend the best PR routine for her. Good luck, and remember, PR works!
Mehmet Oz, M.D. is host of “The Dr. Oz Show,” and Mike Roizen, M.D. is Chief Wellness Officer and Chair of Wellness Institute at Cleveland Clinic. Email your health and wellness questions to Dr. Oz and Dr. Roizen at youdocsdaily@sharecare.com.