Seven Hours of Sleep May Be Better Than Eight

You’ve probably heard that 8 hours is the magical amount of sleep needed every night. New research suggests that may not be the optimal amount for everyone.

Sleep

The Evidence Supporting a Chocolate Diet: Correlation or Causation?

A new study published in the journal Archives of Internal Medicine finds that chocolate consumption is associated with lower body mass index (BMI) [1]. In the news and across the web, reporters are touting this as evidence that eating chocolate lowers BMI.

Assorted chocolatesImage credit: Assorted chocolates via Shutterstock

App Helps Users Maintain Blood Caffeine at Optimal Levels

For many people, a mid-day coffee break helps boost alertness and increase productivity. It turns out there’s a science to coffee-drinking, and it’s more complicated than deciding between a latte and an espresso.

Caffeine zone

Brain Toniq Review: The Science Behind the Think Drink

The ability to multitask and mentally juggle multiple demands is essential in today’s fast-paced world. At the same time, we’re bombarded with information that can both distract and overload our focus and attention.

Many of us need a caffeine “boost” in the morning or throughout the day to maintain mental focus. However, drinking too much coffee or tea leaves you feeling like you need to do a couple of laps around the building.

brain-toniq

And although coffee consumption offers a number of potential health benefits, many of us drink more than enough of it on a daily basis. Energy drinks are an alternative option. However, their effects on cognitive performance are principally related to the presence of caffeine [1].

Enter Brain Toniq

Brain Toniq bills itself as the world’s first and only botanical-based, non-caffeinated functional “think drink”, specifically designed to increase mental focus, function and clarity. According to the Brain Toniq website:

Formulated out of plant extracts and natural compounds, the ingredients in Brain Toniq have a long, proven history for their effects on increasing brain power and cognition.

I’d previously heard about Brain Toniq and was intrigued at the idea of an energy drink designed to increase cognitive performance. Additionally, the Brain Toniq website references peer-reviewed research studies that examine many of the ingredients. When I contacted the company, they were kind enough to send me a sample to review.

Individual Genetics, Coffee Consumption, BRCA1 and Breast Cancer

We’ve talked previously about the health benefits of coffee and the antioxidant compounds responsible for it’s bitterness. To add to the “perks” of coffee consumption, a recent report in the Journal of Cancer Epidemiology Biomarkers & Prevention suggests that caffeine protects against breast cancer in women that have a BRCA1 gene mutation [1].