Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs):

By David Yaw Twum-Barima, MD , MSc, FRCPC

Over the years people have asked me several health questions and I will like to highlight some of them in this issue of GN.

1.How long can you safely keep leftovers in the refrigerator?

Leftovers can be kept for three to four days in the refrigerator. Be sure to eat them within that time. After that the, the risk of food poisoning increases. If you don’t think you’ll be able to eat leftovers within four days, freeze them immediately.

Food poisoning — also called foodborne illness — is caused by harmful organisms, such as bacteria in contaminated food. Because bacteria typically don’t change the taste, smell or look of food, you can’t tell whether a food is dangerous to eat. So if you’re in doubt about a food’s safety, it’s best to throw it out.

Coffee: Does it offer health benefits?

By David Yaw Twum-Barima, MD , MSc, FRCPC

Coffee has a long history of being blamed for many ills — from the humorous, “It will stunt your growth” to the not-so-humorous claim that it causes heart disease and cancer. But some recent research indicates that coffee may not be so bad after all. So which is it — good or bad for your health? The best answer may be: It doesn’t seem to hurt and it may help, but it probably all depends on how much.

The latest research has not only confirmed that moderate coffee consumption doesn’t cause harm, it’s also uncovered possible benefits. Studies show that the risk for type 2 diabetes is lower among regular coffee drinkers than among those who don’t drink it. Also, coffee may reduce the risk of developing gallstones, discourage the development of colon cancer, improve cognitive function, reduce the risk of liver damage in people at high risk for liver disease, and reduce the risk of Parkinson’s disease. Coffee has also been shown to improve endurance performance in long-duration physical activities.

For those who drink coffee to stay alert, new research suggests that you’ll stay more alert, particularly if you are fighting sleep deprivation, if you spread your coffee consumption over the course of the day. For instance, if you usually drink 16 ounces in the morning, try consuming a 2-3 ounce serving every hour or so. Again, moderation is the key.

However, other evidence indicates that coffee is not completely innocent. Caffeine, coffee’s main ingredient is a mild addictive stimulant. And coffee does have modest cardiovascular effects such as increased heart rate, increased blood pressure, and occasional irregular heartbeat that should be considered. Studies have been largely inconclusive regarding coffee and its effect on women’s health issues such as breast health, cancer, and osteoporosis. But, the negative effects of coffee tend to emerge in excessive drinking so it is best to avoid heavy consumption.

One large study of 128,000 men and women showed no increase in the risk of heart disease from drinking filtered coffee. The findings — which will published in May , 2006, in the journal “Circulation” — indicated that it didn’t matter how much coffee participants drank.

But another study of 4,000 coffee drinkers published in March 2006 in the “Journal of the American Medical Association” found that two or more cups of coffee a day can increase the risk of heart disease in people with a specific genetic mutation that slows the breakdown of caffeine in the body. Several older studies have shown conflicting results.

The design of a study can have some effect on the interpretation of results, which may be another reason for the different conclusions. Given the large number of participants in the study that showed no risk, it would be reasonable to conclude that coffee poses little or no threat to cardiovascular health. However, this is not to say that you should disregard the old maxim, “Everything in moderation.” Although coffee may not be harmful, other beverages such as milk and juice contain important nutrients that coffee does not.

As noted above, some evidence suggests that drinking coffee may protect against type 2 diabetes and colon cancer but clearly nobody will advocate coffee consumption for that purpose, there is much more evidence of a protective effect from fruits, vegetables and whole grains than from coffee. So enjoy your coffee as part of a healthy diet that includes a wide variety of foods.

References: 1) Mayo Clinic Housecall : May 2006

2) Harvard Health Publications, May 2006

Fortunately, most cases of food poisoning can be prevented with proper food handling. To practice food safety, quickly refrigerate perishable foods, such as meat, poultry, fish, dairy and eggs — don’t let them sit more than two hours at typical room temperature or more than one hour at temperatures above 90 F (32 C).

Uncooked foods, such as cold salads or sandwiches, also should be eaten or refrigerated promptly. Your goal is to minimize the time a food is in the “danger zone” — between 40 and 140 F (4 and 60 C) — when bacteria can quickly multiply.

When you’re ready to eat leftovers, reheat them on the stove, in the oven or in the microwave until the internal temperature reaches 165 F (74 C). Because they may not get hot enough, slow cookers and chafing dishes aren’t recommended for reheating leftovers.

2.Is tap water as safe as bottled water?

Tap water and bottled water are generally comparable in terms of safety. So the choice of tap or bottled is mostly a matter of personal preference. In Canada, the responsibility for the regulation of bottled water is shared by Health Canada and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA). Health Canada establishes health and safety standards while the CFIA develops standards related to the packaging, labeling and advertisement of these products and handles all inspection and enforcement duties.

On the other hand, tap water is distributed by the appropriate municipalities and regulated by the appropriate province or territory. Health Canada is involved in the development of Guidelines for Canadian Drinking Water Quality. Quality standards for both bottled water and tap water are similar. Hence both bottled water and municipally distributed water that meet or exceed their required health and safety standards are considered to be safe.