This season’s flu news got you down? Perk up and boost your immune system just by doing what you already do every morning.

Right about now, fall fashion is everywhere you look. It’s hard to pass a magazine rack or open your email without some clothing retailer touting “Fall’s Must-Haves”. But with Swine Flu all over the news and a chill coming in the air, staying healthy for the coming fall and winter should be a priority atop everyone’s hot list.

Luckily, if you’re a coffee lover, you might already be getting some immune-boosting benefits you weren’t aware of from your daily dose of java. According to a 2005 study by the University of Scranton, coffee is rife with polyphenols, antioxidants that help ward off disease.

The study found that the average American consumes more antioxidants from coffee – as much as 1,200 milligrams — than from any other dietary source. That 1,200 milligram mark is no slouch either. The closest competitor the researchers in this study found was tea at 294 milligrams.

Antioxidants are thought to help fight cancer and diseases like Alzheimer’s, but the study’s leader, chemistry professor Joe A. Vinson warned that coffee drinkers shouldn’t rely on the drink alone to help up their antioxidant levels.

“Unfortunately, consumers are still not eating enough fruits and vegetables, which are better for you from an overall nutritional point of view due to their higher content of vitamins, minerals and fiber,” Vinson said.

More tasty than Flintstone’s chewables

“Sure, Cassie”, you might be saying to yourself, “that’s great, but what about fighting off colds and that dreaded – eek! – Swine Flu I keep hearing about right now?” Well, where there’s money to be made, there are products that can help.

JavaFit, makers of a health-conscious brand of coffees, is currently selling a blend called JavaFit Immune Plus that promises to help keep you healthy no matter what germs lurk on your loved one’s hands. According to the company’s website, Immune Plus contains Echinacea, zinc, vitamin C, and 10 other vitamins and minerals all wrapped up in a tasty Latin American blend.

There is research out there that says that caffeine can leech vitamins away from the body, so if JavaFit really does work, the manufacturers have obviously found a way to counteract this effect. I couldn’t find anything on their website saying the blend is decaffeinated.

I personally haven’t tried JavaFit, but I know how tough of a time I have remembering to take my daily multi vitamin. So even though JavaFit markets itself to the already super healthy, it just might do some good for the super forgetful among us.

However you decide to stay healthy this cold and flu season, keep in mind that hand washing, covering your mouth when you cough, and all those other things Mom told you to do work just as well as anything you might drink.

No Comments »