The inveterate coffee drinkers among us will appreciate the good news about one of our favorite beverages. After all the flak we took about the vices of coffee, now’s the chance to respond. After water and tea, coffee is the next most popular drink on the planet, having a starring role in the history of several cultures. It came from the Muslim world, travelled to Italy and then to the rest of Europe, finally landing in the New World. At one time, it was limited only to religious observances.

If you read—and were enlightened by—the newsletter about aging and omega-3 fatty acids, you’ll likely be interested in this one about zinc and its relationship to aging and disease. For a long time, zinc has been associated with a strong immune system, but its connection to aging is a relatively new exploration.

It’s a sad commentary on current events when you notice that every other infant you meet seems to have GERD, gastroesophageal reflux disease. You know the scene by now. Almost everything the baby swallows gets regurgitated, which, by the way, is not quite the same as vomited.

For many years cholesterol has been denigrated as a factor in heart disease, when all along it was only a spectator at the scene of the accident. Although it’s been the topic of many conversations throughout its public life, cholesterol is misunderstood by many people… who don’t really know what it is. Because it isn’t soluble in water, but only in organic solvents, cholesterol is classified as a lipid.

The title of this may be misleading because, although it’s about AGE, it isn’t actually about age. The two—the acronym and the word—are related, however. AGE is the acronym for Advanced Glycation End-products, substances that have something to do with aging, but that are part of a bigger picture.

In the United States, food grade containers are known not to leach harmful substances into the foods they hold, whether for storage or for microwave cooking. In most homes in the country, you’ll find a range of containers in the refrigerator, from plastics of known and unknown origin to paper to glass to metals to ceramics.

Muscle car plus motor head does not equal muscle head, although it could. The first pair evokes positive images for those who remember Holley carburetors, dual exhausts, Hurst shifters and four on the floor (gears, that is). The muscle cars of the 60’s were exciting to drive and fun to work on. That was an era when there was enough room in the engine compartment to swing a socket wrench.

What is Teflon? Anybody who’s spent time at the stove knows that Teflon pans were the coolest culinary invention of the time. Teflon is the trademark name for polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), used to create non-stick surfaces. It’s really good at what it does. Like most things in life, it has its fans and its detractors.

You’re not anxious about going on vacation or performing a pleasant task. You’re enthusiastic (but not enthused). You could be anxious about going to the dentist or to defend your last income tax return. Here, you’re entertaining a feeling of dread or apprehension, probably lacking clear justification. Anxiety results from a subjective way of looking at a situation in the absence of a clear and actual danger.