A new study out of the UK shows that morning cup of coffee might not only be crucial for your productivity – it can help keep your waistline in check as well.
Researchers at the University of Nottingham published the study on Monday, showing that coffee may stimulate our ‘brown fat’ reserves, also known as brown adipose tissue.
You don’t need to drink that much coffee, researchers say
Three coffees a day benefits your health – study
Playing a different role in our metabolism from regular white fat cells, brown cells help generate heat by burning sugar and fat.
“Brown fat works in a different way to other fat in your body and produces heat by burning sugar and fat, often in response to cold, study co-director Professor Michael Symonds told CNN.
“Increasing its activity improves blood sugar control as well as improving blood lipid levels and the extra calories burnt help with weight loss. However, until now, no one has found an acceptable way to stimulate its activity in humans.”
The research indicates that drinking coffee could activate the body’s fat-fighting defences, a discovery that could have potential implications in the battle against obesity and diabetes.
The scientists say they began by testing caffeine on stem cells, and once they found the right dose they moved on to humans. However, only nine people (four men and five women), were tested using thermal imaging, meaning the research is still at a very early stage.
“The results were positive and we now need to ascertain that caffeine as one of the ingredients in the coffee is acting as the stimulus or if there’s another component helping with the activation of brown fat,” Dr Symonds said.
However, it has to be said – if you’re having a massive triple-shot mocha with cream every day, it’s probably not going to help with weight loss.
If you’re looking for an another way to justify your coffee-drinking habits, you might be interested in a recent study published in the European Journal of Epidemiology, which found a twice daily caffeine hit could help you to live longer.
Henry Cejudo and Marlon Moraes will close out an intriguing UFC 238 fight card at the United Center in Chicago with the vacant bantamweight belt on the line.
Cejudo most recently defeated the former bantamweight king T.J. Dillashaw in a flyweight bout, but Dillashaw was forced to relinquish the belt while serving a suspension for a USADA violation. Now a surging contender in Moraes meets a one-division champion.
The co-main event is technically a women’s flyweight championship bout between Valentina Shevchenko and Jessica Eye, but the odds are indicative of how lopsided a matchup it is for the champion. Instead the real second draw is a likely lightweight title eliminator between Donald Cerrone and Tony Ferguson.
Ferguson will be returning to the Octagon for the first time since October and looking to continue one of most impressive winning streaks in the UFC, which stretches all the way back to 2012.
Here’s a look at the complete offerings as well as some of the bigger questions surrounding the evening.
Main Card (ESPN+ pay-per-view at 10 p.m. ET)
Henry Cejudo EVEN (bet $100 to win $100) vs. Marlon Moraes -130 (bet $130 to win $100)
Valentina Shevchenko (c) -1,100 vs. Jessica Eye +650
Can Henry Cejudo Successfully Transition to Bantamweight?
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Henry Cejudo’s early MMA career started at bantamweight, but his UFC existence and rise to prominence has all taken place at 125 pounds. Facing a true bantamweight in Marlon Moraes, Cejudo will need to overcome a size disadvantage if he wants to become a two-division champion.
Moraes isn’t a huge bantamweight by any stretch, but he’s had a history of success in the division. He’s finished Aljamain Sterling, Raphael Assuncao and Jimmie Rivera leading up to this fight. All three of those fighters are bigger than Cejudo.
However, it’s worth noting that Cejudo has historically struggled to cut down to 125 pounds. He missed weight twice in Legacy FC and was forced out of a bout at UFC 177 because of a bad weight cut.
The weight is a legitimate question. Much of Cejudo’s game depends on his ability to overpower opponents, and it’s unclear how much of that will transfer a division up.
But given that this weight cut will be easier for him, there’s a chance we see an even better version of Cejudo. His improvement from fight to fight has been remarkable throughout his career, and it wouldn’t be surprising for him to put on his best performance yet.
Prediction: Cejudo via decision
Does Jessica Eye Have Anything to Offer Valentina Shevchenko?
Dylan Buell/Zuffa LLC/Getty Images
The long odds indicate how wide the disparity is between the champion and challenger in this matchup.
At this point, finding legitimate contenders for Shevchenko at 125 pounds is going to be difficult. She threw down the gauntlet in the way she handled Joanna Jedrzejczyk, and this simply is not a deep division.
Jessica Eye fell into this opportunity by process of elimination. She’s on a three-fight win streak, but none were overly impressive. There’s not really anyone else who has stood out in the division, so here we are.
Eye’s game is straightforward. She has strong, conventional boxing. She does a great job of working off her jab and has good enough wrestling to keep the fight where she wants it.
She’s also durable. She’s only lost one fight by stoppage in her career, and that was by submission.
Eye is not going to shy away from exchanges, and she’s not going to go lightly.
That may be enough to make this an entertaining fight, but it’s also likely to make her the target of a lot of Shevchenko highlights.
Prediction: Shevchenko via decision
Will Tony Ferguson Earn a Title Shot?
Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC/Getty Images
The fact that Tony Ferguson hasn’t fought for a title is one of life’s vexing situations. Between injuries and personal issues—his wife filed a restraining order against him in March that included domestic violence allegations, though it has since been dropped—his win streak hasn’t yielded a shot at anything other than an interim title.
He, of course, won the interim title in 2017 but was later stripped because of injury.
Coming into this bout healthy with an opportunity to beat a streaking Donald Cerrone, this could finally be the fight that sets him up with a title shot.
Getting the win won’t be easy, though. Cerrone has put on two impressive performances since returning to lightweight and has become a more calculated and wise fighter in the latter stages of his career.
Ferguson is one of the most unique talents in MMA. He’s unconventional in scrambles, willing to try anything on the feet and has the kind of funky movement in the cage that makes him unpredictable.
Cerrone is already known for getting off to slow starts, and Ferguson’s style will make him even more hard to figure out in the early going.
El Cucuy should be able to secure an early lead, and, while Cerrone will likely rally at some point, it’s hard to stop Ferguson once he has momentum.
To say that Americans love donuts is an understatement. A 2017 survey conducted by Dawn Foods, a global manufacturer and ingredients supplier to bakeries worldwide, found that the average US resident eats 31 donuts a year — or about two or three a month. The consumption, of course, goes up exponentially on National Donut Day, which this year will be celebrated on June 7, 2019!
The history of the holiday, observed annually on the first Friday of June, can be traced to Salvation Army workers who went to assist US troops during World War I (WWI). When the “Donut Girls,” as they were later called, arrived in France in 1917, they found the soldiers were miserable and homesick. To try to cheer them up, Salvation Army EnsignMargaret Sheldon and Adjutant Helen Purviance used the limited ingredients available – flour, sugar, and oil – to fry up some donuts.
As the mouthwatering aroma spread through the camps, hundreds of army men began to line up outside the “service hut” to obtain the special treat that reminded them of home. Though the Donut Girls only managed to make 150 donuts on the first day, they became increasingly efficient and were soon distributing as many as 9,000 donuts daily. Sheldon even managed to convince a French blacksmith to design a makeshift donut cutter, using the top of a condensed milk can, to fulfill the request of a soldier seeking “a donut with a hole in it,” Soon, the treat became synonymous with the non-profit organization and American WWI veterans, who were nicknamed “doughboys.”
In 1938, during the Great Depression, the Salvation Army’s Chicago chapter revived the donut-making tradition to provide much-needed cheer, and to raise funds for people in need. The single-day event was so successful that National Donut Day became an annual American tradition. Today, many Salvation Army chapters around the country celebrate the occasion by feeding those in need and handing out free donuts, made using the original WWI recipe.
Donut manufacturers also use the day to thank their patrons by handing out free or discounted treats. Krispy Kreme, which has been one of the pioneers in giving out free donuts to all customers that walk into their stores on National Donut Day, has upped theante this year by challenging US residents to claim one million free donuts on June 7. In return, Krispy Kreme will give them a free taste of its new “out of this world” donut flavor, scheduled for release in late June.
“June 7 is National Doughnut Day and National VCR Day. So, take your pick: a free Krispy Kreme doughnut or a grainy VHS tape,” says Dave Skena, Chief Marketing Officer for Krispy Kreme. “If a million of you wisely choose Krispy Kreme, we’ll celebrate by giving away more doughnuts later in June.”
The company also announced plans to transform the national holiday into “World Donut Day,” with special promotions, deals, and giveaways at their stores in more than 20 countries worldwide.
Denver, Colorado-based LaMar’s Donuts will also be handing out complimentary donuts, while those that stop in at Dunkin’ donuts will receive a free sweet with the purchase of a beverage. Though Canadian cafe chain Tim Hortons will not be giving out freebies, the company has announced plans to introduce its popular churro-inspired Honey Cruller Donut at many of its US locations on National Donut Day. Many grocery stores, such as Kroger or Stop and Shop, also plan to celebrate the fun tradition by selling the treats at a steep discount. So regardless of where you live, a free, or really cheap, donut will be within reach on June 7. Be sure to take advantage of the celebration by grabbing one, or even a dozen, of the scrumptious fried treats!
VIMZI 