Coffee Consumption Promotes “Good” Bacteria

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The 2026 archives are available on our Substack page. Please take a look and explore the collection of articles and insights published throughout the year. We hope you'll find something that resonates with you.

“Hope is like a road in the country; there was never a road, but when many people walk on it, the road comes into existence.”

LIN YUTANG (1895–1976) - a famous Chinese writer, translator, and linguist who bridged Eastern and Western cultures

“The practice of democracy is not passed down through the gene pool. It must be taught and learned anew by each generation.”

SANDRA DAY O’CONNOR, Former Supreme Court Justice – 2018-2006

Opinions and Reflections

In Case You Missed It – On the occasion of our 250^th Anniversary of the USA Declaration of Independence, our local newspaper here in Kittery, Maine, published a copy of the document for all of us to read and consider. While I was quite familiar with the first part of the declaration, I was not nearly so familiar with the remainder of the document. It’s definitely worth a read – and it reminds us in these seemingly trying times that we live in one of the most unique and wonderful nations of the world at perhaps the zenith of our attraction to the rest of the world.

Real Leadership Help – I recently joined a group of individuals who provide guidance, assistance, and support related to “leadership” for individuals who are on the frontlines. Their approach is to offer active guidance and assistance to “leaders” who are working through issues, problems, projects, and ideas within their organizations, as well as leading people to make those areas reach resolution. They have organized a day-long summit focused on helping leaders with the issues they are facing within their organizations. If you have the time, consider joining us. Use the attached QR code for more details…

Responding In Kind

Responses and comments from my readers…I do receive periodic information from the many readers of the blog. While I have often responded individually, I decided that I should share more transparently. Hopefully, this contributes to an ongoing dialogue…

Books and Articles worth a Review…

A New Book To Consider – And, It’s Not Mine 😊 – There’s a new book just out that I have not read yet but is on my “to do” list. It’s by Samual Moyn and entitled “Gerontocracy in America: How the Old Are Hoarding Power and Wealth”. It takes on the over-65 crowd by pointing out that for the first time in American history, there will now be as many over-65 members of society as there are under-18! The book is intended as a stimulus for society to more effectively address the many issues of how we allocate resources. In the current period of a major social change precipitated by the digital revolution, the evolving conflicts between the various segments of society need attention. The book appears to be that source of stimulus. So, it’s on my soon-to-read list. Consider it…

When I feel I must share my thoughts and perspectives on a burning issue…

I Promise To Be Brief – From the information noted below under “Consulo Indicium”, you’ll find me close to a rant. I am very fearful that the current Administration is “undoing” many good features and services of government to simply make a political point. What concerns me even more is the reconstruction of government services (let alone reputation) that will require decades of work by subsequent Administrations. Congress needs to step in! The time has come. It’s not a question that some things do not work so well. But, rather than simply dismantling oversight and services, well-considered modifications are always open for discussion and debate. That’s part of an open society responsibility!!

Information for your Consideration…

First, The Good News – As my long-time readers know, I frequently talk about the issue of coffee intake and its effect on the health of consumers. As a confirmed “Coffee-holic,” I’m quite the imbiber, especially the robust “dark roast” style of coffee. So, I was quite excited about several scientific reports that came out in the last month. The first statement was from the American Heart Association (AHA) in an article that appeared in the journal Circulation, noting that the consumption of up to five cups of coffee a day is safe for most adults. Furthermore, the cited study revealed that regular coffee consumption may be linked to a lower risk of stroke, diabetes, and heart failure!! Previous guidelines on coffee consumption were based on less reliable quality outcomes studies. The AHA panel that provided the comprehensive review of clinical trials identified the following results:

• Patients who have previously had a procedure to address an irregular heart rhythm (i.e. “me”) can reduce the risk of the condition returning by 39% through daily coffee consumption.

• Regular, robust coffee consumption was also associated with a 20 - 30%

But, please note that these heart-healthy links apply strictly to paper-filtered or instant coffee – which are my “go-to” forms of coffee. Unfiltered options such as French press, espresso, or Turkish coffee evidently retain a natural compound called cafestol (= a natural compound in coffee) that raises low-density lipoprotein, or LDL, the “bad” cholesterol that can clog arteries over time. And, one other caveat mentioned in the study was that the positive heart results do not translate to highly concentrated synthetic caffeine products like energy drinks, shots, or pills. The reason these products are problematic is that they are associated with sudden spikes in blood pressure and acute episodes of irregular heart rhythms, even in healthy adults. However, in my case, my blood pressure is so low – that coffee consumption keeps me alive…or, so I think 😊.

AND, the equally important news comes from researchers at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles who reviewed data on 355,000 individuals in the UK Biobank. They discovered that those consumers who drank five or more cups a day were 32% less likely to be diagnosed with cirrhosis than non-coffee drinkers and had a 47% reduction in their risk of liver cancer. So, healthy liver biology means lower levels of liver fat, liver iron, fibrosis, and liver inflammation. But while the researchers made the finding, they also did not recommend drinking that much. However, you be the judge!!

Now, The Bad News – But Not As Bad As It Could Be News – As of July 22^nd, the number of cases of cyclosporiasis infiltrations in lettuce confirmed by the USA Centers for Disease Control (CDC) was at 4,173, resulting in 308 hospitalizations in 41 states and no deaths. However, this was simply the “laboratory-confirmed” cases. At that time, there were also another 7,400 cases “in the wings” that had not yet been laboratory confirmed and required further investigation. But, so far – no deaths! Let’s keep our fingers crossed…

Ah Come On – For Crying Out Loud!!! – Recently, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) released a CMS proposal that would prevent Medicare payments to health care providers for services related to “remote patient monitoring” if delivered by third-party vendors. As a result, the health care community is up in arms about the proposal. The information I received came from Becker’s Health IT Newsletter by Giles Bruce. In the article, Bruce points out several important implications that will have major ramifications if the policy is implemented, including:

1. Vendors are the major source of RPM throughout the nation at the present time by providing 60 – 70% of such services.

2. Rural providers – in particular – are ill-equipped to provide services through internal resources so the dependency upon external vendors is much higher. And, as a long-time rural health advocate – this is a major problem!!

3. The Medical Group Management Association (MGMA) has indicated that many smaller practices also rely on outside vendors for remote monitoring because – once again – they lack the resources to bring those functions in-house

4. The proposal is exactly the opposite of a new Congressional bipartisan telehealth initiative in Congress. Two days after CMS released the rule, the House Ways and Means Committee approved legislation to expand and protect rural RPM access.

While it would not be inappropriate to have better guidelines in place for the use of vendor-provided RPM services, to blatantly call for discontinuation is unjust. In fact, it emanates from the desire of the current Administration (do I need to name them) to correct their “fraud concerns”. As an advocate for embracing technologies and applying them appropriately for the purposes of enhancing care delivery, CMS could be applying leadership rather than a blatant, misleading effort to suggest that the care delivery system is rampant with fraud.

Rural Health Transformation Plans Submitted – The Kaiser Family Foundation has been tracking the submission of plans for the states for participation in the Rural Health Transformation Act. The tracking of plans relates to the proposed use of the funds provided under the auspices of the BBB Act. The report provides an abstract on how the funds will be used in each of the states over the course of their projected timelines. The total expenditures vary in three tiers: >$233M (=4), $202 - $233M (= 22), $180 - $201M (=17); and <$180M (= 6). The actual projects are denoted by the states, so there is a fair amount of detail. For those who are interested in the issue, it’s a definite resource to be reviewed.

A Sad Commentary – In a recent Associated Press report, there was a very sad note (my perspective), stating: “The number of measles cases in the U.S. has surpassed the record-breaking tally for all of 2025, with five more months of 2026 still to come.” On that note, the CDC had logged 2,318 cases of measles. Check the update here. There have no doubt been more cases since I first checked the notice, but at that time, there had been 2,289 cases reported for the USA in 2025. It was the worst year for measles in more than three decades. It’s a sad commentary because in the 1980s when I was in active medical practice, the number of cases was nil and we considered the disease “wiped out” – although it obviously was not. But it was not prevalent either. AND, THE REASON? Because kids were getting their immunizations. Unfortunately, the lack of scientific understanding and the distribution of disinformation by our current Secretary of DHHS has caused the dramatic increase by disparaging the need for immunizations. I find it disheartening – especially since, as a Resident in Family Medicine (1977-80), I took care of several kids in NYC who had severe neurological sequelae from contracting the disease. It’s a disease that should be gone! We have the capability to make it rarer than rare. But we are failing. This is what happens when we don’t listen to science…

National Blood Shortage At Critical Stage!!! - The Washington Post recently reported that the American Red Cross has issued a statement declaring that: “…a national blood supply crisis for only the second time in its history as blood donations fell to a four-year summer low [with only] less than a one-day national supply of O-positive blood, the most commonly transfused blood type.” As a result of the shortage, the ARC is now limiting the distribution of all blood types to hospitals across the nation. The decrease in blood supply has been attributed to a variety of issues across the country, including the spread of foodborne illnesses, poor air quality from various fires, and extreme heat in the Central USA. It’s a very important issue, and all of us healthcare types should be encouraging eligible patients to consider donating!!

The Tragic Dismantling of AHRQ – One of the more important programs in the USA federal government over the last several decades has been the agency responsible for supporting health services research. However, due to unprecedented funding as well as executive impoundments of funds for the purposes of delaying funding, the Agency has been devastated. As an example, AHRQ recently canceled virtually all previously awarded grants involved in training the next generation of scientists on topics including: hospital-acquired infections, cancer screening, asthma care, provider care for child abuse, and other important areas related to care delivery. It’s that upwards of 80% of AHRQ staff are no longer employed by the Agency under the leadership of the Trump Administration. As a result, all of the oversight functions have been decimated, making it impossible to fulfill the responsibilities of the agency. I’m not usually so vocal, but this is a stupid – yes, “stupid” – move by the Administration that will not only have ramifications for the USA but also throughout the international health research community.

The March Of The Humanoid Robots Continues To Move Forward – A recent report in Nature reported on the use of humanoid robots performing the first successful minimally invasive laparoscopic surgical procedure using standard surgical instruments on pigs. The robots were successful in completing laparoscopic gallbladder removal procedures in pigs. The intent of the researchers was to determine if it was feasible to consider the use of such robots as a source of lower-cost alternatives to common procedures performed through robotic capability. These “humanoid” robots are controlled by human surgeons using remote teleoperation platforms from remote locations. If such tools became available, it would potentially make available services in remote and underserved areas where travel is now required for the service.

Coffee Consumption Promotes “Good” Bacteria – In a new study from the University College Cork (Ireland) reported on regular consumption of coffee – both caffeinated and decaffeinated – affects the gut microbiome. Specifically, the presence of “good bacteria” (e.g., Eggertella sp and Cryptobacterium curtum) was increased among coffee drinkers. Both bacteria are thought to play a role in eliminating unhealthy bacteria that cause stomach infections. On the decaffeinated side, there were also improvements in learning and memory, most probably due to the presence of polyphenols, which have been shown to provide cognitive benefits.

Musings from a foodie…

Good Place On A Massachusetts Bay [⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ] – I frequently talk about restaurants from around the world, but in the past year or so, I’ve been here at home in the old USA. And, as a “quasi-retired” healthcare person, I’m just not traveling as much. So, my culinary attention has shifted to more of the “local” places in the region surrounding Kittery, Maine, where I live. One restaurant that I’ve visited several times now is C.K. Pearl located in Essex, MA. It’s a “diner-like” environment with the quality of an upscale restaurant. Given that it is located directly on the bay outside of Essex, Massachusetts, you would expect that seafood is highlighted – and it is!! At the same time, there are other staples as well. If you get over to that part of Massachusetts, east of Boston, in Essex – definitely consider the “Pearl”. You will not be disappointed!! [112 Main St, Essex, MA 01929 – (978) 890-7378

The ongoing saga…

The Great – Not sure…

The Good – Congress (both the U.S. Senate and House) seems to be stepping up a bit more to their role as the “legislators” of policy and funding for programs rather than demurring to the machinations derived from the internal workings of the current Administration.

The Bad – The polls are returning numbers showing the percent of respondents in both American and international polls who believe that the USA is losing its status as the leader of the democratic, free world.

The Ugly – The devastation of federal healthcare programs is a travesty, and I predict it will take a couple of decades to recover – if it actually does, in fact – recover.