HEALTH TRENDS

Study confirms coffee doesn't make you dehydrated

A new study is suggesting that coffee is no more dehydrating than water. Researchers at Birmingham University in the United States took a group of 50 healthy men and had half of them drink four cups of coffee a day for three consecutive days. The second group drank four glasses of water instead.

Both groups were given a controlled diet and told not to engage in physical activity, other than walking. Then after 10 days, the two groups switched.

After putting the subjects through a battery of tests designed to measure fluids in the body, researchers found no difference between the two groups.

Additionally, a study by researchers from the National Cancer Institute in the US revealed that older adults who drank coffee - caffeinated or decaffeinated - enjoyed a longer life span than those who did not drink coffee.

In another study, researchers from Ruhr University in Germany found that coffee may take the negative edge off of the world, and focus your mind on positivity. While another study also found that women who drink two or more cups of coffee a day are less likely to get depressed. While it's not clear why this happens, researchers say it may be linked to caffeine's effect on the brain's chemistry.

'Smart' toothbrush grades your brushing habits

A French company has introduced what they're calling the world's first connected electric toothbrush, which syncs wirelessly with a smartphone to track brushing habits, announce whether you or your kids have brushed thoroughly enough, and reward you for good oral hygiene.

For extra motivation, or shaming, the brush can even share information with your dentist.

It's called the Kolibree toothbrush, and was unveiled earlier this month at the International Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, United States.

The device will cost from US$99 to US$200, depending on the model, and will be available for pre-order this summer through Kickstarter or another crowd-funding site.

Users download a mobile app and connect via Bluetooth, and the Kolibree documents every brushing via three sensors that record 1. how long you brush, 2. whether you brush all four quadrants of your mouth, and 3. whether you brush up and down (good) instead of just side to side (bad).

The data automatically syncs to your Android phone or iPhone, telling you whether you brushed long enough and reached all the crucial areas of your teeth and gums. The Kolibree app charts your progress and scores your brushing technique to encourage you or your kids to improve brushing habits.

It's not the first 'smart' toothbrush on the market, however. The manual US$25 Beam Brush went on sale about a year ago. The Beam also connects to phones via Bluetooth and records brushing time, although unlike the Kolibree, it cannot track the brush's movements in the mouth.