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Caffeine
Whether waking up to the aroma of freshly brewed
coffee, enjoying lunch with a refreshingly cold soft drink or relaxing in the
evening with a cup of tea, these daily pleasures often have a common
ingredient—caffeine.
In case you needed to be reminded how dangerous
caffeine is, we have posted a list of health related issue that are caused from
consuming caffeine. A lot of the information came from the book
Caffeine Blues.
Cardiovascular Problems
Caffeine increases your heart rate, elevates your blood
pressure, and can contribute to the development of heart disease. Both
decaf and regular coffee increase your cholesterol and homocysteine, the
biochemical that science has linked to increased risk for heart attack.
Caffeine is also linked to coronary vasospasms, the cause for 20% of all fatal
heart attacks which kill otherwise perfectly healthy people.
Stress
Caffeine stimulates the excretion of stress hormones which
can produce increases levels of anxiety, irritability, muscular tension and
pain, indigestion, insomnia, and decreased immunity. Increased levels of
stress from caffeine can keep you from being able to make healthy responses to
the normal daily stress everyone is subjected to in their lives.
Emotional Disturbances
Anxiety and irritability are hallmark mood disturbances
associated with caffeine consumption, but equally important is depression and
attention disorders. Depression may occur as part of the let down after
the stimulant effects of caffeine wears off. It may also appear during the
recovery period after quitting caffeine while the brain's chemistry is
readjusted. Caffeine rather than increasing mental activity actually
decreases blood flow to the brain by as much as 30% and negatively effects
memory and mental performance.
Blood Sugar Swings
Diabetics and hypoglycemics should avoid caffeine because it
stimulates a temporary surge in blood sugar which is then followed by an
overproduction of insulin that causes a blood sugar crash within hours. If
you're trying to loose weight, this rollercoaster will actually cause weight
gain since insulin's message to the body is to store excess sugar as fat.
Gastrointestinal Problems
Many people experience a burning sensation in their stomach
after drinking coffee because coffee increases the secretion of hydrochloric
acid leading to and increased risk for ulcers. Coffee, including decaf,
reduces the pressure on the valve between the esophagus and the stomach so that
the highly acidic contents of the stomach pass up the to the esophagus leading
to heartburn and gastro-esophageal reflux disease. With America's high
consumption of coffee, its no wonder the best selling over-the-counter drugs are
the so-called antacids.
Nutritional Deficiencies
Caffeine inhibits the absorption of some nutrients and causes
the urinary excretion of calcium, magnesium, potassium, iron and trace minerals,
all essential elements necessary for good health.
Male Health Problems
Dr. Milton Krisiloff, M.D. has found that in the majority of
cases, men can significantly reduce their risk for urinary and prostate problems
by making dietary changes which include eliminating coffee and caffeine.
Female Health Problems
Fibrocystic breast disease, PMS, osteoporosis, infertility
problems, miscarriage, low birth weight infants, and menopausal problems such as
hot flashes are all exacerbated by caffeine consumption. Women on birth
control pills are particularly at risk since they have a decreased ability to
detoxify caffeine.
Adrenal Exhaustion
Caffeine consumptions leads to eventual adrenal exhaustion
which can leave you vulnerable to a variety of health disorders related to
inflammation, autoimmunity, and fatigue.
Aging
Many people find in their forties that they can no longer
tolerate the same level of caffeine consumption as they could in their twenties
and thirties. The production of DHEA, melatonin, and other vital hormones
start to decline and caffeine speeds up that downhill drop. Caffeine
dehydrates the body and contributes to the aging of the skin and kidneys.
It has been shown to inhibit DNA repair and slow the ability of the liver to
detoxify foreign toxins.
Is there such a thing as healthy coffee?
References:
1) Stephen Cherniske - Caffeine Blues
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