Coffee Controversies

Although coffee is one of the most heavily researched commodities with studies spanning decades, there is still much controversy surrounding its effects on health. Many studies show conflicting results and there is always a new study to discount the last one.

Science Of Caffeine

Caffeine is the most prevalently used legal stimulant in the world. It stimulates you, gives you energy or a "lift", and it makes you more alert. To understand how caffeine affects your body, we have to look at the science of caffeine. When you take in caffeine, it triggers the secretion of stress hormones, similar to a fight-or-flight response when you have to deal with sudden danger. The following is how the body responses to an elevation of stress hormones:

• Pupils dilate to increase visual acuity.
• Bronchial airways dilate to increase availability of oxygen.
• Liver releases sugars and fats into the blood to fuel the survival effort.
• Muscle fibers contract, ready for sudden movement.
• Heart rate and blood pressure increase to supply fuel to muscles.
• Circulation reduced in digestive system to make more blood available to muscles.
• Small blood vessels in the extremities constrict to make more blood available to muscles.

In caveman days, such fight-or-flight response was designed for episodic stress events. In modern times, however, stress tends to be chronic, and most people typically consume caffeine at regular intervals during the day. When your body is in a constant state of "emergency alert", the results can be devastating.

Harmful Effects Of Caffeine

• Caffeine can generate wild swings in blood sugar, causing hypoglycemia (low blood sugar). Symptoms include weakness, nervousness, sweating, heart palpitations, and jitters.
• Caffeine can raise blood pressure and cholesterol levels.
• Caffeine can alter the production of hydrochloric acid in the stomach, leading to impaired digestion. It is associated with increased risk for ulcer, acid reflux, and irritable bowel syndrome.
• Caffeine can lead to skin irritations.
• Caffeine can have a detrimental effect on the body's calcium-phosphorus balance, which is associated with rheumatoid arthritis and osteoporosis (porous bones).
• Caffeine can aggravate your PMS (premenstrual syndrome) and menopause symptoms.
• Caffeine can affect the quality of your sleep. The fact that you have built up a high tolerance for caffeine does not mean that your sleep quality has not been compromised. Caffeine can also worsen symptoms of insomnia, panic attacks, and anxiety disorders.
• Caffeine can increase the risk of miscarriage, birth defects such as cleft palate, and low birth weight among babies. Pregnant women should always avoid caffeine. Caffeine is a stimulant drug that easily passes through the placenta to the developing fetus and is also transferred through breast milk.
• Last but not least, if you regularly take in more than 100 mg of caffeine (about half a cup of brewed coffee) a day, you are probably addicted to caffeine and are likely to experience some withdrawal symptoms such as headache, fatigue, irritability, difficulty concentrating, and muscle stiffness.