Top 10 Caffeine Related Health Problems

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Top 10 Caffeine-Related Health Problems

JoAnn Guest

Nov 27, 2004 21:02 PST

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Top 10 Caffeine-Related Health Problems

 

The information below is taken 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

increased 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 lose 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 an 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 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 consumption 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.

 

http://www.teeccino.com/Top10Reasons.aspx

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Coffee Consumption: Imminent Dangers

JoAnn Guest

Feb 22, 2004 11:01 PST

 

 

 

Stimulants are energy's greatest enemy.

 

Even though stimulants can create energy in the short term, the

long-term effect is always bad.

Remember that decaffeinated coffee always contains stimulants. We all

need to assess, for ourselves, our current relationship with

stimulants.

Coffee drinkers who opt for decaffeinated in the belief that it will

not be harmful, could be kidding themselves, scientists say.

 

A recent study in Zurich Switzerland, suggests that caffeine is not

responsible for all of coffee's stimulant effects and that even organic

decaf coffee can increase *blood pressure* and interrupt sleep patterns,

even for occasional drinkers.

 

The study into the effects of coffee found that blood pressure and

nervous system activity increased even with the occasional cup coffee,

regardless of whether or not it contained caffeine.

 

Dr Roberto Corti, a cardiologist from the University Hospital in

Zurich, Switzerland, said:

We had expected to see that caffeinated coffee increased blood pressure.

But we were surprised to find that organic decaffeinated brands did the

same.

If you avoid ordinary coffee and take decaf instead, you will have

exactly the same effect.

 

Researchers measured the blood pressure, heart rate and nervous

system activity of 15 healthy volunteers aged between 27 and 38.

Six of the group were habitual coffee drinkers. The others either did

not drink coffee or had it only occasionally.

Measurements were recorded before, during and after the volunteers

drank decaffeinated and regular coffee.

 

The occasional drinkers showed a rise in blood pressure after an hour

for both regular and decaffeinated. Both also increased nervous system

activity - by 29 per

cent after half-an-hour and 53 per cent after 60 minutes.

 

Over- activation of the nervous system has been linked to high blood

pressure.

Dr Corti said the research, published today in the medical journal

Circulation, suggested an unknown ingredient was responsible for

increasing heart rate and blood pressure.

 

'Until now, we have attributed the cardiovascular effects of coffee

to caffeine but we found non-coffee drinkers given decaffeinated

coffee also display these effects,' he said.

 

He suggested that people who had been advised to avoid coffee - such

as those with hypertension - might do best also to steer clear of

decaf as well.

Bristol University researchers have shown that consumption of coffee,

even small amounts of decaf - has been linked to ill-health.

 

The very " acidic " nature of coffee leads to stomach ulcers and numerous

other digestive complaints as well. When the excessive acid from even a

few cups of coffee enters the bloodstream, it greatly increases urinary

calcium 'loss'. As far as caffeine is concerned, it causes severe

dehydration, and the massive *depletion* of important minerals.

 

The more caffeine added, total calcium excretion in the urine increased

by 25%. When sugar was added, urinary calcium loss almost doubled. Both

caffeine and sugar cause *dehydration*.

 

-- Coffee drinkers are often deficient in calcium, magnesium,

potassium and other important minerals.

 

Coffee has no 'nutritional' value.

The caffeine is able to penetrate deep into vital tissue.

Even “minute” amounts of caffeine 'slow down' the 'elimination' of mucus

and " destroy " vitamin C.

 

It has been proven that even 'minimal' amounts of Caffeine have a

powerful effect on the coronary arteries and the

pulmonary and systemic vessels to the heart muscle,

while also decreasing the flow of blood to the brain,

all the while 'constricting'

the cerebral blood vessels.

 

Caffeine may cause abnormally fast, abnormally slow and irregular

heart beats.

 

It wreaks havoc on blood pressure, producing hypertension.

Coffee is very closely linked to angina and numerous other forms of

heart disease, pancreas and bladder cancer, diabetes and hypoglycemia.

 

There are other naturally occurring organic compounds found in coffee

called " Terpenoids " which research indicates accelerate our

*cholesterol* levels.

Researchers report that these terpenoids are only partially removed by

coffee filters.

 

Coffee is strongly addictive. It takes, on average, close to four days

to break the habit.

During these days you may experience headaches and grogginess. This is a

strong reminder of how extremely harmful coffee really is for you. Tea

is not as harmful as coffee, unless you like your tea well 'stewed'.

 

Caffeine works like a mild drug, acting directly upon the central

nervous system.

 

It does this by releasing stored sugar (glycogen) in the liver,

which accounts for the " lift " coffee, cola, and chocolate give.

 

Release of stored sugar places heavy 'stress' on the *endocrine* system,

very often called " adrenal-rush " .

 

Caffeine is a central nervous system " stimulant " , providing that

familiar kick on which we have come to depend.

 

But as with all stimulants, there is a price to be paid.

If we run the body on *overdrive* by constantly 'artificially'

stimulating the

" adrenals " , we can expect an eventual breakdown to occur.

 

In a survey, the four top reasons for eliminating coffee were:

 

central nervous system disorders, 39%;

gastrointestinal problems, 37%; to break addiction, 19%; and

fibrocystic breast tumors, 15%.

Each cup of coffee, cola, tea, every piece of chocolate, and any other

ingested caffeine products, intensifies " toxic psychosis " . Half-life

increases. Subsequent doses, including minute amounts,

act as a bolus.

 

Cells are poisoned, including our neurons.

 

It is medical knowledge that the longer a person is exposed to a drug,

the higher the chances are for developing a tolerance, and an allergy to

the substance.

 

Once this happens with caffeine, it cannot be metabolized, but is

rapidly absorbed by all the organs, and distributed

into intracellular compartments

and extracellular water (edema).

 

 

Circulating adrenaline (epinephrine) increases in caffeine- consuming

persons.

 

With caffeine, a person's inability to 'eliminate'(edema,

dehydration)

while continually ingesting caffeine, neurotransmitter

levels, including dopamine and adrenaline, quickly increase.

 

As a result, our cells rapidly absorb the " drug " .

 

The higher the adrenaline level, the greater the increase in dopamine.

Serotonin also increases. Dopamine and serotonin decrease during

partial, toxic withdrawal states.

 

But as long as the toxins from caffeine remain in the body,

'neurotransmitters' never adjust to the victim's " natural " state.

 

The body views coffee as a poison.

 

This is most readily seen in the use of coffee enemas, which act by

forcing the liver to

quickly dump excess 'waste' build up from the body.

 

I am acutely aware that the press is extolling the virtues of coffee

consumption. Obviously, big PHARMA controls our media. When I hear

these things in the media, we must stop to consider the source!

 

Caffeine in any form is a stimulant and essentially a very harmful drug

linked to the onset and exacerbation of disease. In that respect it is

very similar to the pharmaceuticals which we are trying to avoid.

 

Best Regards

JoAnn

 

" There are more coffee addicts in the US than drug addicts of any

other kind " .- Charles F. Withal

 

JoAnn Guest

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