Caffeinated?

What an appropriate month for GO! Smell the Coffee!!  Today is officially National Caffeine Awareness Month…or should I say anti-caffeine awareness month.  All of the articles that I’ve read seem to explain the reasons why you should quit…it is an addiction.  I call it one of world’s most socially acceptable drug.  Please keep in mind that I love coffee and am an avid coffee fan…or is it addict.  I can stop anytime…really. 

Most of the information links back to the Caffeine Awareness Association. 

 The following is their description from their site:

What is the Caffeine Awareness Association?

The Caffeine Awareness Association, a non-profit organization, is committed to the physical, mental, and emotional wellness of the public whose lives have been affected by their misuse of, or dependency on caffeine. Our mission is to provide objective, evidence-based information and advice to help reduce the health, social, and economic harm associated with caffeine abuse and addiction.

Did you know that an average size espresso drink has less caffeine than the average brewed coffee?  Or that coffee comes second only to petroleum as the world’s most widely traded commodity?  Caffeine can be found in coffee, decaf coffee, tea, decaf tea, medications, chocolate, sodas, and many other sources. For a child three caffeinated sodas is equivalent to an adult drinking three cups of coffee.  It takes about six hours to exit your system. 

There are many risks that have been found from intaking caffeine. Some are still in testing phases.  It affects the brain in similar ways of cocaine, heroine, methamphetamines as they all produce dopamine which stimulates the please area of the brain and increases adrenaline. 

Caffeine increased cholesterol, is artery clogging, highly addictive, promotes heart disease, pancreas and bladder cancers, disturbs our central nervous system, increases risk for hypoglycemia, , increases risk for gallstones.  It affects the brains ability to take adenosine which causes sleepiness. It also creates headaches, dehydration, impairs absorption of iron and calcium, causes headaches, and impairs the body’s ability to absorb iron and calcium. Doctors recommend that pregnant women, heart disease patients and those at risk for osteoporosis should not drink coffee.

So, are decaffeinated items better?  Even decaffeinated items contain some caffeine. For coffee, some of the processes used to “decaffeinate” produce dangerous carcinogens.  However, those that use “naturally decaffeinated” or “swiss water processed” are safe.

 The UP side of caffeine research is showing that it does help prevent heart disease and asthma. It also increases the body to produce antioxidants. It increases memory, mixed with carbohydrates replenishes the body faster, decreases risks for colon cancer and cirrhosis of the liver, can stimulate hair growth in those that are balding, decreases post work out pain by 48%, wards off Alzheimer’s disease, eases depression, increases stamina, decreased risk for diabetes, Parkinson’s disease and risk of cavities.

Research at times seems contradictory and are in the beginning stages, but there are some things that are consistent regarding the addictive effect.  So, it is up to you.

If you decide to stop drinking coffee or other caffeinated items be prepared as it is a drug with withdrawl side effects.  When caffeine intake is reduced, the body then becomes oversensitive to a chemical in the brain (adenosine) relevant to the sleep process, causing blood pressure to drop dramatically, producing an excess of blood in the head area (not necessarily on the brain), and leading to a headache often lasting several days. Other withdrawal symptoms reported are fatigue and muscle pain, irritability, inability to work, nervousness, restlessness, and feeling sleepy, and in extreme cases, nausea and vomiting. Gradual reduction of caffeine intake abates these symptoms.

By the way, I am enjoying my caffeinated coffee here in Southern California and you can’t take it away…it is mine…all mine!!!

 So, will you stop drinking coffee or other caffeinated beverages?  All comments and questions welcomed.

FUN TIME!!!

To find out how many cup of numerous choices of caffeine that it would take to kill yourself go to this link:  http://www.energyfiend.com/death-by-caffeine.