Coffee Nerdness

     So many of you have been sending me notes and comments about coffee and my coffee nerdness, I decided to investigate the risks and benefits of coffee and caffeine. What is the verdict on your daily coffee intake? My philosophy is I’ll try almost anything twice and most substances can be used for tribal purposes. It’s the abuse of a substance that starts the problem.

     Did you know that worldwide, 120,000 tons of caffeine is consumed each year? That’s the equivalent of one caffeine-containing beverage per day for each of the 5 billion plus inhabitants of planet earth. Welcome to the most widely consumed psycho-active substance in the world.

     Humans have been using this drug since the Stone Age and our early ancestors used it to elevate their moods, stimulate their awareness and eased fatigue by chewing the bark, leaves or seeds of certain plants.

     Today, we as a society may have refined our tastes but are not much different. We consume caffeine in coffee, tea, cocoa, chocolate, some soft drinks, and even some drugs. But how much do we really know about the substance whose consumption is rivaled only by water?

     Caffeine is found in varying amounts in the fruit, leaves, and beans of over 60 plants. In the plant world, caffeine acts as a natural pesticide that paralyses and kills some insects that try and feed on these plants.

     Caffeine as a word itself comes from the French term for coffee, café. Your typical morning latte can contain an upwards of 200g of caffeine. A cup of tea averages around 70mg, soft drinks anywhere from 10 to 50mg per beverage, and an average 28g serving of milk chocolate contains about as much caffeine as a cup of decaffeinated coffee. Studies have shown that a complete tolerance to the subjective effects of caffeine can be seen to develop after consuming 300mg of caffeine 3 times per day for 18 days, and sometimes even earlier.

     Caffeine is completely absorbed by the stomach and small intestine within 45 minutes but its effects can be felt after around 15 minutes. And just what are these effects? Well, caffeine is a central nervous system and metabolic stimulant. Because of the norepinephrine released in the brain after ingestion, caffeine increases respiration, strengthens the pulse, raises blood pressure, stimulates the kidneys, temporarily relieves fatigue, and excites the brain, improving mental function. Caffeine and its related substance theobromine (from tea and cocoa) are like sugar in their effects on the body. They stimulate the adrenal glands to release an adrenaline-like substance, which causes the liver to release sugar into the blood stream. This is what gives you the lift you feel from drinking caffeinated beverages.

     Just like alcohol and nicotine, caffeine readily crosses the blood brain barrier. There in the brain caffeine also constricts cerebral blood vessels. If you’re used to drinking a few cups of coffee a day but decide to give it a rest, those blood vessels will dilate, leaving you with one hell of a headache, one of the best known withdrawal symptoms. Other symptoms can include irritability, an inability to concentrate, and even stomach aches. These feelings can appear within 12 to 24 hours if no caffeine has crossed your lips, peak at approximately 48 hours and last from one to five days. It takes the body an average of 7 to 9 hours to process the caffeine in one cup of coffee. Women, however, metabolize caffeine about 25% faster than men unless they are taking oral contraceptives or are ovulating which then increases the time to 10 to 20 hours!

     People hypersensitive to the caffeine found in coffee may decide to drink decaffeinated coffee. This way, they can still enjoy the great coffee taste, yet avoid the caffeine. Coffee can be “decaffeinated” by treating the green beans with solvents called chlorinated hydrocarbons. Once the solvents are removed, the beans are then roasted by ordinary procedures. Most people become accustomed to decaffeinated coffee and do not have to worry about the effects of caffeine.

     Having coffee can help you remain alert but it is the aftermath you should be worried about, the ill effects it has on your health. It is a stimulus which does wonders to your central nervous system by stressing the hormones in the blood stream and keeping you alert and awake whenever you have it. This unnatural way of keeping your body alert takes a toll on your body. The normal way of functioning gets disrupted due to the intake of coffee or any other product which contains good amount of caffeine.

     As caffeine gets into our system it makes us addicted. After knowing the ill effects of caffeine, if you suddenly stop taking coffee, you will face caffeine withdrawal symptoms which can be anything from a headache, irritability, fatigue, constipation, lack of appetite, lack of concentration to even forgetfulness.

     In my view 1-2 cups a day won’t cause you too much harm, but the benefits you’ll achieve by using caffeine only when you need it will far surpass your daily psychological reliance on those cups of coffee. Those wonderful delicious flavored coffees will be too hard to resist for me.

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