In the interest of full disclosure, lets admit both you and I are currently caffeinated. Thought I did give up coffee for 6 weeks to see how it felt. I did feel some withdrawal symptoms like a mild headache and fogginess. That passed in a couple of days and the positives were that I slept well and didn’t have the jittery feeling that I did with caffeine. They say with caffeine, the dose and the timing make the poison.
Most of us (90% to be precise) start our day with Tea or Coffee. I don’t think we can imagine it any other way. It is our cup of optimism, concentrated sunshine as some have called it. Coffee is the second most traded commodity in the world after oil.
Was this always the case?
Coffee and Tea was introduced to the modern world in the mid 1600s, and gained popularity with the industrial revolution a century later when the idea of the coffee break was born. Before this time, beverages were generally alcoholic. Except maybe China where tea has been around for millennia.
Positives of coffee
Coffee contains potassium (important for the nervous system and all-round health) soluble fiber, Capestol which is an anticarcinogen and antioxidants. For those consuming a standard American diet(SAD) coffee is probably the only source of antioxidants.
Why coffee is addictive
One of the main ways our brain gets the signal to sleep is through a molecule called adenosine which builds up in the brain during the day. More the adenosine, sleepier we are. Coffee’s wake up effect is because the caffeine it contains, latches on to adenosine receptor sites prevents adenosine from doing its job. But the build up of adenosine continues regardless. Imagine a leaky roof that you have patched up temporarily while it continues to rain. Eventually as the caffeine wears out, the sleepiness comes back. And what do you do then? Have more coffee! And that becomes a vicious cycle.
Downsides and caution
Caffeine is classified as a psychoactive substance. Which means it affects how we think and feel. Its addictive quality is exploited by the F&B industry. The top six bestselling beverages in the US, contain caffeine. The colas, energy drinks, gels and even OTC medication like Panadol may contain caffeine.
The most important reason to watch caffeine intake is its effect on sleep. Caffeine has a ¼ life of 12 hours, so if I have two espresso shots at 10 am, at 10pm when im heading to bed, a quarter of that is still in my system. And the effects of caffeine on sleep are well established. Even if we can fall asleep, the high quality deep sleep is very limited. As we age, it gets harder to process caffeine.
So with any caffeinated beverage like coffee, the dose and the timing makes the poison. Have your coffee an hour or two after you wake up and avoid any coffee, tea, green tea,energy drink etc after noon.
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