10 replies to this topic

[MissKBuff]

Coffee has a long history of being blamed for many ills — from the humorous "It will stunt your growth" to the not-so-humorous claim that it causes heart disease and cancer. But some recent research indicates that coffee may not be so bad after all. So which is it — good or bad for your health? The best answer may be: It doesn't seem to hurt, and it may help.

To get an idea of where the confusion comes from, consider two recent studies. A study of 128,000 men and women showed no increase in the risk of heart disease from drinking filtered coffee. The findings of the study — which published in May 2006 in the journal Circulation — indicated that it didn't matter how much coffee participants drank.

Another study of 4,000 coffee drinkers published in March 2006 in the Journal of the American Medical Association found that two or more cups of coffee a day can increase the risk of heart disease in people with a specific — and fairly common — genetic mutation that slows the breakdown of caffeine in the body.

The design of a study can have some effect on the interpretation of results, which may be another reason for the different conclusions. Overall, given the research reviewed it would be reasonable to conclude that coffee poses little or no threat to healthy adults.

But this doesn't mean you should disregard the old maxim, "Everything in moderation." Although coffee may not be harmful, other beverages such as milk and juice contain important nutrients that coffee does not. Also, keep in mind that there's a difference between plain, black coffee and specialty coffees, such as lattes, and coffee with large amounts of cream, sugar and other accompaniments that add calories and fat. And don't forget about the caffeine. For most people, the caffeine in two to three cups of brewed coffee (roughly 200 to 300 milligrams) isn't harmful. However, heavy daily caffeine use — such as in four to seven cups of coffee — can cause problems such as restlessness, anxiety, irritability, sleeplessness, headaches and other health problems.

Regarding other health effects of coffee, some evidence suggests that drinking coffee may protect against type 2 diabetes and colon cancer. But there is much more evidence of a protective effect from fruits, vegetables and whole grains than from coffee.

Caffeine: How much is too much?
You may like caffeine's effects, but too much can be harmful. Find out if you need to cut back your caffeine consumption.
In less than an hour you start to feel caffeine's effects. You're more alert, energetic and productive. Your mood lifts and that foggy, tired feeling is gone.

If you rely on daily doses of caffeine to chase away fatigue and perk up your disposition, you aren't alone. Nine out of 10 Americans consume some type of caffeine regularly, making it the most popular behavior-altering drug.

For most people, moderate doses of caffeine — 200 to 300 milligrams (mg), or about two to three cups of brewed coffee a day — aren't harmful. But some circumstances, such as caffeine sensitivity or use of certain medications, may warrant limiting or even ending your caffeine routine. Find out if you need to decaffeinate your diet and, if so, how you can do it with minimal distress.

When to cut caffeine use
Certain circumstances call for reducing the amount of caffeine you consume. Evaluate your habits. If any of these situations apply, you may need to cut back.

You consume unhealthy amounts
Though moderate caffeine intake isn't likely to cause harm, too much can noticeably affect your health. Heavy daily caffeine use — more than 500 to 600 mg a day, or about four to seven cups of coffee — can cause:

Restlessness
Anxiety
Irritability
Muscle tremors
Sleeplessness
Headaches
Nausea, diarrhea or other gastrointestinal problems
Abnormal heart rhythms
You have caffeine sensitivity
If you're susceptible to the caffeine's effects, just small amounts — even one cup of coffee or tea — may prompt unwanted results, such as anxiety, restlessness and irritability. The more sensitive you are to caffeine, the less you need to consume before feeling its influence.

Your sensitivity depends on many factors, including:

Body mass. People with smaller body masses feel the effects of caffeine sooner than those with larger body masses.
History of caffeine use. People who don't regularly consume caffeine tend to be more susceptible to its negative effects than are people who do.
Stress. All types of stress — for example, psychological stress or heat stress — can increase a person's sensitivity to caffeine.
Other factors can contribute to variations in caffeine sensitivity as well, including age, smoking habits, drug or hormone use, and other health conditions, such as anxiety disorders.

You're not sleeping well
Most adults need seven to eight hours of sleep each night. But caffeine can interfere with this much-needed sleep. Chronically losing sleep — whether it's from work, travel, stress or too much caffeine — results in sleep deprivation. Sleep loss is cumulative, and even small nightly decreases can add up and disturb your daytime function. Sleep deprivation can cause impaired memory, mood swings, lack of concentration, and poor performance at work or school.

Using caffeine to mask sleep deprivation creates an unwelcome cycle. For example, you drink caffeinated beverages because you have trouble staying awake during the day. But the caffeine keeps you from falling asleep at night, shortening the length of time you sleep. Caffeine can also increase the number of times you wake up during the night and can interfere with deep sleep, which makes your night less restful. With less sleep and poor-quality sleep, you're more tired the next day. To battle the fatigue and to feel more energetic, you reach for your morning jolt of Java.

The best way to break this cycle is to limit your caffeine and to add more hours of quality sleep to your day. Also, avoid caffeinated beverages eight hours before your desired bedtime. Your body doesn't store caffeine, but it does take many hours for it to eliminate the stimulant and its effects.

You're taking certain medications and supplements
Certain medications and herbal supplements negatively interact with caffeine. The following are some examples.

Some antibiotics. Ciprofloxacin (Cipro) and norfloxacin (Noroxin) — types of antibacterial medications — can interfere with the breakdown of caffeine. This may increase the length of time caffeine remains in your body and amplify its unwanted effects.
Theophylline (Theo-24, Uniphyl, others). This medication — which opens up bronchial airways by relaxing the surrounding muscles (a bronchodilator) — tends to have some caffeine-like effects. Taking this drug along with caffeinated foods and beverages may increase the concentration of theophylline in your blood. This can cause ill effects, such as nausea, vomiting and heart palpitations. If you take theophylline, your doctor may advise that you avoid caffeine.
Ephedra (ma-huang). This herbal dietary supplement increases your risk of heart attack, stroke, seizures and death. Combined with caffeine, it becomes especially risky. The Food and Drug Administration has banned ephedra in the marketplace because of health concerns. This ban applies to dietary supplements but not herbal teas, which may still contain the herb.
Talk to your doctor or pharmacist about whether caffeine might affect your prescription. He or she can best direct you on whether you need to reduce or eliminate caffeine from your diet.

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/caffeine/AN01211

[Thinkbig]

I WEIGH ALOT, AND HAVE A PRETTY GOOD TOLERANCE TO STIMS, FROM A LONG HISTORY OF USING THEM.

AS SUCH, I CAN TAKE A GRAM OF CAFFEINE AND SEVERAL OTHER STIMS AT ONCE, OCTOPAMINE, ALSO EPHEDRINE AND ETC., SOMETIMES.

OF COURSE THIS IS NOT MENT TO BE TAKEN AS A RECOMMENDATION OF SUCH THINGS, AS IT COULD BE DANGEROUS FOR MANY.

MY INTENT IS MERELY AS A COMPARATIVE INSIGHT INTO HOW TOLERANCE AND BODYWEIGHT OF THE INDIVIDUAL CAN PLAY A LARGE ROLE INTO HOW MUCH OF ANYTHING IS TOO MUCH.

[MissKBuff]

I WEIGH ALOT, AND HAVE A PRETTY GOOD TOLERANCE TO STIMS, FROM A LONG HISTORY OF USING THEM.

AS SUCH, I CAN TAKE A GRAM OF CAFFEINE AND SEVERAL OTHER STIMS AT ONCE, OCTOPAMINE, ALSO EPHEDRINE AND ETC., SOMETIMES.

OF COURSE THIS IS NOT MENT TO BE TAKEN AS A RECOMMENDATION OF SUCH THINGS, AS IT COULD BE DANGEROUS FOR MANY.

MY INTENT IS MERELY AS A COMPARATIVE INSIGHT INTO HOW TOLERANCE AND BODYWEIGHT OF THE INDIVIDUAL CAN PLAY A LARGE ROLE INTO HOW MUCH OF ANYTHING IS TOO MUCH.

Oh I definitely agree! I can have 1/2 an ephedrine and get the shakes, lol...it always depends on mass

[deadweight]

I agree with TB about body weight....The bigger the more the you can tolerance a higher percentive of any drug or stims....However,i have a freind that is very small..shes only like 100 lbs and can take a hand full of drugs and will still stand compared to me i would be under the tabel........So some are an exception to the rule.dw

[MissKBuff]

I agree with TB about body weight....The bigger the more the you can tolerance a higher percentive of any drug or stims....However,i have a freind that is very small..shes only like 100 lbs and can take a hand full of drugs and will still stand compared to me i would be under the tabel........So some are an exception to the rule.dw

Yes! Some definitely have a higher tolerance for whatever reason...

[ashley2212]

I try to stay away from caffeine as much as possible. I was up to drinking several cups of coffee per day a couple years ago and it only made me more tired. I went cold turkey and had the WORST headaches!!! Now I only have a cup every once in a great while if I want to "treat" myself.

Fat burners I used while dieting over the summer but didn't have the same effect coming off of them, thankfully.

[MissKBuff]

Thank you Ashley!!! I was wondering why I am all of a sudden having massive headaches when I never used to get them...I guess that could explain it!

[Alpha]

i usually drink a cup of coffee a day , and i take a NO2 supp that has caffeine in it .....i should try to cut back

[diese1]

Hmmmm I love caffeine!!!

[ashley2212]

Thank you Ashley!!! I was wondering why I am all of a sudden having massive headaches when I never used to get them...I guess that could explain it!

It SUCKS! Took me about 2 weeks to feel "normal" again. Now I feel MUCH better because I don't feel like I rely on that hit of caffeine anymore. As long as I get enough sleep, I am always awake and alert without it whereas before, my alertness would fluctuate depending on my coffee consumption. Definitely a habit worth kicking if you can stand the withdrawl! Much luck to you!

[MissKBuff]

Thanks Ashley!!! It is so damn worth it to kick it...it's like quitting smoking or something. You just need to wait for all of the shitty withdrawl sides to dissapear and then you can really see how awesome quitting was for you I'm not getting the headaches anymore, thank goodness, so now it's all good!