Coffee News: Going without coffee can rock your world

"I remember the first time I tried coffee. It was strong, bitter and, to my 15-year-old taste buds, disgusting. But it seemed like a grown-up alternative to my hot chocolate, and so I gave it another chance.

The lure of caffeine: Breaking an addiction to coffee can produce irritability and headaches. - INtake file photo
Vice is not usually harmful
Let's get this straight: Caffeine isn't bad for you, as long as it's consumed in moderation. While headaches, fatigue and all-around crankiness can result when a habitual user misses a cup or two, dietitian Lalita Kaul and psychologist Barry Smith say the drug is relatively harmless.

"If it is taken within reason -- a couple of cups a day -- it is fine," Kaul says. "It can temporarily raise your blood pressure and can sometimes stimulate your heart, but it's not harmful."

Smith says coffee drinkers experience a "change in brain chemistry" when they have their regular cups of joe, but adds "most people adjust pretty quickly when they stop drinking it."

Smith points out that the verdict is still out on the long-term effects of caffeine, so it's best to play it safe and drink a few cups of coffee or less each day. "Some studies show if you drink it in excessive amounts over time, it may contribute to heart problems, and other studies show it has no effect," he says. "Research has been going on for 40 years or so, and there's still no final answer."

For those looking to cut back on their multiple daily cups of coffee, Kaul recommends a gradual weaning process, similar to that of smokers trying to quit. "You can put more skim milk in your coffee for nourishment as you wean yourself off it," she suggests. "It's habit-forming, and each person has to make the decision to cut it down."

-- The Washington Post

Nine years later, I can't imagine a day without my regular cup or two, or, well, maybe three. Now, I believe I have a normal relationship with joe. I would gladly, for example, languish in a steaming hot tub of java. The aftermath might be a little gross, but mmm -- imagine the aroma.
But my love for the rich, soothing liquid can be a real pain -- in the head, that is -- if I don't get dosed at the usual times. Sometimes I buy a cup even when I don't want one, or can't really afford one, just to avoid the throbbing behind my eye sockets.
Occasionally a little question pops through the pain: Do I really need all that coffee? My caffeine-enslaved brain screams yes! But the rational part of me says not-so-much."

Full article here.

January 8, 2006

Coffee News: Going without coffee can rock your world