The Great Coffee Debate

It is said by many that America runs on coffee and while the truth/accuracy of this statement may be up for debate there remains little doubt that many people are in fact addicted to the caffeine contained in the coffee that they drink.

Figure 1: Café Latte

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These days we consumers hear considerable amounts of information from various interested parties in a vast array of fields and quite often there is disagreement and confusion regarding the subject being discussed. Who is authoritative and who isn’t?

Coffee and whether or not it is good or bad for you is one of the biggest topics that seems to have attracted literally thousands of lobbyists all sprouting forth their own vested interest perspective. To overcome this let us have a look at the “real” issues here.

Caffeine

Let us begin our look into the world of coffee, its background and its pros and cons by starting with an examination of caffeine.

Figure 2: The Caffeine Molecule

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Addictive – In short caffeine is a very addictive substance; which a considerable portion of humanity, have come to depend on for the perception of increased energy.

Perception – Do note that the most important component of my previous statement is “the perception of increased energy”. Caffeine does not actually provide you with considerable levels of nutrition rather it gives the user the perception of greater energy. It accomplishes this trickery by inhibiting the release of adenosine.

Adenosine – In sufficient quantities adenosine interacts with numerous brain cells (neurons) causing them to initiate a desire to rest and relax.

Caffeine – Caffeine works in complete opposition (inhibition) to adenosine. Its effects are therefore perceived by the user to be surges of additional energy above and beyond that which they would otherwise experience. Think of this as being performance enhancement which is why caffeine has been banned from use by athletes. In fact many; but not all individuals may experience highs and lows to such an extreme state that they can no longer function as before.

Tolerance – As with most addictive substances the brain will eventually become accustomed to the threshold level of the substance. The result is that ever greater amounts (higher doses) of said substance(s) (caffeine included) to provide the same degree of perceived benefits (increased alertness, greater energy levels, decreased drowsiness, etc.).

Figure 3: Roasted Coffee Beans

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Coffee’s Benefits

I have compiled this list alphabetically since many of the references that I checked could not consistently reach a consensus about how to rate and rank these factors.

While much of the research into the pros and cons of coffee consumption has found that coffee does indeed have its advantages many of these studies have not been in existence long enough to produce anything but a basic analysis of the data collected to allow us to extrapolate coffee consumption trends.

Alzheimer’s Disease – Early correlation and analysis of data gathered by a number of studies show that; to some degree at least, the consumption of coffee does appear to provide some protection against developing Alzheimer’s disease later in life.

Antioxidants – Coffee is full of antioxidants which help reduce cell damage, and aging.

Cognitive Function – Caffeine is a stimulant. While drinking coffee has been shown to increase one’s attention span in the short term it has not as yet been demonstrated whether caffeine can heighten cognitive function.

Liver Function – Drinking coffee has been shown to have beneficial effects in limiting to some degree the progress of cirrhosis of the liver

Gall Stones and Kidney Stones – The consumption of coffee may even play a role in the prevention of developing gallstones and kidney stones.

Other Benefits – Other benefits that arise out of the consumption of coffee include a reduction in the likelihood of you developing Parkinsonism and/or Type 2 Diabetes.

Coffee’s Downside

Here is a list of the more common negative effects of coffee consumption. Once again due to the lack of available adequate research I will present this list in alphabetical order rather than in some form of prioritized listing.

Addiction – While the FDA recognizes caffeine as “safe,” it is still a drug that significantly alters the nervous system, leading to addiction over time.

Cardiovascular Disease – Cardiovascular disease is a term that really does cover an extensive range and number of medical conditions. The part that coffee plays in the development of these diseases is currently under assessment.

As already noted the information collected by many studies into the effects of coffee and more specifically the caffeine contained within it have never been adequately analyzed. Here are some of the negative effects resulting from the prolonged consumption of coffee:

• Blood Vessel Function – Medical science has for quite some time now known of the negative effects that coffee consumption has upon the functioning of blood vessels, both in turgidity and tone.
• Cardiac Function (Heart Function) – Heavy coffee consumption has been shown to be closely linked to irregular heartbeats as well as adversely affecting systemic blood pressure regulation.

Cholesterol – Some of the compounds contained within coffee have been demonstrated to produce a cholesterol-raising effect

Dehydration – Drinking coffee depletes water reserves in the body

Extreme Withdrawal Symptoms – You may experience withdrawal symptoms when you try to give up coffee. This can lead to headaches, irritability, body aches, and other more extreme symptoms.

Heartburn – Many people report that coffee increases heartburn

Laxative Effects – Drinking excess caffeine can dehydrate the body and interfere with digestion. Caffeine has been shown to interfere with the absorption of magnesium, which is critical in maintaining regular, healthy bowel movements.

Osteoporosis – With many independent studies world-wide showing that there is a link between heavy coffee consumption and Osteoporosis. The most influential factor in drawing this conclusion is that heavy coffee drinking often leads to markedly increased urinary calcium excretion. Thus those at risk of developing Osteoporosis as well as those already experiencing Osteoporosis should reconsider very carefully their coffee drinking habits.

Sleep Disturbance – It is well documented that drinking coffee, particularly in the evening or at night, can lead to sleep disturbance.

Caffeinated Versus Decaffeinated Coffee

Now let’s examine coffee from the perspective of trying to draw conclusions regarding which is best to drink and which is best health-wise. The potential laxative effects of coffee as mentioned above can lead to the coffee drinker becoming a little dehydrated and more than a little malnourished.

The Laxative Effect – The big surprise is to discover that this effect is present in caffeinated and decaffeinated coffee drinkers alike. Obviously the factors that are conspiring to cause this condition must be present in caffeinated coffee and decaffeinated coffee alike.

This situation really does highlight why one should never jump to conclusions or single out one specific culprit until all other possible causes have been thoroughly investigated and ruled out of contention.

Acidity – Coffee is itself highly acidic and can in some instances lead to an overproduction of stomach acid that can irritate the intestines.

With decaffeinated coffee being shown by numerous independent researchers to trigger even more acid production than regular coffee we need to re-evaluate our focus. Too much acid and protolytic enzyme production will place considerable stress upon the duodenum, liver and pancreas. The reasons for this are quite simple.

Digestion – Pepsin is a protolytic enzyme produced by the wall of the stomach and needs an acidic environment in which to do its thing. Fortunately the stomach wall also secretes hydrochloric acid creating the environment in which pepsin can do its thing.

It is the job of secretions produced by the duodenal wall, the pancreas and the liver to deliver an environment that is no longer acidic thereby terminating the effective actions of both pepsin and the stomach’s hydrochloric acid and saving us all from self-digesting the rest of our gastrointestinal tract. Upsetting these balances is how various substances contained in your coffee affect your digestion and metabolism.

Mucosal Irritant – Many groups of researchers are now finding that coffee can have a negative effect with regards to the production of mucus by the stomach and upper part of the small intestine.

This mucus is required to protect the stomach and intestinal walls from becoming self-digested. One only needs to have a quick look of peptic and duodenal ulcers to learn of the unpleasant effects denuding of your gastro-intestinal tract’s mucosa.

Coffee Alternatives

For those wishing to kick their coffee habit and anyone else who is interested here are some of the alternatives to drinking coffee:

Grain Coffee – Substitute store-bought coffee with natural grain coffee which is 100% caffeine free and is made using a ground mixture of grains, nuts, and dried fruit.

Grain coffee is available in regular drip coffee-maker and instant brands. It also comes in a whole host of flavors: vanilla nut, java, hazelnut, chocolate mint, almond amaretto, etc.

Transitioning to Grain Coffee – When switching (transitioning) from a long-time habit; such as drinking coffee, to something else it is important not to make the mistake of trying to take too big a jump all at once. Do it in a number of smaller more easily managed steps.

You may therefore find that mixing the grain coffee with regular coffee and changing their relative proportions during the transition period is the easiest way to go.

For more information regarding grain coffee check out this Wikipedia article entitled Grain coffee.

Chicory Essence – Chicory Essence is another readily available option to substitute for coffee.

Herbal Tea – Don’t forget to consider herbal tea in with your options.

Figure 4: Espresso Brewing

Image Source: Wikipedia

Espresso – Drinking your coffee in the form of espresso has the great advantage that the actual process (rushing a small quantity of water over the beans very quickly) used to make espresso allows you to have coffee’s great flavor without the over-extracted volatile oils and caffeine.