Caffeine Protocol

  

“Population studies, experimental evidence and clinical evaluations indicate a strong association between caffeine consumption and fibrocystic breast disease.” Murray & Pizzorno, Note yes ladies I am scaring you here but better here than at your doctor’s office. Breast cancer itself does not appear to be associated with modest caffeine consumption.

“I now start every morning with a glass of whey and the difference this natural probiotic drink has made to my digestion is enormous. Since I've been feeling so much better in the mornings I've been able to let go of my habitual morning cup of coffee, easily and painlessly, I just don't feel like drinking it anymore.” A  Naturopath

”The caffeine in your morning coffee is confirmed to put you in a state of sustained stress, affecting both blood pressure and heart rate all through the day.” Duke University

“Regular caffeine intake may actually lead to chronic fatigue.” Murray & Pizzorno

“In a study mice fed one dose of caffeine significantly increased their swimming capacity. After six weeks of a daily dose of caffeine their swimming capacity significantly decreased.” Estler et al

“Simply eliminating coffee can often result in complete relief from the symptoms of anxiety and panic attacks. This recommendation may seem too simple to be valid but substantial clinical evidence indicates that in many cases it is all that is necessary.” Murray & Pizzorno, Note this is sure a good place to start in any case

“Like all ecosystems, the delicate balance of the digestive tract can be altered by various toxins including antibiotics and other drugs, chemicals like chlorine and fluoride in our water, food additives and preservatives, stimulants like coffee, and an overabundance of difficult-to-digest foods like improperly prepared whole grains.” Sally Fallon and Mary G. Enig, PhD

“In a Dutch study caffeine decreased insulin sensitivity by 15%, if insulin sensitivity is a problem or if type 2 diabetes is evidenced, zero caffeine consumption is a wholly worthy gesture.” Life Extension

“Currently available evidence suggests that ensuring adequate calcium and vitamin D intake and limiting coffee consumption to 3 cups/d or less may help reduce the risk of osteoporosis and osteoporotic fracture, particularly in older adults.”  Linus Pauling Institute on Coffee

Coffee is an adrenal stimulator. So are white sugar, a leopard in your living room, and the morning commute. Stress like from modern, empty foods, toxic exposure, and emotional worry - you know the list - which send constant messages to the adrenal glands. After awhile the adrenal glands get fried, depleted, out of gas, used up. As the most evolved system in the universe, the body's got back-up plans for everything. And the first of the Plan B's for spent adrenal glands is to convert another hormone into adrenal hormone, thereby taking the burden off the adrenals themselves. Guess which hormone is first on the list for this understudy duty? Right: progesterone. Remember, progesterone is the precursor, or basic raw material, for all the steroid hormones. So for many women who are really stressed and have been for years, they are relying in large measure upon alternative sources of adrenal hormones. With progesterone being the first of the volunteers to be changed into adrenal hormones, this leaves little or no progesterone left to perform its primary function, which was what? Right again, to maintain the dynamic balance with estrogen. The Doctor Within

"If I told you there was a drink that might reduce the risk of diabetes, Parkinson's, cirrhosis, gallstones and liver cancer, you might be surprised to find it in Starbucks. But coffee is such a significant source of antioxidants that it could feasibly claim to be a health beverage. More liver-lovers: artichokes, blueberries, beetroot, broccoli."   Life Extension, Note OK so what is this telling us? It tells me sucking on a raw coffee bean or two may have some merit. The sugar and oxidized milk in your average cup of coffee can negate all the benefits of the coffee bean flavonoids IMO

"Everyone has different reactions to caffeine. For people who rarely have coffee a cup or two can improve performance and memory. But if you drink coffee throughout the day you quickly build up tolerance and won't get the same benefits. In fact too much caffeine can make you jittery and reduce your concentration."   Suzette Evans PhD

"The Dutch study tracked 37,514 people for 13 years in one of the biggest studies on coffee and tea drinking. Tea had a bigger impact than coffee. Those who drank between three and six cups of tea daily were 45 percent less likely to suffer coronary disease than those who drank less than one cup, while with heavy drinkers -- more than six cups -- the risk was reduced by 36 percent. The risk of heart disease was cut by 20 percent among those who drank two to four cups of coffee. The researchers noted coffee drinkers are more likely to smoke. Antioxidants in coffee and tea are responsible for the health benefits.”    van der Schouw et al

  

Caffeine is a Drug

Caffeine is a drug popularly consumed in coffee, tea, soft drinks and, in smaller doses, chocolate. Caffeine is a strong stimulator or your adrenal system and very agitating to your body. Yes it will jolt you awake but you pay dearly for this. Some people who are very sensitive to Caffeine may have trouble sleeping even if they stop drinking coffee as early as 9:00 AM. I can drink a cup of caffeinated tea in the morning without apparent problems but if I drink it on two consecutive days I have trouble sleeping the second night. One cup of coffee after 9 AM and I have trouble sleeping that night.

  

Caffeine and Depression

People with depression or any psychological or near psychological problem are warned not to consume ANY caffeine. Caffeine and sugar has been demonstrated in several clinical trials to induce depression. People with cardiovascular problems to include HBP should IMO also avoid caffeine.

  

Caffeine Properties

• Anti-Thyroid (See Thyroid Protection Protocol)
• Dehydrating that caffeinated beverage when you are thirsty strips water from your body
• Pro Anxiety
• Pro Fatigue
• Pro-Stress (See Stress Protection Protocol)
• Pro-Depression (See Depression Protection Protocol)
• Physical Dependence only takes three days to kick
• Can wake you up in critical situations

• Coupled with alcohol (Irish Coffee) is an immediate stroke treatment. Put two shots of any alcohol in a cup of coffee or other caffeine drink and give immediately to a stroke victim. The combination of Caffeine and alcohol will help prevent damage to the brain (See Brain Protection Protocol) while you rush the victim to medical care.

Most people can handle the caffeine in a couple cups of coffee without too many overt problems. Some of us very sensitive to caffeine have the medical condition Caffeinism. If you have most of these symptoms try giving up caffeine for an initially painful couple weeks; see if on balance it is not worth it. In my case I have problems sleeping with any but very small infrequent amounts of caffeine.

  

Caffeinism Symptoms

• Depression
• Nervousness
• Irritability
• Recurrent Headache
• Heart Palpitations
• Insomnia

  

Caffeine and Pregnancy

Numerous studies on pregnant animals have shown that caffeine can cause birth defects, preterm delivery, reduced fertility, and increase the risk of low-birth weight offspring and other reproductive problems. This is an indication of how powerful the adrenal glands stimulating caffeine is. http://www.americanpregnancy.org/pregnancyhealth/caffeine.html

  

Kicking the Habit

We all enjoy an aromatic hot cup of coffee on a cold dark morning. Just don’t enjoy one every day if you don’t want to get hooked. You can kick the coffee addiction in just three to five somewhat painful days. Who is in charge you or the coffee? Do you want a cup of coffee or do HAVE to have a cup? Start quitting by cutting back to a single fix of morning coffee a day; do this for at least a month or two to establish a good habit. In place of coffee then substitute a lower caffeine drink like caffeinated tea; do this for at least a month or two, For many the switch may be enough and you can live with your reduced caffeine intake.

Then take the plunge. If you quit with your Friday cup by Monday for most of us the worst will be over. Substitute a non-caffeine herbal tea or other non-caffeine drink to replace the caffeine drink. There are some very healthful non-caffeine drinks becoming popular such as Rooibos Tea (See Rooibos Tea Protocol).

I reserve coffee use for those long drives at night when I need to stay awake and special occasions. I consume the caffeine containing extremely healthful cocoa  more frequently; guess I got to watch that also at 25 mg of caffeine an ounce.

  

Coffee and Cancer

"Men who drank the most coffee were 60 percent less likely to get an aggressive form of prostate cancer than men who didn’t drink coffee."

"Those who drank four or more cups of coffee a day were a whopping 39 percent less likely to develop tumors of the head and neck."

There is evidence coffee is associated, at least, with some reduced cancer risk. We do know there are strong anti-oxidants in coffee.

     

Here are the foods highest in caffeine

Top 10 Worst Drinks - Nutrition by Natalie

Some Pros and Cons of Coffee

Linus Pauling Institute on Coffee

More

http://stress.about.com/od/stresshealth/a/caffeine.htm

http://lpi.oregonstate.edu/infocenter/foods/coffee/