Drug of choice!!

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gmattson
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Drug of choice!!

Post by gmattson »

No. . . I'm not talking about Cocaine or Heroin. . . For 9 out of 10 Americans, Coffe is our "kick"!

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>According to Dr. Ede Koenig, Caffeine is a mind-altering stimulant that produces a surge of nervous energy, only to leave its victim exhausted, irritable, short-tempered, depressed and depleated! The "brown drink" family (foods that contain caffeine) is the No. 2 cause of cancer in America today, according to cancer researcher Dr. Bruce ames. these "foods" all contain chemicals called methylxanthins.

Caffeine is converted into uric acid, which is the cause of painful gout, a form of arthritis. It can cause poor balance, racing heart, hight-pitched voice, insomnia, racing and disconnected thoughts, poor membory, fatigue, resless leg syndrome, hand tremors, anxiety and dread, hostility, sleep disturbances, headaches, reflex hyper-excitability, irritability, agitation, anxiety, dehydration and general discomfort. But these are only the short-term effects!

How about decaffeinated coffee? Coffee has at least 100 potentially harmful chemical components that are still present in deccaffeinated coffee.

According to the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, just one cup daily, whether decaffeinated or not, increases the risk of bladder cancer by 300 percent! Caffeine strains the heart becvause it stimulates the heart muscle, but reduces its blood supply by constricting the arteries at the same time, leading to high blood pressure.

According to the Journal of Nutrition, one to six cups increases heart attack risk by 60 percent. Caffeine also stresses the pancreas and compounds diabetes by raising blood sugar levels and fatty acids.

The article goes on and on and on. . . Coffee is Poison!<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Now we have all read the wine is bad for you one day and the next day the doctors are telling us to drink two glasses a day to stay healthy!

Like many of you, I love my coffee. So I've been waiting in vain for the articles that will tell me how wonderful coffee is. Until that article appears, I'm hoping J.D. or Bill will debunk Dr. Koenig's thesis here, so I won't feel so guilty drinking my morning cup of java.

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GEM
JOHN THURSTON
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Post by JOHN THURSTON »

Sensei:

Sounds to me as though coffee people had best be prepared for "reckless marketuing" suits somewhere down the line.

JOHNT

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Susie Harrison
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Post by Susie Harrison »

George, it sounds like this guy who you quote it an extremist. "Caffeine is the No. 2 cause of cancer in America today!!!???" Where does he get his data? He mentioned potentially harmful chemical components in coffee, but didn't tell the whole story. That is, that practically every natural food substance contains harmful and even carcinogenic chemicals IN MINUTE AMOUNTS.

JD, you had a good point about statements such as "300% increase in risk of bladder cancer." For example, if your risk is "one in a million," a 300% increase would only be "three in a million." - Not a significant difference.

There was ONE study published in the New England Journal of Medicine in 1981 that indicated that "coffee might account for a substantial proportion of the cases of pancreatic cancer in the US." Studies since that time have come up empty. In truth, is it smoking, not coffee, that has a very clear link to pancreatic cancer. Coffee drinking, alone, in the absence of cigarette smoking has not been associated with cancers. John Weisburger of the American Health Foundation says that there's no good evidence that coffee has any role in cancer development.

As far as heart disease, the percentage quoted sounds exaggerated ("increaes heart attack risk by 60%). If that were true, you can bet that the American Heart Association would warn against caffeine consumption in its literature and recommendations. It is true that some studies have shown an increase in LDL and triglycerides in people given 4-8 cups of non-filtered coffee a day (like that made in a French press). Studies done with heavy coffee drinkers, both men and women, don't show any association to heart disease, according to Meir Stampfer at the Harvard School of Public Health.

I think we need to look at the coffee issue objectively. As with most foods and substances, a moderate amount usually isn't harmful and is handled well by the human body. It's those 8-10 cup-a-day drinkers who will probably experience problems, particularly irritability, difficulty sleeping, heartburn, headaches and anxiety.

Caffeine doesn't come close to being a public health issue - we need to focus our attention on the big things that matter, like fat, cholesterol, sodium, sugar . . .



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Susie Harrison
Email: <A HREF="mailto:Sharriso@health-first.org">Sharriso@health-first.org</A>
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Bill Glasheen
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Drug of choice!!

Post by Bill Glasheen »

Susie

You are GOOD!

Between Susie and J.D., most bases are covered. I have just a few more details to add to the picture.

Let me start with this...I could read the article George posted about a new susbtance X. At the end of this, I would see the bad effects this gentleman stated and ask the following question: AT WHAT DOSE? Vitamin A, Vitamin E, phosphorous, potassium, etc are all food substances that can be dangerous and - yes - LETHAL at high enough doses. Whoops!

In addition to all the salient points Susie made, I might add the following. There is a particular brand of coffee that seems to be associated with many of the bad cardiovascular effects (very very slightly so). And you want to know what kind of coffee? It is the bean they use in decaffeinated coffee! That's equivalent to saying that unprotected sex is safe, but sex with a condom and no orgasm is associated with disease and pregnancy. Guess what the average person would do if THAT was the case? Duh......

I love using the transportation example here. So many people will not go on an airplane because of their PERCEPTION that it is not safe. And yet these people are the same ones who will drive their cars every day twice a day in rush hour traffic - while smoking. Go figure.

What to do?

1) To heck with decaffeinated coffee. Either drink the real stuff or go home.

2) Drink coffee in moderation. Five cups a day MAX.

3) Do not boil, press-pot, or percolate the coffee. Instead, do drip method. Traditional expresso is also acceptable. This will avoid the extraction of the harmful elements from the coffee bean into your brew.

4) Avoid instant coffee. Occasionally the organic solvent is still present in small quantities. And it tasts like crap anyhow.

5) To save your stomach, do not let coffee cook on a burner. The coffee specialty places that know what they are doing let the drip coffee go straight into a thermos. Believe it or not, Starbucks cooks their coffee. For the life of me I can't figure out how they can charge 3 times as much for inferior treatment of their product!! Any time you get to a place like this, order one of the following: 1) expresso (REAL expresso), 2) cappucio (REAL cappucino), or 3) an Americana (expresso diluted with hot water to traditional coffee brew strength). That way you KNOW it will be made fresh for you.

6) Coffee stains your teeth, the papers you spill it on, and the white shirt you are wearing when you spill it. So will colas. Want to know what the only COMMON beverage is that has caffeine (half as much as coffee) and will not stain when consumed or spilled? Mountain Dew. This soda is also one of the few that does not use a phosphate buffer (too much of this can deplete your calcium reserves).

And order me a diet please (if you can find one). Sugar is for wimps and girlie men!

Bill

[This message has been edited by Bill Glasheen (edited 02-18-99).]
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gmattson
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Post by gmattson »

Thank you, thank you all!

I shall pass this information on to Susan, who reads all the articles saying foods and beverages I like are bad. She cuts them out and places them around the kitchen.

Of course, I cut out those articles that say my pet foods and beverages are good for me and cover up her articles!

Now my coffee articles are bigger than her's!

Thanks. . . I'm off to Duncan Donut.

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GEM
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Scott Danziger
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Post by Scott Danziger »

I think we should be more concerned about <a href="ftp://ftp.uechi-ryu.com/pub/uechi-ryu/d ... 3.wav">The coffee pushers and our children</a> (Wav file 643k)
T Rose
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Post by T Rose »

A little blurb that I heard on the History Channel. Coffee was considered a heathen drink. During this period the crusades was an on going thing. Muslims drank their coffee, expresso etc. The pope tried coffee and declared it a heavenly drink that must be rescued from the heathen so he blessed it...
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Scott Danziger
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Post by Scott Danziger »

Anthony,

That's from Southpark, The episode is "Gnomes". (Creatures that come steal your underpants at 3:30 in the morning) It's one of the funniest episodes too. The other subplot in the episode is "Harbucks" moving into town to force the mom & pop coffee shop out of business. The episode is hilarious especially when the kids try drinking coffee.

Scott


[This message has been edited by Scott Danziger (edited 02-19-99).]
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