Thursday 13 (May 27)
13 Reasons Why Caffeine is Very Bad for Your (my!) Health:
1. It breaks down your tooth enamel (causes cavities).
2. It can lead to other diseases (or intensify them):
- fibromyalgia
- rheumatoid arthritis
- osteoporosis
- migraines
- anemia / iron deficiency
- breast cysts
- diabetes
- hypertension (high blood sugar)
3. It decreases your DHEA levels which are necessary for your immune cells (to stay healthy) and your libido.
4. reacts with birth-control pills to mess with your sleep (body no longer detoxifies the caffeine, so it stays in your system longer — doesn’t matter what time of day you drink it).
5. It leeches your calcium (= brittle bones), magnesium (=increased risk of heart attack/stroke), and B-vitamins (= increased stress levels).
6. It can cause neurological damage –> leaves you foggy-brained, unable to think at deeper levels; also causes memory loss.
7. It causes depression & fatigue (because your serotonin levels drop).
8. It ages you quicker (“adrenopause” –> cortisol levels up, DHEA levels down).
9. It can cause reduced ability to cope with stressors (more easily irritated, anxious, prone to anxiety/panic attacks).
10. It causes weight gain.
11. It causes frequent Urinary Tract Infections (UTI’s).
12. It causes blood-vessels to constrict, meaning you feel colder more often (reduced metabolic efficiency).
13. It stresses your liver because it has to work extra hard to get rid of the toxins from the caffeine (caffeine gets into a host of organs immediately, and can cross the blood-brain barrier).
[all of this information is thanks to the book, "Caffeine Blues" by Dr. Stephen Cherniske]
ETA: For more detailed information, read this other blogger’s post about “Caffeine Blues” and the negative effects of caffeine on the body.
Well, gosh you just ruined my day… I drink pots of coffee. I know it’s not healthy but didn’t realize it was that bad.
Guess I’ll have to work on this addition… again.
Sorry… for me, it’s Coca-Cola. I drink it just about every day, plus my morning “French Vanilla”. So, I have a really hard time stopping myself from drinking it. This list is good evidence that I DESPERATELY need to at least cut back to only “once in a while”.
Nine years ago, I decided it was time to work on my health and I went on a diet.
At the time, I drank a lot of caffeine in the form of Coca-a-Colas. I realized this was a lot of sugar and I didn’t need it. I don’t care for diet sodas and figured this would be a good time to give up caffeine (in liquid form…it’s in chocolate and I will admit I indulge in that from time to time…). I did it and it was a rough day or two as I had the headaches and grouchiness associated with it.
Now, close to a decade later, I’m still caffeine free and don’t miss it.
It’s hard to give up, but it’s worth it.
Thanks for sharing! I really do believe that giving it up would be worth it (and there is NO WAY I’m giving up chocolate, btw! LOL), but I’ve struggled to give up my pop drinking for YEARS! Hence why I’m hoping knowing all of these negative effects will help me get away from the stuff…
Mind you, knowing that Coke can strip the paint off of a car didn’t deter me, so I will have to wait & see…
Very interesting post!
Wow! I went caffeine-free about 4 years ago and I feel better, but this reinforces that it was a good decision. Thanks for the post!
Wow! Glad I gave it up months ago. So, have you finally talked yourself into giving up sodas yet? The key is — don’t buy it or have it in the house. Which basically means everybody in the house has to give it up.
Not yet, no. And, yeah, I already try not to keep the soda in the house — that’s worked out okay, except for when I’m really craving it, and then I go to the store and buy a bottle (personal-size).
Wow, I am a big BIG
Wow, I am a big BIG coffee drinker. Americanos, drip coffees, Java Chip from Starbucks on hot days and a big fan of Pepsi and dr.pepper…im not too worried about the weight issue because I am very active thanks to my 9 month old and daily life for me. Plus to do try to eat healthier like using whole wheat flour and pasta and breads. No candy, low sodium, low fat, reduced fat items. But I do need to cut back on sodas, they aren’t any good for my health…thanks for the knowledge:)