By Elena Voropay

As part of our daily routine, caffeine is not losing its popularity with time. With a thorough knowledge about its effects on our systems, most of us are able to make an educated decision before making a choice between a cup of coffee or herbal tea. We all want to do what's best for our bodies. But if having to choose the right beverage for you makes you anxious and you start feeling stress, then this article is for you. Don't worry so much about what's going to happen if you drink a cup of coffee - in moderation it can be very beneficial if you are not on a stress-fatigue roller-coaster. But if you are already on the edge, and a simple decision of 'to drink or not to drink' that cup'o'java causes perspiration and fidgeting, then stick to this report to find out...

Caffeine has the potential to raise stress hormone levels in the blood, inhibits important enzyme systems having to do with house cleaning in the body, sensitizes nerve reception sites, and is associated with a sense of poor health, anxiety, and depression (2,3).

The first thing that a physician usually mentions to a peptic ulcer patient is that he must leave off caffeinated drinks. Not only peptic ulcer but several other kinds of digestive problems arise from the use of coffee.

Many people find that caffeine drinks cause them to suffer diarrhea followed by constipation. Headaches are common among caffeine users, and often clear up after only a short period of caffeine abstinence — a week or two. Headaches may occur as a caffeine withdrawal symptom; some people are so sensitive that they get a headache soon after drinking their last cup.

Damage to chromosomes by caffeine has been recognized for years. Those who want good babies and easy pregnancies should use absolutely no caffeine before, during or after pregnancy, since caffeine can damage the chromosomes of the ova and spermatozoa, as well as the chromosomes of the developing embryo during pregnancy.

Any substance that can damage chromosomes can also cause an increase in the rate of cancer. Bladder cancer in women is 2 1/2 times more likely to occur if a woman drinks only one cup of coffee per day (7). There are already several cancers that are known to be more common if one uses caffeine.

Since caffeine first stimulates the nerves than causes depression, presence of fatigue in those who use caffeinated drinks is common. It is a fact that the commonest complaint in physicians' offices today is that of fatigue.

Yet, many people mistakenly believe that coffee helps them get through a difficult day. In addition to fatigue, mental confusion and depression also result from the use of caffeinated drinks. While caffeine drinks cause an immediate increase in the learning ability, the overall result is a decrease in learning; the physical fatigue resulting from pharinacologic depression of the nervous system produces emotional depression, leading to a reduction of interest in and retention of new material.

If caffeine is taken at night, it interferes with the mechanism the brain has of transferring freshly learned material from the short-term memory to the long-term memory.

References:

Greden, John F. M.D. et al. Anxiety and Depression Associated with Caffeinism Among Psychiatric Inpatients. American Journal of Psychiatry 133:8, Aug 1978.
Bellet, Samuel. Effects of Coffee Ingestion on Catecholamine Release.
Greden, John F. M.D. Anxiety of Caffeinism: A diagnostic dilemma. American Journal of Psychiatry 131:10, October, 1974.
Miscarriage and the Coffee Connection. Science News October 25, 1975 page 267.
The Medical Effects of Coffee. Medical World News January 26, 1976 page 63-73.