The Real Truth about CAFFEINE

Dear World

The following is an extract taken from our forthcoming book titled – The Real Truth about Caffeine.

Are we aware exactly what caffeine is?
Are we aware that caffeine is a drug?
Are we aware caffeine can be made synthetically?

Are we aware what caffeine does to our brain?
Are we aware what caffeine does to our body?
Are we aware caffeine alters our natural state? 

Are we aware some foods actually have caffeine in it?
Are we aware there are high doses of caffeine in energy drinks?

Are we aware caffeine is in tea and cola, not just Coffee?
Are we aware there is caffeine in our Chocolate bars?

Are we aware that caffeine is in some of our medicines?
Are we aware caffeine is in our weight loss products?
Are we aware caffeine is in some of our
Breakfast cereals?

Are we aware how much caffeine we consume daily?

Are we really aware of the ins and outs about this drug?

Dear World

Are we ready for more awareness about caffeine?

Are we ready for this book on Caffeine?

This book will give us the download, spelling out exactly what caffeine is and what it does to our body.

Are we all checking what we read out there and discerning what is true and what is not?

If we are being Honest and up front about how far we are as a world from being caffeine free?

Has anyone noticed the booming big business just in the coffee industry everywhere?

Would it be wise to stop and read our Coffee blog on the Simple Living Global website which states that coffee is the second largest traded commodity in this world?

Could it be possible that it is the caffeine in the coffee that keeps us going and wanting more?

Could it be possible that the reason coffee is the second largest traded commodity is because we are using this drug and getting away with it under the banner that it is not an illegal substance?

Are we all aware that we have a giant industry supplying us something that is in truth a legal drug because it has caffeine in it?

Have we added Energy Drinks now because they contain caffeine and tend to appeal to younger generations?

Learning about what products contain it allows us to make better choices when shopping.

For some people, the effects of caffeine are prominent and troublesome.

Some of the effects are trouble sleeping, nervousness, shaking and increased heart rate. (1)      

Can we start with a dose of real Honesty and admit most of us simply do not have the time “to do some research into this commonly found stimulant”?

Can we relate to the following –

We are way too busy with our Fast Life and Fast Food living to do our own research.

That perfect time seems to be words on a calendar but in real life it’s just not happening.

Our lifestyle is such that making “better choices” seem to be less and less achievable.

Learning is something we would like to do but our daily life makes that seem impossible.

Shopping is a real chore now and we rely on the Internet to do it for us most of the time.

If we do get to the supermarkets, the last thing on our mind is making better choices.

We know that the effects of caffeine are ‘troublesome’ but we get through the difficulty with a stronger dose of coffee or an energy drink as that’s the latest thing that seems normal as everyone is doing it.

What is great is we are being told some of the effects might be what we have noticed, like trouble sleeping, that nervousness and the heart feeling racy, but we have no idea how we can change, make different choices or even know where to start.

So just incase none of us have got round to learning all we can about this stimulant – Simple Living Global have done some research and here are the ins and outs about Caffeine, in our usual style of ‘Say It as It Is’ and keep asking QUESTIONS, join the dots using common sense where we can.

Caffeine is the most commonly used drug in the world. 

Caffeine is a stimulant.

Millions consume caffeine every day to increase wakefulness, alleviate fatigue and improve concentration and focus. (2)

Hello

Has anyone considered or wondered WHY it is classed as a drug in the first place?
Is there a significant clue here for all of us?

WHY on earth is it so commonly used?
WHY are we still using it if we KNOW it is a drug?

WHY do we need a drug in the first place to stay awake?
WHY are we using it to alleviate fatigue and is this the answer to our extreme tiredness?

Are we messing with our natural internal Sleep and wake cycle?
Are we creating a deep ill further down the road by using a common drug like this?

Are we pumping the body with a fuel that is covering up our real Exhaustion that is buried?

Are we ready to ask some serious Questions about how we are actually living in daily life?

Can we get Honest about the real facts of caffeine and admit that we are demanding this substance every day and the suppliers just keep supplying in many different forms from Coffee to energy drinks and Chocolate – all of which have caffeine in various degrees?

Could it be possible that caffeine gives us a sudden rush and we feel alert and think we have improved focus and concentration, but we need More of it to get the same results and then even more over time as the amount we started with, simply is not cutting it?

Could it be possible that we have been using foods and drinks with caffeine, to stimulate us and give us an altered state of being?

Could it be possible that we have a false Waking and sleeping cycle, which is way off from our natural rhythm?

Could it be possible we have lost touch with the deep Tiredness and fatigue we feel but we never stop for long enough, as our caffeine ensures we just keep going?

Caffeine is used by mouth or rectally in combination with painkillers like aspirin and a chemical called ergotamine for treating migraine headaches.

It is also used with painkillers for simple Headaches and preventing and treating headaches after epidural anaesthesia.

Some people use caffeine for –

  • ADHD – Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
  • Asthma
  • Gallbladder Disease
  • Low Blood Pressure
  • Shortness of Breath in Newborns
  • Type 2 Diabetes
  • Weight Loss

Ephedrine interacts with caffeine.
Stimulant drugs speed up the nervous system.
Caffeine and ephedrine are both stimulant drugs.

Taking caffeine along with ephedrine might cause too much stimulation and sometimes serious side effects and heart problems.

Caffeine is one of the most commonly used stimulants among athletes.

Taking caffeine within limits, is allowed by the NCAA – National Collegiate Athletic Association.

Healthcare providers sometimes give caffeine intravenously by IV for Headache after epidural anaesthesia and breathing problems in new-borns. (3)

Could it be possible that our athletes are speeding up their nervous system to perform by using caffeine as it is allowed within limits?

Could it be possible that to keep up, our athletes need more caffeine to further stimulate them so they can continue their goal, which is simply to win?

Could it be possible that any amount of caffeine affects the real quality of what a human is capable of performing?

Could it be possible that our athletes are using caffeine to enhance their performance and going beyond their natural capacity?

Could it be possible that in the long-term living in this way has a harmfull effect on the body?

How Does Caffeine Work

Caffeine works by stimulating the central nervous system (CNS), heart, muscles and the centres that control blood pressure.

Caffeine can raise blood pressure but might not have this effect in people who use it all the time.

Caffeine can also act like a ‘water pill’ that increases urine flow. (3)

Function of Caffeine

Caffeine is absorbed and passes quickly into the brain. It does not collect in the blood stream or get stored in the body.

It leaves the body in the urine many hours after it has been consumed.

There is no nutritional need for caffeine. It can be avoided in the diet.

Caffeine stimulates or excites the brain and nervous system.
It will not reduce the effects of alcohol. (4)

Uses

Effective for –

Headache Following Surgery
Using caffeine by mouth or intravenously by IV is effective for preventing headaches following surgery. Caffeine is an FDA-approved product for this use in people who regularly consume caffeine.

Migraine Headache
Taking caffeine by mouth together with painkillers such as aspirin and acetaminophen is effective for treating migraines. Caffeine is an FDA-approved product for use with painkillers for treating migraine headaches.

Tension Headache
Taking caffeine by mouth in combination with painkillers is effective for treating tension headaches.
(3)

Likely Effective for –

Mental Alertness
Research suggests that drinking caffeinated beverages throughout the day keeps the mind alert.

Combining caffeine with glucose as an “energy drink” seems to improve mental performance better than either caffeine or glucose alone.

Possibly Effective for –

Asthma
Caffeine appears to improve airway function for up to 4 hours in people with asthma.

Athletic Performance
Taking caffeine seems to increase physical strength and endurance and might delay exhaustion. It might also reduce feelings of exertion and improve performance during activities such as cycling, running, playing soccer and golfing.

However, caffeine does not seem to improve performance during short-term, high-intensity exercise such as sprinting and lifting.

Breathing Problems in Infants
Caffeine given by mouth or intravenously appears to improve breathing in infants born too early.

It seems to reduce the number of episodes of shortness of breath by at least 50% over 7-10 days treatment.

However, caffeine does not seem to reduce the risk of premature infants developing breathing problems.

Diabetes
Drinking beverages that contain caffeine is linked with a lower risk of developing Type 2 Diabetes. It appears that the more caffeine that is consumed, the lower the risk.

Caffeine might not be effective in treating Type 2 Diabetes.

Research on the effects of caffeine in people with Type 1 Diabetes is inconsistent.

Gallbladder Disease
Drinking beverages that provide at least 400 mg of caffeine daily seems to reduce the risk of developing gallstone disease. The effect seems to be dose-dependent. Taking 800 mg of caffeine daily seems to work best.

Headache
Taking caffeine by mouth or intravenously seems to help prevent headache after epidural anaesthesia.

Low Blood Pressure
Drinking caffeinated beverages seems to increase blood pressure in older people with low blood pressure after eating.

Memory
Taking 200 mg of caffeine by mouth daily seems to improve memory in some people with outgoing personalities and college students.

Pain
Research suggests that taking caffeine together with painkillers can reduce pain.

Parkinson’s Disease
Some research suggests that people who drink caffeinated beverages have a decreased risk of Parkinson’s disease. However, this reduced risk is not observed in people who smoke cigarettes.

Weight Loss
Taking caffeine in combination with ephedrine seems to help reduce weight short term.

Taking 192 mg of caffeine in combination with 90 mg of ephedra daily for 6 months seems to cause a modest weight reduction (5.3 kg or 11.66 pounds) in overweight people.

This combination, along with limiting fat intake to 30% of calories and moderate exercise, also seems to reduce body fat and decrease “bad” low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol and increase “good” high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol.

However, there can be unwanted side effects.

Even in carefully screened and monitored otherwise healthy adults, caffeine/ephedra combinations can cause changes in blood pressure and heart rate. (3)

So the above section gives us what caffeine is ‘likely effective’ for.

Are we absolutely certain that caffeine is helping our headaches and sorting out our gall bladder – really?

Would it be wise at this point to suspend all beliefs and anything else we have subscribed to when it comes to caffeine and continue reading this book in full, so that we are better informed and well equipped to make a decision about what feels true and what does not?

Do not take caffeine containing products and ephedrine at the same time. (3)

Ephedrine is a stimulant derived from the Ephedra sinica plant.

Once popular as a weight loss aid and energy supplement, sales are now restricted due to the risk of serious health problems and its role in methamphetamine manufacture.

When combined with caffeine, ephedrine causes appetite suppression and increased metabolism.

Ephedrine is a similar structure and effects to Amphetamines.

The combined effects of ephedrine and caffeine are likely to be more dangerous than ephedrine alone due to increased cardiovascular strain and central nervous system stimulation caused by both substances. (5)

Ephedrine can also increase dopamine levels in the brain.

The legal status of ephedrine varies by country and is a banned substance by certain sports agencies. (6)

Ephedrine acts similarly to epinephrine – also known as adrenaline.

It is used by “clubbers” in place of Ecstasy.
Serious thermogenic effects, such as heat stroke, are caused by ephedrine’s ability to increase body temperature; this effect is intensified by caffeine.

Not all products are marked correctly for content, which causes a significant public health risk.

The Texas Department of Public Health analysed a product that indicated it only contained Chinese ginseng and found it contained 45 mg of ephedrine and 20 mg of caffeine. (7)

Hello

If we are being honest, how many people who want to lose weight fast, are willing to take anything to get the desired result?

If we are warned of the dangers and all the side effects, WHY is it that we still demand to have the weight loss cocktail of drugs that generally include caffeine?

Has anyone been to the local drug store where they sell a plethora of weight loss products and checked the ingredients?

What if we did our homework by researching exactly what these ingredients do before taking any weight loss product?

What if our goal for the perfect body is creating the demand – suppliers then create products with zero regard to the harm it may cause our body?

How can we blame the suppliers if we are the ones asking for it in the first place?

Next – have we heard of the ECA stack?

Ephedrine Caffeine Aspirin

 This strong stimulant drug cocktail is a DIY recipe to target specific fat cells to be burned for energy, raise metabolic rate and suppress appetite.

Take the doses up to three times a day and increase as tolerance increases.

It is advised that each week a day or two is taken off to allow receptors to recover and avoid adrenal fatigue.

HELLO WORLD

We all know how huge the Weight Loss industry is and here we have a recipe where our adrenals need a break every week.

Has anyone closely studied the job of the adrenals?

Have we thought about the long-term damage to our body for our short-term results?

Are we aware that any adrenal fatigue is a serious sign something is off sync?

Are we aware that any drug is going to harm our body as they all have side effects?

Are we aware exactly what these three drugs do when combined in a home mix method?

 

References

(1) (2018). March 2018…Caffeine Awareness Month. Days of the Year. Retrieved March 21, 2018 from
https://www.daysoftheyear.com/days/caffeine-awareness-month/

(2) Nichols, H. (2017, October 16). What Does Caffeine Do to Your Body? Medical News Today. Retrieved March 24, 2018 from
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/285194.php#sources-of-caffeine

(3) (n.d). Caffeine. WebMD. Retrieved March 24, 2018 from
https://www.webmd.com/vitamins-supplements/ingredientmono-979-caffeine.aspx?activeingredientid=979 

(4) (n.d). Caffeine in the Diet. Medline Plus. Retrieved March 24, 2018 from
https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/002445.htm

(5) Hanes, T. (2017, July 18). Ephedrine and Caffeine for Weight Loss. LiveStrong.com. Retrieved March 27, 2018 from
https://www.livestrong.com/article/248272-ephedrine-and-caffeine-for-weight-loss/

(6) (n.d). Ephedrine. Examine.com. Retrieved March 27, 2018 from
https://examine.com/supplements/ephedrine/

(7) (n.d). Ephedra. Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services. New York State. Retrieved March 27, 2018 from
https://www.oasas.ny.gov/Admed/drugs/ephedra.cfm

 

 

 

 

 

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Comments 27

  1. Cambridge University Press – 2 January 2018

    https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/advances-in-psychiatric-treatment/article/neuropsychiatric-effects-of-caffeine/7C884B2106D772F02DA114C1B75D4EBF#

    Psychiatrists rarely enquire about caffeine intake when assessing patients. This may lead to a failure to identify caffeine-related problems.

    Excessive caffeine ingestion leads to symptoms that overlap with those of many psychiatric disorders and people with eating disorders often mis-use it.

    Caffeine antagonises adenosine receptors, which may potentiate dopaminergic activity and exacerbate psychosis.

    In psychiatric in-patients, caffeine has been found to increase anxiety, hostility and psychotic symptoms.

    Assessment of caffeine intake should form part of routine psychiatric assessment and should be carried out before prescribing hypnotics.

    De-caffeinated beverages should be provided on psychiatric wards.

    Dear World

    This article from Cambridge University illustrates clearly the harm from Caffeine which is the most widely used psychoactive drug in the world.

    The simple question is –
    “WHY have we allowed a psychoactive drug that harms the human body to be made legal”?

  2. A stunning expose of caffeine. Very educational, I had not realised at least 50% of what is presented in this blog, which confirms to me that I am in life, but do not understand in full many aspects of life, nor have I bothered to find out.

    I have always been very sensitive to caffeine. When I had my first cups of coffee in my early twenties I got unwell immediately after – palpitations, heart racing, hot, shaky and diarrhoea – to the extent that from that point I could never drink coffee again, and never have. Tea also had a similar though not such a strong effect and I stopped drinking tea over ten years ago. I have also never been able to drink energy drinks as they had a similar effect, palpitations, heart racing, hot, shaky, pains in my tummy. And I am allergic/hyper sensitive to adrenaline e.g. I have to have special dental injections as I cannot tolerate adrenaline. I share this, as our body in the end knows what supports and what doesn’t.

    I did though have a period of time in my life when I was exhausted where I used chocolate to keep me going – literally ate a bar of chocolate to be able to stay awake on my drive home from work each day. It wasn’t until I dealt with the underlying cause of why I was so exhausted that I no longer had any need or wish to have chocolate.

    Caffeine is a big factor in our modern day society. A day without caffeine in any way shape or form in the world would see a global slump – where those who need caffeine have no false stimulant to prop them up.

    Perhaps in time we will start to realise how big caffeine is as a factor of ill health in society – and, rather than looking for that quick fix, we will choose to look at the root of the need for copious amounts of caffeine, and deal with that.

  3. Caffeine is one of those addictions in the world that no one wants to think about.

    What would happen if for some reason there was no more coffee and caffeine drinks?

    Is the resulting chaos an indication of how dependent we are with caffeine?

    We do not need caffeine when we are a child.

    When we grow up and start living, then we decide we need caffeine.

    Is it possible that how we are living, basically dictates the need for caffeine?

  4. This is a huge exposé into caffeine – absolutely huge.

    There is much here I did not know and it makes you realise how much ignorance we live in.

    Reading the part about adenosine was pretty scary.

    It is like we have this important chemical balance inside us that keeps us steady and supports us to rest. But caffeine fools our cells so we can’t sense our natural balance. It literally tricks the cells into doing something they don’t naturally want to do, which is to speed up.

    There is much to share on this subject, but for now, what I do know, is that if you surveyed a group of parents about whether they would let their young children drink coffee, they would say no way.

    For me this says it all. If you wouldn’t want your kids drinking it, does this not expose our natural wisdom about caffeine – that we know it is not good for us and we would feel there was something wrong if our kids needed it?

  5. Caffeine in breakfast cereal!

    I just had to look this up. I had no idea and it sounded like the world has gone mad. In fact, it is true.

    The marketing material for the various products are all about the stimulant effect plus the convenience factor – all about fighting our fatigue.

    This seems so back to front.

    Why not address the actual problem and look at the root cause of the fatigue rather than feeding and fighting it?

    I know for myself it is like a rollercoaster once you are in the coffee habit. It takes focus to get off. But once you do, you can actually start to get the true rest for which your body is crying out.

  6. “We all know how huge the Weight Loss industry is and here we have a recipe where our adrenals need a break every week.
    Has anyone closely studied the job of the adrenals?
    Have we thought about the long-term damage to our body for our short-term results?”

    This is such an interesting proof point about the true effects of caffeine. That a caffeine-based weight loss drug can advise taking regular breaks from it to rest the adrenals.

    If caffeine were good for us, the adrenals wouldn’t need this rest.

    I know for myself the importance of adrenals and the damage that is done if you don’t take care of them.

    I pushed myself for years on coffee, excess exercise and overwork. I would drink a double espresso before my morning gym session, pretty much every day.

    Over time, I ended up with adrenal drain, which manifested itself as agonising back pain and sciatica.

    I discovered that taking care of me took care of my adrenals and ditching coffee was a simple step in that.

    In my experience, our choices show up in the end. They will always register with the body – there isn’t actually any ‘getting away with it’.

  7. 9am yesterday, sitting next to a young girl on the tube, her headphones and cool clothes on, full make up, she was moving to the beat of her music. She was sipping from a pint-size can of energy drink.

    The sweet, chemically smell coming off the drink was sickly. Her movement was repetitive, like when you can’t stop jigging your leg.

    I used to drink a double espresso every morning before the gym to fire myself up (underneath it I was exhausted) and that is what this felt like, seeing that girl.

    The thought of putting that into my body now makes me shudder – I know what it was doing to me and what it would do to me. Not to mention the drain on your body of that being the first thing it has to process for the day.

    We call them energy drinks, which is ironic, because it seems to me they are in fact taking a loan out of your own energy bank. And just like your bank balance, unless you truly replenish, once you’ve spent it, there is nothing left.

  8. The Week – Issue 1171 dated 14 April 2018

    24,000 coffee shops in Britain and 3 new ones opening each day.

    After reading this forensic article the reader is left in no doubt that coffee contains an addictive substance called caffeine and we seem to need it more than ever before.

    Weaning ourselves off coffee is not even on our radar hence WHY even more coffee shops.

    Have we stopped for just one moment to feel this statistic?
    3 coffee shops each day opening in a small country.
    What is this telling us about our lifestyle choices?

    Our coffee blog title is saying something to us
    WHY is coffee big business?
    WHY is coffee the second largest traded commodity in the world?
    https://simplelivingglobal.com/why-is-coffee-big-business/

    Are we blaming suppliers for coming up with more and more ways to give us a coffee hit or are we stopping to ask WHY do we need a drug everyday to function?

    What would happen if coffee was removed from our daily diet?
    Would we be able to get up?
    What would our vitality levels be like?

    Would we see the real state of our health?
    What would our mental health be like?
    Our moods, our emotions, our thinking and reasoning and reactions and responses?

    Life without coffee is today not even a consideration for many so it is time we asked more WHY questions.

    This blog, this website and all comments from Simple Living Global are consistently asking questions.

    As Einstein said “The important thing is to NOT stop questioning”.

    Coffee is killing us and taking us away from our natural state and this means
    SOMETHING IS NOT RIGHT

    Let’s start our conversations with that and see where it goes…

  9. I have been observing the impact of caffeine on conversation, particularly at work.

    I have concluded it degrades people’s ability to listen.

    It is like the raciness in the body also affects the mind – after coffee, people want to race ahead to the end before the discussion has taken its course. This cuts out space for true listening – for others to say what they see, in full. Everything is more frenetic and rushed.

    Listening is such a critical part of community, of teamwork, of great decision-making.

    I am therefore wondering how much of an impact caffeine is really having on all of our lives.

  10. Daily Mail – 31 March 2018

    US judge has ruled in California for coffee cups to carry a cancer warning.

    We could just call this a co-incidence but the ruling was first reported on the day after this forensic article, blog and tablet of truth was completed.

    So this decision means it will be like the cigarette packet warnings.

    What they are saying is acrylamide, a carcinogenic is present in coffee.

    This ruling could also mean that companies have to pay out big bucks to those claiming they have been exposed to acrylamide.

    The Los Angeles Superior Court Judge ruled that the coffee companies had failed to prove that acrylamide was not harmful to health.

    His ruling is likely to be seen as very controversial.

    Scientists have debated how healthy coffee is for decades.
    However, existing studies did not adequately assess the risk.

    So the focus here is clearly on one aspect of coffee being harmful to human health.

    But what if this tablet of truth, call it a blog is presenting more – that we actually need to look at the whole thing around coffee and join the dots, understand everything that there is know about what caffeine does to human health as it is a big component of coffee?

    What if we are not going to cut it with our solutions or one state ruling something and other states championing the benefits?

    What if we need to all unify on what exactly caffeine is doing to us and why coffee is rising and a global thriving business?

    Is it telling us clearly that we have become a world highly addicted to a mind altering substance that gives rise to a false way of living?

    Do we need to focus our research going forward on those like the author of this article and this website to see that there is another way to live without the stimulation that coffee gives us?

    Do we need to find out WHY we are so reliant on coffee to function in daily life and get to the root cause, so that we can all agree – coffee is killing us?

  11. I spoke with someone today who shared that at a private secondary school in the UK, the pupils have coffee machines available for their use.

    What is going on if we are to apply simple common sense here?

    Why in our education system would we not only allow but make available a caffeinated drink for our children and teenagers?

    We all know that caffeine is a stimulant and as this article by Simple Living Global has extensively presented throughout its forensic analysis, caffeine is deeply harming to the human body.

    So why if we cared would we allow this to occur?

    Is it because as adults we are so hooked on caffeine as a way to get through our day that we cannot offer our students anything else?

    If this is the intelligence that is behind our education systems we have to ask – what are we really teaching our adults of the future?

  12. Someone I know takes a coffee to bed with them as a night-time drink.

    This makes me realise how accustomed you can become to the affect of caffeine on the body, that you can drink it and then sleep through the physiological changes.

  13. I was on a night flight which was 11 hours and I got talking to the cabin crew.

    I asked them how do they cope with night shift because that is exactly what they are doing.

    The answer was lots of caffeine and sugar.
    We got talking about how it has become a legal drug and we know it is mind altering, stimulating and pepping us up and pushing through our exhaustion.

    Sugar whether we like to admit it or not is also a drug.

    One young woman said she knows it’s only a matter of time before she will need to give up the job or stop the caffeine. She was aware of being addicted to it and also the sugar.

    She was very happy that energy drinks are being banned for children and my take is – will they find another way?

    We have to admit we are not really on the front foot, because so many of our kids need the caffeine in the energy drinks to keep going.

    Have we considered the long-term effects, or are we going to wait for science to tell us in 20 years?

    Kids don’t like coffee, but they have found another drink that contains the same poison we call caffeine.

    Does this tell us that they also need something to prop them up?

    Is this a sign that SOMETHING IS NOT RIGHT, because children are needing an artificial substance that in the past was only consumed by adults?

  14. For the purpose of this comment – if we say medicine supports our true health and drugs harm.

    Our world is in exhaustion and the signs are clear and it’s everywhere.

    No matter what country we are in, there is a plethora of distractions to support us in maintaining an ill state of being. Our drugs of choice vary and whilst it may not be a narcotic or a drug that society calls a real drug, is it time to check in and ask some serious questions?

    What if our world needs to rename the word medicine by saying it is something that supports our true health and well-being and not just what we buy at the pharmacy?

    Every choice we make is either medicine or it is a drug that harms us.

    So let’s start with our most well known legal drug, which it has at times been referred to as – Caffeine.

    How many of us know the real truth about what this potent substance does to our mind and body?

    What if education at a very young age, told us the truth and expanded on it by telling our kids where caffeine is added so they are informed?

    They know it is in chocolate and energy drinks, yet very few parents and adults know of this. Even more serous is the fact that adults themselves have no idea what caffeine does to the central nervous system, that is part of our brain.

    Or do we know on some level the harm that this drug is causing but as we have become addicted, we seek more of the same to get the effect we want but never question further as this would mean taking responsibility for the choices we are making.

    So here what is being described is a comfortable-ness in our un-comfortable-ness.
    We know caffeine stimulates us and keeps us going as just before the hit, we felt tired, weak, exhausted or unable to continue at full throttle.

    So here am I typing away in mid-air across countries on a jam packed flight with large quantities of alcohol and black coffee being served around me and I doubt anyone is questioning by asking WHY our behaviour is continuing down this ill path?

  15. The Times – 15th April 2019

    Decaf coffee gets a shot in the arm

    First they gave up smoking, then alcohol. Now, wholesome Brits are swapping coffee for decaffeinated alternatives as increasingly strong blends stop them from sleeping.

    More than a million have switched to decaf over the past 12 months, according to Mintel, a market research hub.

    The founder of a coffee company, whose decaf sales have risen threefold since 2017, says: “There is now more caffeine in drinks than ever. People are moving to decaf because they can’t handle the effects. Consumers are also more discerning about coffee and the decaf they drink. They are also drinking it for the flavour and the experience.”

    The trend has also led to a boom in sales of instant decaf in supermarkets.
    In the past year, shoppers spent 20 per cent more on instant decaf compared with two years ago.

    In the UK, shoppers bought almost 4.5 million kg of instant decaf in the year to March spending £94 million.

    In 2017 a South African producer claimed to have created the world’s strongest coffee. This coffee packs 702 milligrams of caffeine into 12oz compared with 195mg in a dark roast from another well known high street chain.

    A spokesman for the British Coffee Association said that the demand for decaf could partly be attributed to consumers who “did not like to be part of the mainstream”, adding: “The growth in decaf can also be attributed to the fact that customers like being able to get to sleep at night and they now have the taste of good coffee. We have undergone a transformation as a society because the coffee shop is a part of everyday life. We are shifting – as pubs close, coffee shops open.”

    Is it possible that, as the pubs close and coffee shops open, we are simply changing one socially accepted drug for another?

    If a regular 195mg cup of coffee keeps us up at night, what will a 702mg shot of caffeine do to us?

    It is great news that more people are going onto decaf as it shows that caffeinated coffee does affect our sleep.

    I know this because I was a regular frequenter of a coffee chain, indulging in my cappuccino with chocolate sprinkles on top and I changed that by first having an understanding how caffeine and dairy affected me and then gradually weaning myself off my fix, by first going on to soya milk, then going on to decaf, then no chocolate sprinkles and I eventually got to a point where I no longer needed any coffee. This led to having no cravings for that hit of caffeine, a better quality of sleep where I wasn’t waking up exhausted needing my early morning fix and a general feeling of having increased energy.

    As this stunning in-depth blog about caffeine from Simple Living Global highlights, caffeine is a very harm-full drug and it affects our bodies in more ways than we could imagine.

  16. Astounding and in-depth article, Simple Living Global. The detail expressed here is enormous and makes the dangers of caffeine consumption very clear.

    Using just a few of the details from this article:

    The dictionary definition of caffeine is: “an alkaloid compound which is found especially in tea and coffee plants and is a stimulant of the central nervous system.”

    100mg a day can lead to a person becoming dependant.
    Each cup of coffee contains approximately between 250-550mg of caffeine

    It paralyses and kills insects that attempt to feed on the caffeine plants.

    All of your facts and figures have come whilst researching this topic which means that those in authority, those who make the policies, those who are supposed to be in charge of our health, are not really listening to the messages that are being said.

    Leaving aside the adult consumption, how is it possible that those in authority can advocate any amount of caffeine consumption for children?

    If a dictionary definition says that something is a stimulant of the central nervous system, shouldn’t that be enough to get the alarm bells ringing and to get definitive proof of what caffeine actually does to our bodies?

    Is it possible that, like those that say red wine is good for us because it is natural, there are those that say caffeine is OK or even good for us because it comes from a natural plant?

    If insects feed on the caffeine plants, they are paralysed and killed.
    Is it possible that just because something is natural, it doesn’t necessarily mean that it is good for us?

    Caffeine is a drug and like all drugs, it alters our natural state – shouldn’t that be our starting point?

  17. Sciencefocus.com – 4th June 2019

    Energy Drinks Can Lead to Potentially Life-Threatening Changes in Heartbeat
    https://www.sciencefocus.com/news/chugging-down-energy-drinks-can-lead-to-potentially-life-threatening-changes-in-heartbeat/

    We choose to drink energy drinks to pep us up, but according to a study at Thomas J. Long school of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, they have found that drinking large quantities of these drinks in a short time could potentially play havoc with our hearts.

    The researchers tested 34 healthy volunteers between the ages of 18-40 and randomly assigned to drink two 500 ml cans of one of two commercially caffeinated energy drinks or a placebo drink on three separate days. The drinks were consumed within a 60-minute period but no faster than one can in 30 minutes.

    Both energy drinks tested contained between 152 and 160 milligrams of caffeine per can, an amount not expected to induce any changes in heart rhythms. Other common ingredients in the drinks in the study included taurine – an amino acid – glucuronolactone (found in plants and connective tissues) and B-Vitamins. The placebo drink was made from carbonated water, lime juice and cherry flavouring.

    The electrical activity of the volunteers’ hearts were then monitored using an electrocardiogram, which records the way a heart is beating, every 30 minutes for 4 hours after they had finished their drinks.

    They were interested in changes in the QT interval – a measurement of the time it takes the lower chambers in the heart to prepare to generate a beat again. If this time interval is too short or too long, it can cause the heart to beat abnormally. The resulting arrhythmia can be life-threatening.

    In volunteers that consumed either type of energy drink, researchers found that the QT interval was 6 milliseconds or 7.7 milliseconds higher at four hours compared to placebo drinkers – a significant difference.

    A professor doing the study said: “ We found an association between consuming energy drinks and changes in QT intervals and blood pressure that cannot be attributed to caffeine. We urgently need to investigate the particular ingredient or combination of ingredients in different types of energy drinks that might explain the findings seen in our clinical trial. The public should be aware of the impact of energy drinks on their body especially if they have other underlying health conditions. Healthcare professionals should advise certain patient populations, for example, people with underlying congenital or acquired long QT syndrome or high blood pressure, to limit or monitor their consumption.”

    This is quite a strong statement from the professor in this trial.

    Energy drinks have been around for a considerable amount of time now.

    What is more concerning here – the fact that these energy drinks can potentially harm us in this way or the fact that this is only being highlighted now?

    How is it possible that these energy drinks were not comprehensively tested before being allowed commercial viability?

    Why do we need these energy drinks in the first place?

    Is it because we like the taste or is it because we are so exhausted we NEED the caffeine in these energy drinks to keep us awake?

    I have seen people at work go through several cans of these drinks.

    If drinking these caffeinated drinks means that we could potentially lose our life, wouldn’t it be better to start asking questions as to why we need these drinks and to deal with our exhaustion?

  18. Daily Mail – 27th July 2019

    Suicide by Caffeine

    An inquest heard that a biomedical university student used her expertise to kill herself with an overdose of caffeine.

    She was found dead in her home just months before completing her degree with a suicide note that said: ‘I’m tired of putting on this façade. I’m tired of putting on a fake smile when I’m emotionally dying.’

    A post-mortem examination revealed she had several times the fatal level of caffeine in her blood, which she had bought after doing her own research into the drug.

    There were no warnings about dosage or excessive usage on the caffeine that was bought.

    Both the coroner and the pathologist involved in the inquest said it was the first time they had seen a death from caffeine toxicity.

    Recording a conclusion of suicide, the coroner said: “I have been a coroner sitting at this court for more than 18 years and this is the first ever death from caffeine toxicity, which is a very unusual cause of death.”

    This person chose to kill herself by ingesting a lot of caffeine, which only goes to show the potential harm this drug can do.

    Caffeine, because it stimulates our nervous system, has been correctly and scientifically classified as a drug.

    Now of course we are not going to get that quantity of caffeine in our daily hit of whatever our favourite tipple is, but it does show that caffeine, in excess can harm us and even kill us.

    We can be increasingly skeptical about this story and say we will never have that amount of caffeine and although our daily or several daily hits of Joe will not kill us outright, is it possible that every cup we have, goes a little way to harming us

  19. A national newspaper today online with the following headline –

    Indonesian family feed their baby with 3 bottles of Coffee every day for eight months because they cannot afford milk, saying it has not harmed the health of the baby.

    Can we categorically say that a sugary coffee drink for a baby of age 6 months will not have consequences as they grow older?

    Reportedly, this baby has not suffered any major medical conditions even though they drink 1.5 litres of sugary coffee every day.

    The parents earn $1.42 US dollars a day and this barely covers their living costs and they feel they had no choice but to give the baby a caffeine rich drink with sugar instead of milk.

    Do we ignore this case simply because there are yet no “major medical symptoms” or serious medical conditions OR do we take note, when the parents tell us the baby has trouble sleeping and at times stays up the whole night playing?

    What has been noted is the baby is now accustomed to the highly-caffeinated drink and asks for her bottle several times every day.

    Enough said, what this story highlights is how unaware we are about the dangers of caffeine which is prevalent in coffee. Add to that sugar and we have a toxic cocktail not for human ingestion and that includes a very young baby.

    This forensic blog presenting the Real Truth about Caffeine starts with a warning sign stating that caffeine is a legal drug.

    We all know that drugs are a substance that alters our natural state and that means it removes us away from our essence – who we truly are.

    Just because caffeine is legal, it does not make it less potent or give us a licence to continue ingesting this drug.

    Back to the news story – the very fact that the baby has sleep issues speaks volumes.

    Would common sense tell us that Caffeine is known to increase heart rate and blood pressure, as well as cause sleep disturbances and anxiety?

    So anyone taking this drug is harming their body and giving it to a baby is no different.

    However, it makes it to the news because a caffeinated drink has been given to a baby, but what about the millions of people in our world who drink this stuff every single day and some throughout the day?

    WHY are we stopping at the news headlines for a baby consuming caffeine?

    WHY are we not allowing the media to report on the absolute harm and havoc that caffeine causes to the human frame?

    What is behind all of this that does not inform the general public and educate us from day dot, that we have many legal drugs and substances that poison our body and caffeine is one of them?

  20. Taste of Home – 13th December 2019

    A Coffee-Infused Soda is being Launched in 2020

    A well-known brand of cola will be introducing a soda infused with coffee.

    It took a year and a half to create the perfect recipe and is now ready to launch.

    This brand of cola tried this coffee version in 1996 but the sales were disappointing and it was pulled from sale, but this time the company feels they now have the right recipe.

    The product will be available in two flavours – original and vanilla with the vanilla resembling flavoured coffee drinks and the original being closer to rich black coffee.

    This coffee-infused soda will have almost double the amount of caffeine as the normal soda.

    The original ingredients of this cola are:

    • Carbonated water
    • High fructose corn syrup
    • Caramel colour
    • Phosphoric acid
    • Caffeine
    • Citric acid
    • Natural flavor

    The sugar content is 41 grams per 12 ounces.

    They are now going to introduce more caffeine into this product.

    In 1996, this company brought out a similar product and it failed.

    Why do they think it will be successful this time around?

    Do they know something we don’t know?

    A company will only bring out a product if there is a demand from us, the public.

    So what has changed in us since 1996?

    Why have we got to the point where we need this extra caffeine and sugar?

    Is it possible we are more exhausted now and that exhaustion is asking for more caffeine and sugar?

    If so, do we need to start asking questions as to what is making us more exhausted?

    There are many products out in the real world that we choose to stimulate ourselves with.

    For many years now, some of these products have gotten a lot more extreme in the amount of stimulation they offer, whether it be through sugar, caffeine, marijuana, other drugs, alcohol, calorie laden food, etc.

    Whatever our reasons for partaking in these products, is it possible that we could start to get a lot more honest with ourselves as to why we need to be so stimulated in the first place?

  21. Any reader who took the time to read this entire blog and the comments thereafter, would not be left in any doubt that caffeine does affect the natural state of any human being.

    We simply cannot get away from that immutable fact regardless of what way we want to look at it.

    On that note, it comes as no surprise to me that a popular french company, known now in the world for natural types of skin, hair and body products has just branched out.

    Green tea shower gel and caffeine fatigue fighting eye serum for tired eyes.

    For many who are not aware, including myself once upon a time – green tea has caffeine – but somehow we conveniently think the green bit tells us it is some kind of botanical natural ingredient, not realising it has caffeine.

    The fact that we are having suppliers answering our calls – in other words, our demand to fix our fatigue, call it our exhaustion with topical caffeine speaks volumes.

    Ingesting it through a beverage or in foods is not cutting it as we need more and hope somehow that an under eye serum will do the job.

    If our lifestyle choices include daily caffeine, chances are we are the ones that will be happy to purchase products with caffeine and not question why we need it and what exactly it is doing to the human frame.

    Are these products going to be solutions or short term fixes or do they have the answers to our cosmetic beauty needs?

    One thing we can be assured of – caffeine in any form is not going to cure the root cause of WHY we have fatigue, tired eyes or a body that needs a shower gel to stimulate and keep it awake.

  22. In the local community store today, I see a woman place 3 cans of the high energy tall tin cans, which contains a large dose of caffeine.

    In my usual style, I forget the polite conversation etiquette and just speak without any thinking or calculating what she may or may not say in response.

    I asked her are those cans for her?
    Her reply was “Yes, I am totally addicted and cannot come off them. I have just finished working for the Afghan military”.

    I did not ask her about her job – just were the cans for her own consumption.

    The point of this comment is many of us do KNOW that we are addicted to caffeine, be it with our coffee everyday or these supposedly high energy drinks that give us the oomph to keep going, when our body is communicating that our energy levels are low or depleted.

    This forensic presentation – call it a blog, book or article lays out some serious facts and it makes no sense for us to consume something that is propping us up during the day whilst it slowly poisons us inside our body.

    Back to the lady in the shop – she was first to admit what she is doing and knows it is not how to keep going but has no idea where to go for help or if there is any such thing out there that can help addiction of this kind. We all tend to associate addiction with serious drugs like heroin or cocaine, but dismiss the popular acceptable drug of choice that millions of us are drinking daily or ingesting through other forms of self medication.

    How many of us have the awareness that a lot of so-called diet products contain caffeine? If in doubt, check the drug stores, pharmacies and other shops that sell the huge plethora of diet shakes, bars, candy and powders, to name a few.

    Next – how many of us are aware that a lot of our medicine has caffeine in it?
    We have to ask why such a highly addictive substance is still legal and no where near exposed for what it truly is.

    Once upon a time, I used to drink coffee because I loved the smell and the milky sugary style with froth that became a social thing. Sitting in cafes and drinking coffee was a lifestyle and at that time, I never questioned how exhausted I really was and why my sleep patterns were out of whack.

    I got the understanding from a presentation, where the man actually knew what he was saying. What gave me the feeling that this was worth listening to was he was someone that ‘walked the talk’. This was someone who was not afraid to say it as it is and spell it out for us in simple language. Until then, I had no idea that caffeine was highly addictive or that my body was seriously exhausted. It all made sense and with no judgement, I made the choice with my husband to cut back and go eventually on to de-caff and then once we got the sleep stuff sorted, bingo – no more caffeine. In fact, no more high energy drinks either.

    Today I am caffeine free for over a decade and the benefits are beyond anything one can imagine.

    Listening to someone who lives what they present, like Serge Benhayon from Universal Medicine just made sense to me. I now understand that he was not imparting any theory or trying to tell us to do something. Just presenting the facts and leaving it to us, the audience to do what we want when we left the room.

    I know that stopping overnight was not going to happen, but nailing the sleep thing done it and with my current vitality levels, there would be zero need for a caffeine fix.

  23. Fox News – 7 June 2021

    Have we all heard of the latest fad trending on our social media platforms – “Dry Scooping” ?

    Rather than mixing the pre-workout powder into a diluted drink of either milk or water, the fad sees users swallow the powder dry and then chase it with a liquid.

    “This fad is similar to the ephedrine craze for weight loss that is now banned. The intent behind dry scooping is to allow the performance-enhancing supplements pre-workout to enter the bloodstream faster than the typical pre-workout drink.

    By dry scooping, absorption begins directly through the membranes in your mouth and continues through your oesophagus and into your stomach. As pure dry powder, there is no dilution and the fast entry into your bloodstream results in an immediate release of supplements. Of those, it is the incredibly high dose of CAFFEINE that enters the blood very rapidly. This, like ephedrine, causes an abrupt increase in adrenaline and puts the heart in overdrive.

    In people who have undiagnosed coronary artery disease, there becomes a supply-demand mis match for oxygen as the heart is demanding more and more but due to an undiagnosed blockage, the supply is not there, this leads to a heart attack.

    The increase in heart rate can also be a trigger for underlying arrhythmias. This can lead to, amongst other things, a stroke.

    Caffeine can also trigger atrial fibrillation, which causes blood clots to form in the heart, which could travel to the brain. It can also cause high blood pressure, which could have a domino effect on the organs.

    There are absolutely NO benefits to dry scooping;” says Dr. Sajit Bhusri https://www.bhusriheart.com/about

    Dear World

    What sort of intelligence are we subscribing to if we assume we are supposedly intelligent?

    We want what we want – because we can.
    So we eat and overeat and then we want to look a certain way or lose that excess weight and we want results fast. We forget to connect and check in with our sensible and wise self and off we go onto some journey out there that leads to harm for our precious body.

    Someone out there on the front foot knows we will ‘buy it’ and they know exactly where to go to market products like this and then the frenzy or circulation. In other words, we jump on the bandwagon, without any stop or pause moment, champion it and share it with others, in our social media world and before you know it we have a new fad – the latest craze, so we better be on to it and then the uploading of photos starts. Then we hear the odd story about those that have had adverse effects and then a cardiologist warning us that there are zero benefits.

    This blog leaves no reader in illusion. It spells outs what caffeine is and what it does to the human being.

    This news story is confirming how prevalent caffeine is in our modern world today and how we are using it to abuse our body.

  24. On an early morning train at the weekend, I sat next to a nurse starting her morning shift.
    We got talking as she has her can of energy drink and tells me she could not live without it and needs it to function.

    As I don’t mince my words, I told her straight, she looked exhausted because she really did.

    Dear World

    How is it that our so-called caring profession where they take care of others that are ill are asking “Is caffeine bad for you?”

    I pointed her to this website and this article about caffeine and said that caffeine alters our natural state.

    WHY is there no emphasis when training our nurses and physicians on their own personal self care?

    Who has written the curriculum that has no space for the true deep care each and every one needs in order to have the vitality levels that can support their job?

    WHY are we then surprised when we hear of so many in “Burnout” in this profession?

    For those that are unaware, these energy drinks are designed to literally “prop” us up.

    The reality is if we are not seeking to make any changes – could it be because we are ingesting a beverage several times a day that alters our natural state?
    In other words, whilst we remain “altered” we remain unaware.

    The nurse says she cannot live without the energy drink so that tells us she has an addiction. But society would never see that because she has the job title to confirm there is nothing that requires looking at, as they function and that’s all we want. Right?

    This stuff remains under the radar, so to speak and it has today become our new normal.

    Gone are the days where the nurse in charge, the matron or sister would be watching your every move and there were no energy prop up drinks, just good old fashion rest and early bed so the sleep was of some quality.

  25. Dear World

    Could it be possible that we always find what we are seeking and that means it confirms us in the lifestyle choice we are making?

    A classic example is that of a new study and the news headlines tell us that drinking 2 to 3 cups of coffee every day is linked to a longer lifespan and lowers our risk of heart disease.

    The study was a large observational study.

    What if the observers (the researchers) investigating individuals are actually drinking coffee themselves and therefore this could in some way have a bias? Possible?

    What if those that drink coffee have a blind spot?

    Who funded the study and why is this type of information not accessible or transparent in news stories?

    Why do the media forget to mention the detail that is important but we could easily miss it in the smaller print – for example the results suggest “mild to moderate intake of coffee..”

    WHY have we negated the caffeine component of coffee which needs to be highlighted not dismissed?

    WHY are we generally seeking those double blind tested and scientific evidence based data type of research known as “quantitative” studies but when it suits us we are ok to accept an observational study?
    Quantitative is where the emphasis is placed on testing the theory.

    Back to coffee – are we ready to read this in depth article by Simple Living Global presenting The Real Truth about Caffeine as we all know that coffee has caffeine and this alters our natural state?

    We also know that it is the caffeine that we become addicted to when we say we love our coffee and cannot do without it.

    Do studies such as this evolve us as a race of beings when it comes to our true and natural state of health, or are we championing something that is not supporting our body? We have enough evidence to the contrary.

  26. Just came across a website dishing out advice about the importance of Sleep Hygiene.
    One thing that makes no sense is not to do caffeine or nicotine before bed but ok to start that in the morning.

    “By having your coffee in the morning, you will avoid disrupting your nightly sleep cycle.”

    For those of us not ready to admit that any form of caffeine is not of benefit to our health, we will seek and find these kinds of websites as it supports us to continue.

    This forensic article on caffeine would leave no reader in any doubt about this drug really is about. If we have an allergy to reading the truth then its best to be honest. When we find what we want online we ought to be carefull as we are only fooling ourselves.

    I know decades ago that my lifestyle choices were not all going to change and so I would always read something to support me in my choices, even though I knew what I was doing was harmfull.

    Using something on the outside (something we read) is not the way to eliminate that which harms our body. We have to understand what it does and how we have used it to stay off track when it comes to our true health and well being.

  27. CNN Cable News Network – 14 July 2023

    https://edition.cnn.com/2023/07/14/health/canada-energy-drink-recall/index.html

    The government of Canada has recalled 6 brands of energy drinks over their caffeine content and labelling violations.

    Canada sets a legal limit on caffeine in energy drinks of 180 milligrams in a single-serving can. The trendy energy drink made by social media video platform stars contains 200 milligrams per 12 ounce can, which is 6 times more than a regular soda. This violates the country’s limits for supplemented foods.

    In addition to violating regulations on caffeine content, these brands ran afoul of the country’s bilingual labelling laws, which require information on foods in French and English.

    A few of the energy drinks companies are saying the products are being illegally imported.

    The FDA are reviewing the caffeine content for child consumption as these drinks are popular with kids and teenagers.

    The American Academy of Pediatrics says children younger than 12 should avoid caffeine altogether.

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