Caffeine High Blood Pressure

Increased Cholesterol, Cancer and Much More

I urge you to check out this very important information (box to the right) as soon as you can. You may find a much better and safer way to deal with your pain than what you are doing now.

Caffeine - high blood pressure or increased mental faculty? Increased cancer risk or reduced asthma symptoms? More heart disease or enhanced productivity? How do harmful effects of caffeine stack up against the perceived benefits?

I have been hearing quite a bit in the media recently about the "benefits" of caffeine. I'm thinking this is quite similar to the way milk and dairy is promoted. You'll often see brochures in doctor's office touting the benefits of drinking milk. Turn them over and - no surprise - they are supplied by the Dairy Foundation! DON'T BE MISLEAD!

The research and information on the dangers and the many harmful effect of caffeine are very well established. Here is some information about the effects of caffeine.

Caffeine's short-term effects occur very quickly and last about four hours. These may include balance problems, a racing heart, insomnia, fatigue, finger tremor and a sense of anxiety with severity of symptoms related to type of beverage and quantity consumed.

Over time, as little as one cup of coffee per day is likely to raise blood cholesterol and blood pressure, and cause the heart to race or have extra beats. One to five cups of coffee a day increases the risk of heart attack by 60 percent over those who have none, and six or more cups a day increases the risk by 120 percent!

"Two cups of coffee may raise blood pressure to levels equal to one cigarette, but it keeps it there for 1-2 hours, vs. just 15 minutes for smoking." (American Journal of Medicine, 73:348-353, 1982)

"Caffeine seems to increase coronary heart disease deaths independent of serum cholesterol levels." (British Medical Journal 300:566-569, 1990)

"Caffeine consumption should be considered as a risk factor for myocardial infarction (Heart attack)" (Am. J. Epidemiology 138(8) 602, 1993)

There are more long-range effects of continued caffeine use, as well. Caffeine damages chromosomes and interferes with their repair possible leading to cancer.

"Coffee drinking may be related to cancer of the lower urinary tract, including the bladder. These cancer rates are very high in those who drink more than 3 cups per day." (J. of Nat'l. Cancer Inst. 54(3) 587, 1975)

A study of 550 families in Illinois found that 13 of every 14 women who drank as much as seven cups of coffee daily had an unfavorable pregnancy. Caffeine damages the chromosomes in eggs and sperm, and may cause permanent injury to a fetus, since their liver is not well enough developed to handle the toxicity of caffeine.

"Caffeine use may promote abnormal fetal nervous system development" (JOGN Nursing Jan./Feb. 1093)

Coffee and tea, because of their content of tannic and other acids, inhibit the absorption of iron.

Caffeine also damages the pancreas making the diabetes or hypoglycemia much worse.

"Coffee increases production of digestive juices while relaxing the esophageal muscles, thus leading to heartburn and diaphragm pain." (Modern Nutrition in Health and Disease, p 1093)

The list of human miseries and the harmful effects of caffeine (high blood pressure being just one) seems endless: allergies, insomnia, irritability, palpitation, fever, flushing, and many others. A lack of caffeine causes many of those addicted to it to have severe headaches.

"Chlorogenic acid in coffee causes some of the most intense food allergies encountered in medical practice." (JAMA 187(5)380, 1964)

"The lethal dose of caffeine is 10 g or about 70 cups of regular coffee. Many people are taking 1/10 the lethal dose every day!" (Journal of Family Practice 4(6)1183, 1977)

The reason heavy coffee drinkers aren't dropping dead is that their bodies speed up metabolism to process the poison out of their systems so they won't die from it. And, of course, that is the reason - the increased metabolism - for some of the supposed health effects of caffeine that we are hearing about.

Your body gets its energy from the mitochondria of your cells processing glucose - period. There is no other source of energy for the human body. The extra energy you might feel when on a caffeine high is more energy but it is coming from the increased metabolism (burning of glucose). It is in this sense that caffeine "borrows" energy from the future that will be paid back one way or another. While you may feel more energetic while the caffeine is in your system, it will eventually cause undue fatigue from constant use.

It increases cravings causing harmful alcohol and tobacco habits to become almost unbreakable. Some have called it "bad-habit glue."

"A dose of 500-600 mg (5-6 six-ounce cups) of caffeine a day presents a significant health risk." (British Journal of Addiction 78:251-258, 1988)

Although it is somewhat difficult to overcome the habit of using caffeinated drinks, it's worth the effort! It won't be long before you feel and function much better.