A buildup of caffeine . . . saturates the ability of metabolism

Are the foods that we enjoy and are told are good for us in small but daily quantities really good for us? Take red wine, for exmple. I like red wine. Love Cabernet Sauvignon.  But the alcohol dehydrates my system.  Any alcohol for that matter.  Yet we're told redundantly how beneficial resveratol in red wine; that, in fact, it is in red wine where one gets the greatest concentration or variety of resveratol.  

Ditto for coffee.  Where coffee is touted as a heart strengthen-er and a girding of the constitution, an accounting of the effects of caffeine is often omitted.  Asking "What are the effects of coffee?" is very different from asking "What are the effects of caffeine?" Some claim that coffee is very good for the heart:

For the heart study, scientists looked at more than 25,000 men and women in South Korea – those who were roughly 40 years of age, had no signs of heart disease and attended a health-screening examination.

They discovered that a CAC score ratio of about 0.6 was associated with those consuming three to five cups per day, compared with non-coffee drinkers. For those drinking less than one cup a day, it was more like 0.8, dropping to 0.7 for people having one to three cups.

On the other hand, the ratio rose to 0.8 for people having five or more each day. And things like age, sex, weight, diabetes and hypertension, as well as alcohol and tobacco consumption didn’t affect the outcome. Neither did factors such as education, physical activity, family history of heart disease and dietary consumption of fruits, vegetables, red meat and processed meats, according to scientists.

Of course, it’s not clear how exactly coffee helps with the prevention of a heart attack. Researchers don’t know whether decaf coffee offers the same heart benefits as the full-strength kind. But they continue to point out the many antioxidants in coffee. Some of these may even reduce your body’s sensitivity to insulin – or improve cell function altogether. And these are two important factors behind the prevention of a heart attack. 

So there's that.  So coffee is good for your heart.  

Then there's the recent buzz about bulletproof coffee.  I have tried it and I loved it.  But I did not follow Dave Asprey's recipe.  I simply added raw, salted butter to a cup of instant coffee.  Totally sacriligeous, I know.  I'm sorry.  But it is terrific.  It is high octane. And that, my friend, can be addictive.  On 1 or 2 cups of bulletproof coffee, you can be riding high for most of your day. And you're getting some terrific saturated fats in an excellent, absolutely delicious form.  Besides taste and excellent fats, bulletproof coffee boosts testosterone.    

If you follow either the paleo movement or news from the world of coffee, chances are you’ve heard of this seemingly odd twist in your mug. Created by Dave Asprey, “bulletproof” coffee is a mix of hot coffee, butter, and coconut oil. (His actual recipe uses his own specialized, branded products; I didn’t do that.) While its merits are debated, adherents claim it fills you up better in the morning, and helps you snack less throughout the day (some even have just this boosted coffee for breakfast). It also provides good, cholesterol-laden fats and oils to start your day off right, which will help boost your testosterone.

So what's not to like about coffee?  

Maybe it's the caffeine.

Maybe.  Let's take a look at what caffeine does to our systems, and then asks ourselves if it is good for us, eh? 

What follows gets to the heart of what I wanted to discuss about coffee and about how one person swears up one side and down the other on the benefits of a food or beverage, like coffee, before we're met with a skeptic, a contrarian.  Both voices are necessary.

Not one of us have the same biochemistry. 

BRAIN ALLERGIES CAUSED BY CAFFEINE
One person can drink coffee and feel fine; another, and he can have an allergic shock to the caffeinated beverage.  Just sayin'. Apparently, I am not the only one.  

Let's start with a definition of terms:

Cerebral allergy is an allergy to a substance, which targets vulnerable brain tissue and alters brain function. Masked cerebral allergy can cause symptoms of mental illness (Walker, 1996; Rippere, 1984; Sheinken et al., 1979). Symptoms range from minimal reactions to severe psychotic states, which may include irrational behavior, disruptions in attention, lack of focus and comprehension, mood changes, lack of organizational skills, abrupt shifting of activities, delusions, hallucinations, and paranoia (Sheinken et al., 1979; McManamy et al., 1936). 

So what do we have here?  Brain allergy from substances that target "vulnerable brain tissue."  Now is the writer saying that all brain tissue is vulnerable or are there certain parts of brain tissue that are more vulnerable than others?   That's not made abundantly clear. Dr. Klein's article is about effects of caffeine, and he says that "An allergic reaction to caffeine manifests as anaphylaxis (Przybilla et al., 1983). During a state of caffeine anaphylaxis, the body enters the fight or flight mode, which may be mistaken as hyperactivity, anxiety, or panic disorder. Caffeine anaphylaxis causes cerebral vasculitis, leads to the breakdown of the blood brain barrier, and generates toxic dementia."  

HAZARDS of CAFFEINE ANAPHYLAXIS
So anaphylaxis is an allergic reaction where your face swells up. That cannot feel too good.  But the more troubling comment is this one

Caffeine anaphylaxis causes cerebral vasculitis, leads to the breakdown of the blood brain barrier, and generates toxic dementia.

It doesn't get any better.  Caffeine is serious stuff, folks.  Just the other day, Lew Rockwell mentioned how DDT is safer to consume than caffeine.  That blew me away.

Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD), assumed to affect children, (though of late, adult onset ADD is grabbing a slice of the pie of psychiatric disorders), is indistinguishable from caffeine allergy. Claudia Miller, M.D. stresses that a chemical sensitivity, which includes caffeine as a chemical capable of inducing sensitivity, can induce attention deficits with hyperactivity (Miller, 1997). 

Okay, we're talking here of induced caffeind toxicity without a word of how much that constitutes--3 cups, 6 cups, 10 cups of coffee?  Author so far hasn't identified. 

Deteriorating intellect, the first stage of caffeine induced allergic toxicity masquerades as ADD. Inability to concentrate, lack of comprehension, lack of focus, hyperactivity, delusions, and disorganized thought processes are hallmark signs of caffeine allergy. An allergic reaction to caffeine results in poisoning of the prefrontal cortex. Damage to the underside area on the prefrontal cortex, above the eye sockets, generally renders a person absent minded and interferes with the ability to monitor personal activities (Carter, 1998). Injury results in loss of verbal and social inhibition, interferes with focus and memory (Eliot, 1999), and suppresses math skills (Carter, 1998). 

"Disorganized thought"?   "Poisoning of the prefontal cortex"?  "renders a person absent minded and interferes with the ability to self-monitor"?  Oh, my.  This does not sound good. 

What is troubling in all of this, if this article hasn't caused you trouble already, is the saturation of caffeine in one's system.  Which begs the question, "How long does caffeine remain in one's system"?  And does it matter, if, in fact, you are drinking several cups of a caffeinated beverage in a day?  

To some of the troubling symptoms of caffeine saturation, a few scientists have found that the hair of the dog works

As Allbutt and Dixon stressed, in 1909, regarding caffeine, another “dose of the poison” provides minor relief, but continues to jeopardize organs (1909). A return to caffeine intake increases noradrenaline, heightening the fight or flight response. In turn, adrenaline, dopamine, and glucose increase, thus lifting depression. With continued substance exposure, toxins accumulate (Van Winkle, 2000).

Did you get that?  "A return to caffeine intake increases noradrenaline, heightening the fight or flight response."  And then a final blow, "With continues substance exposure, toxins accumulatre."  Oh, the outrage.  Okay, I am being a little facetious for some relief.  But clearly having all that caffeine in one's system ain't good.  

Okay, here is a little biology:

Adrenaline, the drug of choice for anaphylaxis, is always present in a caffeine consumer. By suppressing phosphodiesterase release, caffeine (Davidson, 1969) increases cyclic AMP. Excess amounts of cyclic AMP inhibit histamine production (Dykewicz, 2001; Ernst et al., 1999). Phosphodiesterase inhibitors inhibit histamine release (Raderer et al., 1995). 

Oh, boy.   A buildup of caffeinesaturates the ability of metabolism. That can't be good.  I wonder to what extent coffee, which seems ubiquitous in the American diet, is responsible for metabolic syndrome.  

Ongoing caffeine allergy induces a progressive toxic dementia (McManamy, 1936). In a caffeine allergic person, each caffeine or theophylline dose increases toxin accumulation. A buildup of caffeine, which may exceed tolerance level, saturates the ability of metabolism (Carrillo et al., 2000; Nehlig, 1999); rate of drug accumulation exceeds rate of elimination. Introducing a stimulant into a caffeine allergic individual’s system will further poison the frontal cortex and hypothalamus and continue to mask allergic symptoms of caffeine anaphylaxis. Continued stimulant use increases toxic psychosis, which results in decreased affect and deterioration of mental abilities. 

Bottom line: Caffeine sucks the life out of you.