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Coffee
Just tell me what to take
Coffee is derived from plants and is an herb.
Moderate coffee consumption (three to five cups a day) is probably safe for most people. But individuals at high risk of cardiovascular diseases should exercise caution and cut back on those double-tall lattes. Orange juice, rich in
folate, is certainly a healthier wake-up drink. It may not have that caffeine zing, but it's full of minerals and vitamins and will give you a lot more nutritional bang for your buck.
If you drink coffee, you may be a special candidate for magnesium deficiency.
Since magnesium and calcium all work together to make your heart muscle contract in a regular rhythm, one of the first signs of a magnesium deficiency is an irregular heartbeat.
As a result of calcium/magnesium imbalance, calcium deposits may form on the heart muscle. If this happens, the heart cannot contract properly.
Magnesium is also important in breaking down fats you eat into fatty acids that can be useful in building body parts like nerve sheaths and cellular membranes. If those fats are not broken down properly, they begin to collect in deposits, which lodge on damaged arterial points. Thus a magnesium deficiency can increase you risks of contracting the two major degenerative heart diseases: atherosclerosis and arteriosclerosis. Another point to remember in this regard is that magnesium is necessary for the synthesis of lecithin, which also helps break down those fats.
Coffee floods nutrients out of your body via the urine. This includes Vitamins A, D, E, K and essential fatty acids. This diuretic effect which is created when drinking coffee can also interfere with your absorption of iron simply because so many nutrients pass so quickly through the kidneys.
Although coffee contains water, it causes the body to excrete more water than it actually takes in. The result is a fluid deficit, which, over time, can lead to a variety of health problems, including dry skin, constipation and bladder infections.
Coffee can lead to a chronic deficiency of B vitamins.
Coffee can cause a buildup of toxins within the body, which increases your need for vitamin C and other antioxidants.
Two cups of coffee may contain 30 mg of caffeine. This is enough to raise your blood pressure and pulse rate significantly.
It has been shown that drinking two and half
cups of coffee can more than double the stress
hormone adrenaline.
The liver is forced to detoxify the caffeine
from coffee, this puts more strain on the
liver.
Research that has been done:
Researchers from the Netherlands studied the effect of coffee consumption on blood levels of homocysteine, a naturally occurring substance that forms when the body breaks down protein.
Elevated levels of homocysteine have long been associated with an increased risk of heart disease. Exactly how this amino acid harms the heart is unclear, but our best guess is that it either makes the blood clot more frequently or damages the lining of blood vessels in the heart. (Genetic defects and vitamin deficiencies have also been shown to cause an elevation in homocysteine.)
The Dutch researchers focused on strong, unfiltered coffee, and their results are not great news for folks who drink large quantities of caffeine. After just a two-week period of drinking six cups of unfiltered coffee a day, homocysteine concentrations increased 10% in subjects who started out with normal levels.
At the same time, cholesterol levels shot up 10% and triacylglycerols (other fatty substances) 36%--both precursors to artery-clogging atherosclerotic plaque. The bottom line, according to the authors: drinking 48 oz. of unfiltered coffee a day may carry a 10% increase in risk for heart attack or stroke.
An incidental but equally important finding was that levels of vitamin B-6 decreased 21%.
Why would unfiltered coffee be more dangerous than filtered? A leading suspect is a group of substances called
diterpenes, found widely in nature--and in coffee beans. Diterpenes are known to raise homocysteine levels, and the paper filters used in coffee machines are usually fine enough to catch them. Some coffee roasters prepare their beans with processes that remove some of the offending
diterpenes. Check with your favorite brewer for details.
The good news for coffee lovers: increased levels of homocysteine aren't necessarily permanent. Removing the offending agent--in this case, unfiltered coffee--will help bring the levels back to normal, as will increasing your intake of the B vitamins B-6 and folic acid. Vitamin supplements, green leafy vegetables and citrus fruits are good sources of
folate. (see below for a good source of Vitamin
B.
Stop drinking coffee?
Getting off of coffee. If you avoid these completely, be aware that at first you might experience headaches, fatigue, or dizziness due to withdrawal symptoms. However, after a week or so, you energy level and mood should improve.
Recommended is that you cut down to cut down to
one small cup in the morning and then gradually
lessening the amount over a two week period
until it's eliminated altogether.
What to take:
Water - sufficient water is necessary, so drink enough. How much
is enough? Read our article on Our Need for
Water
You can go for decaffeinated coffee but it
needs to be organic water-pressed decaf coffee,
as commercial decaffeinated coffees can contain
toxic chemicals used in removing the caffeine.
RECOMMENDED:
Now you can
enjoy a steaming cup of deliciously rich, deep
roasted, fresh brewed flavor that delivers all
the satisfaction without the caffeine and
acidity of coffee!
Caffeine-Free Herbal Coffees
A healthy and delicious drink made from
cocoa beans and brewed like coffee
Crio Brü is made from 100%, perfectly
roasted cocoa beans. Nothing more, nothing less.
No sugar, no chemicals, no gluten, no dairy.
Although the cocoa beans are roasted to make
Crio Brü, many of the health benefits found in
the raw cocoa beans are preserved, giving you a
superior product with sky-high antioxidants,
abundant minerals and healthy energy.
ANTIOXIDANTS
– Raw cocoa beans, by weight, have more
antioxidants than almost any food in the world.
Even after it has been roasted and brewed, Crio
Brü has 150% more antioxidants than pure
pomegranate juice.
LOW-CALORIE
– With only 10 calories, 0 grams fat, 0 grams
sugar, 0 milligrams sodium and 1.5 grams of
carbohydrates per 4.25 oz. cup, as well as the
fact that cocoa is an appetite suppressant, Crio
Brü is without question the most slimming
“chocolate” drink on the market.
Delicious
Crio Brü’s three varieties – Cavalla, Vega
Reál and Coca River – have a taste uniquely
their own. Because Crio Brü is roasted and
brewed, it has the consistency, roasted flavor
and complexity of a fine coffee, yet because it
is made with cocoa beans, its primary flavors
are chocolaty. Just as with coffee, sweetener
and creamer can be added to taste, or drink it
black for an intensely flavorful, low-calorie
hot drink.
As you experience Crio Bru, you may notice
the coconut and cinnamon in Cavalla, or the red
berries and dark spice in Vega Reál, or the
jasmine and nutty after-tones in Coca River. The
most remarkable fact about the flavors in Crio
Brü, as with any fine chocolate, is that they
are found naturally in the cocoa bean itself.
Learn more at Crio
Bru Brewed Cocoa
Recommended Supplements to help restore
health and to take if you want to continue to
drink coffee..
Vitamin B Complex
- The need for handling homocysteine is
to get an absorbable B vitamin (B6, B12,
and Folate). These vitamins change the
homocysteine to Cysteine which the body uses to
make Glutathione, the body's master
anti-oxidant.
The problem is that a percentage of the
population has a genetic difference that makes
using these B vitamins
difficult. There is a
supplement that delivers these B vitamins.
You can read about them here. Designed to
be used for people with nerve pain, neuropathy,
it is an excellent source of B vitamins called
the Nerve Support Formula. Go here for
B-Vitamins
Calcium/Magnesium,
B Vitamins & Minerals
For Joint Pain - See Joint
Relief Formula
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