| Re: Okay, a slightly different question . . . |
Virgin Net Usenet Servic .. |
| Alexander (alexander.hudson@virgin.net) |
2004/12/16 07:07 |
"Uncle Davey" <noway@jose.com> wrote in message
news:cprkdn$8d5$0@pita.alt.net...
> This is not about origins, but is all about tapping into the scientific
> knowledge, scepticism and interest in the status of knowledge versus urban
> myth that exists in this group.
>
> The background to my question is basically this. My business partner has
> been trying to get me to stop drinking coffee, saying that caffeine is not
> healthy and now has introduced chicory-based non caffeinated "coffee" into
> the company instead of the traditional coffee. I now have to keep illicit
> supplies of Davidoff coffee hidden in my desk. After all, I have been
> drinking strong coffee since the age of 14 and I have never had any ill
> effects from it. In fact I can even drink it before going to sleep with no
> disturbance to my ability to fall asleep. If I've been up in the morning
> for
> about three hours and still haven't had one, I get a headache.
Ooh - caffeine withdrawal ... that can be nasty.
>
> So my question is: Is there even any evidence that caffeine is necessarily
> harmful? Can it be that it only harms some people and not others? What is
> the negative effect on the environment if one person drinks and others
> don't - is there something like 'passive coffee drinking' analogous to
> passive smoking?
I can only offer anecdotal evidence Davey. I have IBS - Irritable Bowel
Syndrome as well as a variety of mild intolerances to various things
(lactose, gluten, etc). I loved coffee, drank it constantly. Dietician
told me to stop drinking caffeine altogether (from tea, coffee, soft drinks
etc) during a period my IBS was so bad it prevented me from working for a
significant period. There was quite a distinct change in my symptoms after
I stopped coffee drinking and, with IBS anyway, is recognised that as a
stimulant it can trigger what my GP rather delightfully called 'spasm
attacks'.
I don't think it's going to kill you or anything but it was most definitely
affecting my own body and although it's now torture going past any coffee
house I'm keeping away from caffeine indefinitely as my body really doesn't
like it.
As it doesn't appear to be an uncommon catalyst for IBS/dietary problems I'm
guessing there must be some peer reviewed stuff out there, but no idea where
you'd start looking.
>
> Having scourged all the smokers in our company, he now wants to start on
> the
> coffee drinkers as well. I asked him when he was going to start banning
> masturbation on business trips, but he didn't quite get my sarcasm.
>
> Any data that is peer reviewed and authoritative that I can use to educate
> myself and maybe him in this matter are greatly appreciated.
>
> Uncle Davey
>
>
>
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