So what is the deal with coffee? The woman in the above vintage ad seems very adamant about her java fix… Do not…I repeat…Do not attempt to take away her coffee !!!
It seems every other month the interwebs are bombarded with glowing testimonials to the magical bean. It certainly has a place in American lore ever since the colonists decided to toss crates of tea into Boston harbor… and we all switched to coffee as our stimulant of choice.
I am writing this musing on June 6th, the anniversary of D-Day… and you can bet your bottom dollar that our brave GI’s were slinging down Uncle Sam’s finest mud before stormin’ Omaha and Utah beach and takin down those Narzees!
Fast forward to the 70’s. Growing up in bucolic Long Island, every Saturday and Sunday, my Dad brewed what he called a “Power Pot”…it was Chock Full of Nuts of course… no bourgey artisanal blends then…and we drank the whole damn pot…and that was by 10 AM!
OK… so is it all rainbows and unicorns? Is coffee really the magic elixir that will make us live to 100?… YES, YES, YES !!!!! Well, maybe. Full disclosure, I LOVE coffee and drink it everyday…it IS my morning ritual…Black, maybe blended with goat butter and MCT, sometimes with splash of cinnamon, sometimes with cream.. or if I am out and about… a Cortada or Cappuccino.
Here’s the good: Coffee, so I am told and so wanna believe...can extend your life and healthspan…yippee!!!
There are many, many, many studies that link coffee consumption with improved health benefits…it has antioxidants like chlorogenic acid, and nutrients like B vitamins. The caffeine can improve mood, memory, and overall energy levels. Studies show improved neurologic health with caffeinated and non-caffeinated coffee…perhaps due to the polyphenol contents. Coffee can stimulate the hormone adrenaline (epinephrine) which allows for the mobilization of free fatty acids... and this fat can be used as fuel (see prior musings). Caffeine can have an ergogenic effect (which increases energy available for muscle) thus improved athletic performance.
And let’s not forget the gut...the polyphenols may improve the number of good bacteria in the gut… and for certain folks (like PrimalMed Jr.) coffee stimulates the gastrocolic reflex (wakes up the colon) and helps facilitate a trip to the bathroom for a good ol’ fashioned #2 !!!
But what about those coffee naysayers? My take, and to quote Paracelsus, noted renaissance physician and toxicologist, “The Dose makes the Poison.”
Too much caffeine… and, well, that can make for one jittery, sweaty and anxious dude. Remember.. caffeine is an addictive DRUG. It is a STIMULANT. (fun fact.. caffeine doesn’t actually wake you up.. it just prevents you from getting tired.. it blocks adenosine receptors and this delays fatigue… OK…biochem lesson over!)
Too much caffeine?..well you ask, how much is too much?.. it can depend on your genes… a fair number of folks have a variant in the CYP1A2 gene that makes them slow caffeine metabolizers (bummer for you😩 )..and that caffeine hangs around for many hours ( average ½ life is 8 hours)…so they may want to have their last cup before 2 PM. If you’re addicted or dependent on the caffeine, and find that those 2 cups of coffee ain’t cuttin’ it and your adrenals are on fire ( hello caffeine jitters and shakes) you can be bold and do what is called a RESET of your adenosine receptors. Try to go decaf for a week. When you cycle back to the regular joe you again can get that magical jolt when you have that first cup.
One more pearl: To maximize the effect of your morning buzz.. wait a few hours after getting up before that first cup. Can’t wait that long?.. try for 1 hour. You see, your body pumps out cortisol, first thing in the morning to help you awaken, so immediately lathering on an extra dose of a stimulant like your freshly ground Pike’s Place has less of an effect. When your cortisol levels begin to dip say by 9 AM.. then that heavenly brew can more effectively work it’s magic, and your 10 oz. Tall packs the punch of a Red-eye Venti!
Other negatives?
First…DO NOT load it with garbage.. Just Say NO to the Mocha!!
Phew, I got my usual “anti-sugar” rant off my chest……
Coffee is a mild diuretic but it really won’t dehydrate you since its mostly water and if you’re concerned, drink more water! In some folks, in some studies, it can possibly increase your LDL cholesterol, but that has been seen really only with unfiltered coffee. (That said, I do enjoy a French Press from time to time)
And some other bad stuff…there’s this pesky chemical called Acrylamide that is formed from the roasting process... its classified as a group 2A carcinogen and in California, you’re gonna see a Prop 65 warning label on coffee warning you of this harmful chemical…but again, I would say “The Dose makes the Poison.”
Go organic?…Unless its organic your coffee beans were probably sprayed with pesticides like glyphosate. So yes, those fair trade supermarket (yes even at the hallowed Whole Foods😳) coffee beans may be coated with nasties (and contain mold or mycotoxins)…You wanna drink moldy java?.. Not me.. well certainly not on a regular basis…That said...On weekends, I will frequent the local baristas in Somerville and Boston and enjoy a non-organic artisanal espresso (mycotoxins be damned… I’m sure the acid in the coffee and my stomach will kill em off 😜) . Hey, if you told Joe DiMaggio that his Mr. Coffee contained mycotoxins, Joltin Joe would have stared you down, ripped your noggin off and poured that hot java straight down your gullet!
“Light” coffee or Breakfast Blends have the most caffeine and acrylamide. Acrylamide levels and caffeine levels decrease in the darker, longer roasted blends. However TOO much roasting like in Italian or French Roast…while having less caffeine may have more PAH’s (polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons) …another pesky chemical which may be linked to cancer…yikes... I choose a “darkish” Medium Roast as the lesser of both evils!
And lastly, since this is a PrimalMed Prescription…do our genes really NEED coffee? ”Feeding your genes” as we say, from an ancestral perspective, with species appropriate nutrients, probably doesn’t include daily caffeine ... I mean, if it wasn’t for the Pan-American Coffee Bureau and Madison Avenue ( BIG COFFEE strikes again ) in the 1950’s pushing the magical bean and telling us “WE NEED” our coffee..well horror of horrors…would Starbucks (we NEED $4.00 coffee!) even exist? However, I submit that IF ancestral man was on a hunt AND there was a Dunkin in plain sight… they may very well have aborted their mission and gone in for a cold-brew!!
The PrimalMed take?….
I’m drinking my coffee !!! I believe the POSITIVES outweigh the bad. It’s my morning ritual and I can feel those neuro-protective polyphenols and antioxidants working their magic as I sit at my iPad. I prefer filtered freshly ground mold free organic medium roast for the above stated reasons, and aim for responsible doses. I do my best writing, as I said, 2 cups deep !!! Know thyself and be smart….too much of anything is probably not a good thing and overdosing on stimulants like caffeine will earn you a trip to the emergency room faster that you can say “Atrial Fibrillation!”
The TL;DR.. Coffee = GOOD…in appropriate doses, at appropriate times, and best enjoyed with family and friends!
Like this musing?… Leave some comments about your love affair (or not) with coffee…Share with EVERYONE… and have them subscribe to the PrimalMed Prescription newsletter… its free… and pairs well with a Latte !!!
Thanks for your kind words, and your never ending love and appreciation, for the magical bean!
Always great to consort with someone who shares my passion for Java—but knows much more about it than I do! Well done Ted!