INTRODUCTION 

Today, most people are aware to avoid coffee, though some may still
think decaffeinated is okay.  In this article, you will go beyond the
fact that only "caffeine" in coffee is harmful for you.  You will
learn some nutritional biochemical facts about regular and
decaffeinated coffee to give you additional reasons to avoid both, and
learn how to improve your health after years of drinking coffee.  Few
people are aware of the subtle and lasting side effects of long-term
coffee drinking unless one is proactive in improving their health
after years of drinking coffee.

Another purpose of this article is to answer some of the questions
people have about drinking coffee.  For example, is the "buzz."  of
energy bad for me.  Many people think, " I can't get up and out in the
morning without my coffee."  Another question, this article will
answer is how coffee causes the bowels to move.  Some people boast, "I
am regular as clockwork as long as I drink my coffee."  It is
important to have energy and regularly detoxify waste from the body;
however, for the good coffee appears to be doing, when you understand
how coffee does this, you may want to reconsider drinking coffee.

Coffee overworks the adrenal glands and adversely affects sports
performance.  It also interferes with some medications for pain,
depression, hypertension and obesity.  Coffee causes nutritional
deficiencies which can lead to poor athletic performance and
nutrition-related diseases.

Healthy alternatives to coffee are included in this article.  Some of
these healthier beverages have a wonderful coffee-flavor yet are not
made from coffee beans.  This way, coffee-lovers can have the best of
both worlds, the taste without side effects.

UNDERSTANDING WHY COFFEE AFFECTS THE BOWELS

Most people are aware of the ill affect of drinking coffee because it
contains caffeine.  Actually, coffee is a narcotic beverage.  The
caffeine in the coffee belongs to the same alkaloid group of chemicals
as morphine, cocaine and strychnine.  It is no surprise then why
people have such a difficult time, at first, letting go of coffee, and
replacing it with healthier beverages.  Caffeine combines with the
stomach s hydrochloric acid and forms a potent toxin, caffeine
hydrochloride.  As this toxin is absorbed into your portal circulation
and hits your liver, bile is released in an attempt to flush the toxin
from your system.  This accounts for the increase in bowel
"regularity" of which many coffee drinkers boast.  If you are one of
these people, you might ask yourself, "Is such a toxin-induced flush
really very health promoting?  Or Isn't there a healthier way for me
to be regular?"  The answer, of course, is "No" to the first, and
"Yes" to the second question.  (For a healthier method of regularity,
see the section below on the liver.)

COFFEE CONTAINS HARMFUL CHEMICALS

Drinking decaffeinated coffee is no better than drinking regular
coffee because of the large concentration of the chemical
Trichloroethylene.  It is used mainly as a de-greasing agent in the
metal industry and as a solvent and dry cleaning agent in the clothing
industry.  Trichloroethylene is related to plastic chemical vinyl
chloride, which has been linked to certain types of liver cancer.
Columbian coffee planters have regularly used deadly pesticides on
their plants for over 20 years.  Some include Aldrin, Dieldrin,
Chlordane and Heptachlor.  Some speculate that coffee beans are the
most significant source of these deadly toxins in U.S. diets.

The extreme temperatures in the roasting process of coffee beans
depletes the beans of its natural oils.  Though it may enhance their
aroma, high heat actually causes the oils to become rancid.

The chlorogenic acid found in coffee has also been linked to toxic
side effects.

COFFEE OVERWORKS THE ADRENALS AND SLOWS SPORTS PERFORMANCE

Coffee has an acid-based oil which is an irritant to gastric mucosa.
It simulates the secretion of gastric acidity and this results in
secretion of adrenalin.  The secretion of adrenalin stimulates insulin
secretion with consequent secondary hypoglycemia.  The end results are
tension, mild rise in blood pressure, 2-3 hours later a craving for
sweets, low energy and mood levels, and over working of the adrenal
glands.  All of which negatively affects health, exercise and sports
performance.

COFFEE COUNTERACTS MEDICATIONS FOR PAIN, OBESITY, HYPERTENSION AND DEPRESSION.

The secondary rise in plasma epinephrine due to the low blood sugar
will undo whatever good medications are doing to counteract the
hyperactive dopaminergic system in patients suffering from pain,
obesity, hypertension or depression.  A few minutes after drinking
coffee, the stimulation of the dopaminergic system results in cold
extremities along with simultaneous rise in deep (visceral)
temperature.  A patient with high fever is harmed by coffee, but
helped by tea and lemon juice.  The decaffeinated coffee contains the
same acid oil, and thus is no better than regular coffee.

COFFEE CAUSES NUTRITIONAL DEFICIENCIES

Heavy coffee drinkers create Thiamine (B-1) insufficiency.  Symptoms
of B-1 insufficiency range from fatigue, nervousness, general malaise,
general aches and pains to headaches.

Regular use of coffee prevents some of the nutrients in your food from
being absorbed effectively in your small intestines, which leads to
further vitamin and mineral deficiencies.

THE "BUZZ" FROM COFFEE

The "buzz" or stimulation you get from coffee actually contributes to
re-bound fatigue when the stimulating effects wear off.  Repeated
stimulation can contribute to the exhaustion of key organs like the
liver, pancreas and adrenal glands.  If you still want that "buzz" you
get from coffee and strong teas, try Chinese Jasmine Green Tea,
instead.  It has an effective stimulant without many of the negative
health effects.

HEALTHY ALTERNATIVES TO COFFEE AND STRONG TEA

If you would like a beverage with a coffee taste without the side
effects, try Nature s Sunshine Products' "Herbal Beverage."  I have
recommended Herbal Beverage to my clients for years with continued
positive feedback.  You may also enjoy other herbal blends with a
coffee-like taste found in health food stores.

Besides coffee, some of the strong teas we grew up with also contain
caffeine.  These are still being served in most restaurants.  A better
alternative would be Traditional s Dinner Mint Tea.  Blackberry Tea is
another good choice.  After having used strong tea and coffee for many
years, you may think some herbal teas taste weak and have no flavor in
comparison when you make the switch.  You must realize, first, that
your taste buds have been conditioned for "strong" beverages.  It
will, also, take some weeks to detoxify your tongue of the chemicals
in strong beverages so that you may truly enjoy the wonderful flavors
and variety of herbal teas.  To help you during this transition, try
this suggestion: use 2-3 herbal tea bags, instead of one, and let it
steep for a longer period of time.  This will help to make the herbal
tea stronger tasting.

Be sure to read labels and ask questions whenever you are served
traditional tea and coffee.  Keep healthy tea bags in your purse or
wallet and request a cup of hot water when dining outside the home.

If you are unable to locate the above-mentioned healthy beverages,
please e-mail my office and I will be glad to help you find someone
near you to supply these items.

LONG-TERM COFFEE DRINKING MAY PRODUCE A TOXIC LIVER:

Because of the overload on the liver to detoxify chemical residues,
long-term coffee drinkers often have a toxic, congested liver and
impure blood.  The function of the liver is to filter the blood so the
blood can nourish the cells.  Just like your car's oil filter, filters
the oil that gets distributed through your automobile.  When the liver
is congested, it cannot function properly.  The blood does not get
filtered and it circulates through the body depositing impure blood
into the cells.  The cells, then, can not regenerate and grow healthy
tissue.  The long-term effect, when cells cannot regenerate, is its
opposite -- degenerative cells which leads to degenerative diseases.

An example of a toxic, congested liver is dark spots on the skin as
the person gets older.  Some people refer to them as brown or liver
spots.  In later years, these spots merge to the point that they no
longer appear as spots, but discoloration of skin.  Other examples
include a lack of absorption of minerals resulting in gray hair, a
protruded stomach, constipation, spastic colons, irritable bowels, a
swollen or enlarged gall bladder, and high cholesterol and
triglycerides, even after faithfully following a cholesterol-free or
limiting diet.  In fact, many new clients come to me frustrated
because they have been watching their cholesterol intake for months,
even years, and still have high cholesterol.  This is a definite sign
that the liver is congested and over-producing cholesterol.

A more scientific method of determining if you have a congested liver
is to have your blood serum liver enzymes and other liver-related
blood chemistries "nutritionally" analyzed.  Here is an exercise that
will give you an idea of how this is done and if you may presently
have a congested liver.  Pull your file copy of the Laboratory Report
from the last time your doctor ordered a blood test for you.

If you do not have a copy, call your doctor's office.  Ask the
secretary which day this week a copy of your last lab report can be
ready so you may come by the office to pick it up.  If you wait for
the doctor's office to mail it, you may not get it.  After all, they
are very busy helping people with higher priorities.  In the future,
whenever you have laboratory tests ordered, be sure to request a copy
for your home files when the blood is being drawn.

Once you have a copy of your laboratory report, check these
liver-related chemistries.  If one or more of your test results fall
below or above numbers under "Chemical Imbalance," your liver may be congested.

CHEMICAL IMBALANCE       HOMEOSTASIS     LAB  RANGES (RIGHT OF PAGE)

SGOT (AST) -18 or 26+ 1              8 to 26             (0 - 45)
SGPT (ALT) -16 or 26+                16 to 26             (0 - 50)
GGT Above 36                              1 to 36             (0 - 85)
Total Bilirubin -.50 or .70+            .50 to 70           (0.1-1.2)
- means below and = means above

For example, when looking on your Laboratory Report at the SGOT (AST)
you will see the name of this test is listed on the left side of the<
page along with the names of all the other blood chemistries.  Now
follow the line to the right and you will see the test result value of
your SGOT (AST).  In fact, you will notice a column with all your test
result values to the right of the column with the names of the
chemistries.  Then to the right of your SGOT (AST) value, you will see
another column with a range of two numbers on each line.  For SGOT
(AST), you may see a range of numbers from 0 - 45.  The ranges vary
depending upon the laboratory used to run the report.

The ranges listed on your laboratory report (for example 0-45 for
SGOT) are used by your physician to diagnosis your "medical"
condition.

However, when I interpret the same laboratory reports "nutritionally,"
I am analyzing your blood chemistries for homeostasis and use a
different set of ranges.  Homeostasis means nutritional biochemical
balance.

For you to have a nutritional healthy SGOT (AST), your test result
value must be between 18-26, if your Laboratory Report listed 0-45 in
the right column ranges.  From 0-18 or 26-45, you have a nutritiona
biochemical imbalance.  Biochemical imbalances of the liver can lead
to a sluggish, toxic, congested liver (underactive or overactive),
which may then lead to liver dysfunction, and, in time, to
nutrition-related liver diseases.

Because there are many other factors involved, in addition to the
nutritional analysis of your liver-related blood chemistries, and you
Laboratory Reports may not have the same right column ranges as were
used to provide the above calculations, you will not be able to make
an accurate determination of your liver status from your laboratory
report and the information in this article.  However, you will be able
to get an idea of how congested your liver may be.  The above
chemistry values and ranges provided in this article are for
demonstration only, not for an accurate nutritional assessment of your
blood chemistries.

Clinical nutrition protocols recommended from the nutritional analysis
of blood chemistries are designed to assist the body in returning to
homeostasis.

IMPROVING HEALTH AFTER YEARS OF DRINKING COFFEE

After reviewing your Laboratory Report and the information above, do
you think you may have a congested liver?  If you do, your liver is
acting like a dirty car filter that needs to be changed so it can
filter the oil and keep the mechanical parts clean as it circulates
through your automobile.  A sluggish, toxic liver, not performing to
its capacity, will slow sports performance, slow healing and so on,
just like sluggish, oil will slow down the performance of your
automobile.  You may not be able to change your liver, like you can
your car filter, but you can get a clinical nutritional analysis of
your blood chemistries.  From this analysis, a clinical nutrition
program can be recommended to assist in cleansing and re-nourishing
your liver.  Then soon your liver will filter your blood properly
again and send pure, healthy blood to all your cells.  You may be
amazed at how much better you can feel with a healthy, clean
functioning liver.  The liver, because of its role in blood
purification, affects every cell, tissue, organ and gland in your
body.  Therefore, every cell, tissue, organ and gland feels better
when the liver improves.

CONCLUSION
To improve your health, you must eliminate toxic substances from your
diet, such as coffee and strong teas, and then detoxify the chemical
residues in the liver, resulting from long-term ingestion of these
substances.  To do the latter, obtain a clinical nutrition analysis of
your blood chemistries to receive specific clinical nutrition
recommendations on how to assist your body in cleansing and
re-nourishing its liver.

Some health benefits reported from clients during and after this
process are: beautiful skin (liver and brown spots disappear - even in
the elderly); gray hair turns to natural colors of brown or black,
cholesterol and triglycerides become normal without following a
cholesterol-free diet, stomachs become flatter that never could before
even with exercise, energy and endurance increases, gall bladders
improve, bowels eliminate regularly without spasms or irritability,
blood pressure becomes normal and many others.
You may request information on how to obtain a clinical nutrition
analysis of your blood chemistries by e-mailing "wsnqas@aol.com" or
browse our web site after July 15, 1999
"www.womensportsnutrition.com."  Though we will specialize in women's
sports nutrition, this web site will be available to provide clinical
and sports nutrition analysis and programs for people of all ages and
gender.

References:  Hooshang Hooskmand, M.D., and Mark Percival, D.C., N.D.

Copyright 1999   Donna F. Smith