Is coffee really bad for us?

[Simba1992]

Perhaps we should think again about eliminating coffee from our diet? We are warned time and time again about the bad effects of coffee and seldom hear about the benefits. Here is a very interesting article that also explains the benefits.

raypeat.com/articles/articl...

[Ali_H]

Not for me it isn't as it definitely helps settle my blepharospasm a little in the morning and my ophthalmologist wasn't surprised when I told her this. Apparently there is a condition where the eyes twitch which is cafine induced if you drink loads of it but as a stimulant it helps my brain somehow fire a little more accurately and thus slight improvement on the blepharospasm. I don't drink it after about 4pm cos I want to sleep better and a proper cafetière kinda coffee not instant for me please.

Ali

[Nettac]

I'm keeping my coffee. I've given up so much already!

There's always sone research telling us certain things are bad...and certain things are! Coffee is good for my sanity!

[Simba1992]

As it seems to be a scientific fact that coffee has important positive effects it's probably important to keep this in mind when we so often are overwhelmed with so many dietary instructions.🤔

[nomoreheels]

I'm fed up of being told by those who don't have the disease that we've not to do this or do that. I enjoy my coffees & nobody is going to guilt trip me into giving them up. Until there's a blood test to check the caffeine levels in adults & if I allow mine to be taken it shows it's high enough to be of concern then I'll continue to enjoy my two morning coffees!

[Simba1992]

Actually I found it quite fascinating that there were so many good things in drinking coffee😊 The same has to a very wide degree proven to be true concerning many other dietary and pharmaceutical recommendations and instructions, I seem to have noticed after digging a bit deeper. Lots of interesting information out there!

[helixhelix]

I now ignore most of the well intentioned advice (both positive & negative) unless it is backed up by a Cochrane study. There are hundreds of small research studies that "prove" some particular fact or other, and usually matched by other studies that "prove" the opposite. So much is dependant on our individual genetics and lifestyle, and there are so many variables that these studies struggle to accommodate for that following anything too rigidly becomes a bit pointless.

So I have never stopped having a cup of espresso and a piece of dark chocolate after lunch. Cheers everyone!

[Simba1992 in reply to helixhelix]

So it is, there are good effects and bad effects and then there are always the individual differences and the different contexts. The fact still remains that what new research helps me with is the accumulation of new knowledge that I can use when trying to analyze my individual situation and find what suits me best. I find it quite restricting to live only following prooven facts ( these too have a tendency to change with new research!).

[Moomin8]

I'll be honest - I have decaff tea and coffee now. Apart from an intense headache after I gave up caffeinated tea and coffee, I actually don't notice any difference! ☺

[Simba1992 in reply to Moomin8]

So why did you give up the coffee?

[Moomin8 in reply to Simba1992]

Hi - I haven't given up coffee, just-have decaff. Caffinated drinks contradict some of my meds. It's a personal choice tbh - I don't notice any difference in taste ☺

[DaniBeeLcLa]

I'm keeping my coffee! Especially the really good stuff I get from Amazon...

[Simba1992]

How many of you who replyed actually read the link I posted? My intention with this post was not by any means to question anyone's choice of drinking coffee or not but hoping for a dialog around the benefits of coffee listed and scientifically tested. For me there were new and quite interesting facts😊

[Lucy11]

I found the article interesting and also baffling. How can the mild anti depressant effect of coffee ward off suicide? I did not read the specific details of the coffee/suicide study but I suppose they would need to find coffee drinkers that were not also taking anti depressants?

It's also hard to follow all the changing research on nutrition as everyone has different metabolic pathways and chemical/genetic/hormonal influences to really understand if what these studies find really concerns you as there are so many things we put in our mouths that figuring out benefits is often an on going struggle.

Possible, yes, but at times it feels futile to pin down specifics especially when our biorhythms change over time along with all the chemical and hormonal changes, no? I find it trying anyway. How does one keep up? Just a thought.

Best

Lucy.

[Simba1992 in reply to Lucy11]

So very true Lucy, what happens in us is so very individual and guided by so many changeing processes in our bodies. What has helped me enormously is a realization that I had while doing my research and exchanging experiences with a RA sufferer that had chosen pretty much the same treatment route as I, without hard meds and who was now symptom-free. He told me when he received the diagnosis of seronegative RA that he put it aside and started with exploring what in fact was happening in his body, what wasn't working. First he measured his basal metabolic rate which told him that in fact something needed to be done about it and this led step by step towards fixing is individual situation where with the help of Ray Peats understanding of human cell function and biochemistry.

Now instead of restricting myself to a certain diet or supplement without really understanding why and not really listning to my body I find I am finally getting the hang of it. Without the help of Ray Peats expertise I do not think it would have been possible. I am quite convinced that in order to be able to really listen to your body you need a specialist to help you understand and make sense of all the information you have gathered during your research and see how it all make sense of your situation.

[Lucy11 in reply to Simba1992]

Thanks for this SIMBA.

I'm happy to hear that your research along with Ray Peat has lead you to a better understanding of why and how supplements, diet, etc work for you. I'm sure it will be an ongoing discovery for you but is making more sense the further you go on.

As a side note, and not entirely related, I'm often curious if your definition of sero negative ever gets mixed up with others you interact with on this and other sites?

You often make a point and query whether sero negative makes a difference with certain medications such as MTX, if I remember correctly, you said that you thought it may make sero negative folks worse or not work as well for them.

Every single research that I have done defines sero positive as testing positive for either RF or anti CCP. You have posted that you have tested highly positive for anti CCP which would make you sero positive.

While, it's true that most people who test positive for anti CCP also test positive for RF there are people like myself and you who are only anti CCP positive.

It's confusing to me as it may not make one hill of difference but it really isn't clear and if the people who are going down a similar route as you are truly negative for both RF and anti CCP then it makes it harder to connect dots, no?

As I said, it may not matter in the least bit, but making a distinction on this site or other sites on sero negative or positive really should be clearer, don't you think?

Best,

Lucy.

[Simba1992 in reply to Lucy11]

Hi again Lucy,

Funny that you haven't come accross research on seronegative vs seropossitiv defined by having or not having antibodies for RF. CCP anti bodies tell you with more certainty that if you have other symptoms and high CCP that it points to RA.

[Lucy11 in reply to Simba1992]

I think you misunderstood. Your reply is obvious to me. The point I'm making is that since the advent of anti CCP's were found to be more specific to RA they have since determined that to be truly sero negative you must also NOT test positive for anti CCP. Hence, if you test positive for one or the other or both then you are sero positive.

Shall I include the links?

[Lucy11 in reply to Simba1992]

For clarity...and this is one of many as well as doctors at the Mayo Clinic, John Hopkins, Cleveland clinic and others who define it as such

arthritis.org/about-arthrit...

[Simba1992 in reply to Lucy11]

You know what Lucy, you have been right all along!! I just haven't been listning! When I was diagnosed everyone discarded my RA suspicion by saying but you test negative for RF. What they didn't make clear that CCP was in fact a clearer indicator for seropositive RA. Thank you for pressing me on this😊A quite fundamental misunderstanding 😳

[Hidden]

Hi, a bit late to this post. But was just wondering about whether or not to have a coffee as I do have one or two a day as I have read that it also boosts testosterone and have read, too, that arthritis has been linked with low testosterone hence it being primarily women who are affected. So, that's clinched it.Am off for a cuppa.

[Simba1992 in reply to Hidden]

Coffee is in fact good for you in many ways. Weighing the risks and benefits I would choose coffee any day😊As long as you don't overdo it and in fact it is very important to take coffee with sugar or some other sweets this prevents the cortisol frm spiking which is not so good. Some people get jittery when taking coffee or drinking too much of it, the reason is the cortisol so remember the sweets!

[Hidden in reply to Simba1992]

I have taken this advice and make sure I have something sweet with my coffee. : )

[Simba1992]

New meta analysis on the benefits of coffee.😊

bmj.com/content/359/bmj.j5024