Coffee

Coffee has been linked to many illnesses due to its harvesting method, its ingredients and the effects these play on the body.                          

Coffee crops are heavily inundated and covered with chemicals such as pesticides and fertilisers.  Problems such as Parkinson’s disease, prostate and other cancers and miscarriages have been linked with consumption of coffee.  Should coffee be continued as part of the diet it is recommended to drink a maximum of 1 cup of organic coffee as it is believed that exposure to the pesticides will be reduced considerably.                    

Also use unbleached filters if using a ‘drip’ coffee maker. The bright white ones which are so often sold are bleached using chlorine, and some of this chlorine will be extracted from the filter during the brewing process.                        

Coffee contains caffeine which is well known as a stimulant for the body.  It is for this reason that pregnant women must stay away from drinking coffee.  The caffeine can permeate easily through the placenta to the foetus which may still be in the developmental stage. 

A foetus has no ability to detoxify; therefore the caffeine will stay in its system.  Caffeine is also passed on via breast milk.  Studies show that drinking in excess of 300mg of coffee per day increases the risk of birth defects such as low birth weight and may increase the chance of miscarriage or sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS).  Caffeine can also make it harder for women to sustain required levels of calcium and iron which are particularly important during gestation.                         

Drinking coffee also has a derogatory effect on the heart.  Firstly, it can have an ill effect on blood vessels which contribute to changes of the main artery that supplies blood to the body, the aorta.  Caffeine has been proven to lead to a loss of aortic elasticity as well as increase blood pressure.                                 

For those with high blood pressure, the more caffeine containing coffee you drink, the higher the blood pressure will become.  Drinking three cups of coffee per day may increase the risk of stroke, particularly thromboembolic stroke, in older men who suffer from high blood pressure.  This condition arises when thrombosis occurs, a blockage of an artery which can lead to a clot.  Studies such as that of Dr Charalambos Vlachopoulos of Athens Hospital Henry Dunant demonstrate that it only takes one cup of coffee to stiffen arteries which may lead to systolic hypertension.  Caffeine also promotes arrhythmias or palpitations of the heart and raises the biochemical homocysteine which damages artery walls and is a major contributor to heart disease.                               

It has been found that coffee drinkers that quit drinking coffee will decrease levels of the amino acid homocystine as well as cutting their cholesterol levels.  Both of these substances are risk factors for heart disease.                             

Coffee will only add to the worries of those who suffer from anxiety or insomnia due to it containing the stimulant caffeine.  Symptoms of these illnesses may be intensified with caffeine intake.  Many people believe that caffeine keeps them awake. 

In actual fact caffeine does not keep us alert or hasten us up but instead it prevents us from slowing down.  Caffeine blocks a chemical in our brain that keeps us from slowing down.  It could be concluded that the normal state of people is so toxin affected that coffee temporarily wakes them up from a drug induced, slumber- like reality.                               

Due to the potential suffering due to insomnia or anxiety, many people drink decaf instead of regular coffee. However, studies show that decaf can be just as dangerous to the body!  Bloodstream fat is increased with consumption of decaf coffee, as is LDL cholesterol (bad cholesterol).                                

Not only does caffeine affect our brain, but it also shapes our central nervous and cardiovascular systems.  Depression and panic attacks may occur, as can anger, low energy levels, headaches, changes in the chemistry of the brain and on the whole a decrease in mental sharpness.  Even a small amount of caffeine can exacerbate health problems.  Caffeine acts like a weak diuretic, aids metabolic effects which include hypoglycaemia, stimulates skeletal muscle and relaxes smooth muscle.  Toxic effects of caffeine can include vomiting and abdominal pain in addition to central nervous system symptoms including rigidity and seizures.                                   

Immune system disorders are common amongst coffee drinkers.  Illnesses such as fibromyalgia, rheumatoid arthritis and other autoimmune diseases, asthma, allergies and chronic fatigue syndrome can come about.                                  

Hypoglycaemia, or low blood sugar levels can occur, as can nutritional deficiencies due to a loss of minerals (magnesium, iron and calcium) and vitamins (mainly from the B group).Gastrointestinal disorder, namely acid reflux, irritable bowel syndrome, gastritis and ulcers are common, as are additional health problems of gout and cancer.                             

Hormonal balance is affected by caffeine.  Premenopausal symptoms can occur, fibrocystic breasts, decreased fertility levels and pre-menstrual syndrome can also occur.                            

Coffee affects our detox organ, the liver.  It is the liver that has to attempt to detoxify the caffeine, which, after a long period of consuming caffeine becomes a difficult task.  When the liver becomes congested it is then difficult to filter pure blood to the cells of the body. 

A consequence of this is that contaminated blood travels around our body.  Here, the cells cannot regenerate or grow new connective tissues that are healthy.  If this continues over a period of time, degenerative diseases may be the outcome.Some examples of a toxic, congested liver is the appearance of dark spots on the skin as a person gets older, irritable bowels, a protruded stomach and high cholesterol.                                        

Longer term caffeine use can lead to exhaustion of the adrenal glands and the kidneys.  This is due to caffeine increasing blood levels of stress hormones which are generated by the adrenal glands.  These hormones are of great importance to the body as they regulate many essential functions such as inflammation, stress response of the body, cell regeneration and growth, blood sugar levels, blood pressure, immune activity and mineral levels.                                    

Why are you fat? Because your adrenal glands cannot warn your body about the dangers of toxic, acidic food.                              

Why are you irritable? Because your adrenal glands can’t tell your body to adjust acid balance.                               

Why are you dyspeptic? Because your adrenal glands cannot tell your body to draw calcium from your bones and teeth to counteract the effects of your acidic lifestyle.                        

Why are you toxic? Because you have altered your adrenalin system so often by using caffeine that the glands give up and let all the toxins flow right in.                     

It has been shown that women are affected by caffeine more so than men. 

This is due to the hormonal cycle of women as it slows down the elimination process of caffeine through the digestive system.                         

Caffeine has played a role in the behaviour of children world wide.  Learning and behaviour disorders and hyperactivity can definitely be linked to the intake of caffeine.                        

Although caffeine is legal, it is in fact a drug.  And as documented it has a powerful effect on the body.                        

It is not a good idea to stop drinking coffee ‘cold turkey’, as you will experience unwanted symptoms such as fatigue, depression and headaches, not to mention withdrawal. It is advised that you cut down over a few days or weeks with the help of Steffen’s Matrix Clearing Kit.  Drinking sufficient water must also be incorporated here to keep the body well hydrated.                         

If coffee is a ritual at certain times of the day, change the ritual!  Instead of a coffee, why not have a vegetable juice as a replacement.  It will give you a natural healthy energy boost.