Coincidence that this post is happening in the morning? (It's coffee-related:)

I've been wondering how I should handle coffee...I think I'm pretty sensitive to caffeine, so maybe it's not great for me.  One cup though...seriously?  I feel like a million bucks after a coffee in the morning.  But what if I'm on a slippery slope, where one cup doesn't do the trick anymore, and then I'm at three coffees before lunch?  I googled, and found Harvard Medical has this to say http://www.health.harvard.edu/newsletters/Harvard_Health_Letter/2012/January/what-is-it-about-coffee.

Research is showing benefits for everything from depression to liver disease. Is it just the caffeine?

Remember when people (and their doctors) used to worry that coffee would harm their hearts, give them ulcers, and make them overly nervous?

In excess, coffee, and more particularly, caffeine, can cause problems. But the fretting about two or three cups a day, or even more, is fading as study results suggestive of health benefits from coffee keep on coming in. In 2011, researchers reported findings that coffee drinking is associated with a lower risk of depression among women, a lower risk of lethal prostate cancer among men, and a lower risk of stroke among men and women. Go back a little further, and you'll come across reports of possible (it's not a done deal) protective effects against everything from Parkinson's disease to diabetes to some types of cancer (see sidebar below).

Caffeine has been studied more than any other ingredient in coffee, and it tends to get credit if the body part benefited is the brain. But coffee contains literally a thousand different substances, and some of the lesser lights are thought to be responsible for healthful effects in other parts of the body. Some studies show caffeinated and decaffeinated coffee as having the same effect, which suggests that something else in coffee is involved.

It gets complicated, though. Caffeine and some of these other substances in coffee seem to have their good and bad sides, and coffee's overall effect may depend on how much they cancel each other out.

Coffee: A disease-by-disease report card
Alzheimer's disease	Human and animal studies show hints of protection. Some preliminary evidence suggests activity against beta-amyloid plaque that may have a causative role in Alzheimer's.
Cancer	Studies suggest a lower risk for some cancers (endometrial, aggressive prostate, estrogen-negative breast), but not others (esophageal). Antioxidant and anti-inflammatory substances could be responsible for possible anticancer activity.
Diabetes	Effects on insulin and blood sugar levels that would promote diabetes seem to be temporary. Regular use is associated with lower risk, and high intake (3–6 cups a day) seems to have a greater effect. Protection may come from increases in the hormone adiponectin and other factors that affect insulin and blood sugar levels.
Heart attack	Coffee drinking increases some factors (homocysteine) associated with higher risk. But moderate consumption (1–3 cups a day) has been linked to a small decrease in risk. The evidence for a possible protective effect is stronger for women.
Liver disease	Coffee drinking is associated with lower levels of enzymes that indicate liver damage and inflammation. Coffee may improve response to some treatments for hepatitis C. Findings suggest some protection against liver cancer. Cafestol and kahweol, substances found in unfiltered coffee, may be responsible for liver benefits.
Parkinson's disease	Studies show a moderate (25%) decrease in risk for coffee drinkers. The effect is less in women. Research has found evidence of activity in the part of the brain affected by Parkinson's.
Stroke	Moderate consumption (3–4 cups a day) is associated with lower risk. But chance of a stroke may increase immediately after intake, particularly among infrequent consumers.

Caffeine: Good for the brain, bad for other parts?

Caffeine is the most commonly consumed psychoactive drug in the world, and some of its behavioral effects (such as arousal) may resemble those produced by cocaine, amphetamines, and other stimulants. Coffee consumption accounts for about 75% of the adult intake of caffeine in the United States, although that might be changing among younger adults with the growing popularity of energy drinks.

The caffeine content of coffee varies greatly, depending on the beans, how they're roasted, and other factors, but the average for an 8-ounce cup is about 100 milligrams (mg). Tea has about half as much caffeine as coffee. Decaffeinated coffee has some caffeine, but the 2 to 4 mg in an 8-ounce cup is a smidgen compared with the caffeinated version. The lethal dose of caffeine is about 10 grams, which is equivalent to the amount of caffeine in 100 cups of coffee.

Caffeine gets absorbed in the stomach and small intestine and then distributed throughout the body, including the brain. The amount circulating in the blood peaks 30 to 45 minutes after it's ingested and only small amounts are around eight to 10 hours later. In between, the amount circulating declines as caffeine gets metabolized in the liver.

Tobacco and marijuana accelerate caffeine metabolism, which reduces the time caffeine circulates in the body. Oral contraceptives slow it down, so they have the opposite effect. Researchers have identified genes that influence a person's natural risk of caffeine metabolism, which might explain why some people are exquisitely sensitive to caffeine while others are not.

Caffeine probably has multiple targets in the brain, but the main one seems to be adenosine receptors. Adenosine is a brain chemical that dampens brain activity. By hogging adenosine's receptors, caffeine sets off a chain of events that affects the activity of dopamine, another important brain chemical, and the areas of the brain involved in arousal, pleasure, and thinking. A part of the brain affected by Parkinson's disease, called the striatum, has many adenosine receptors; by docking on them, caffeine seems to have some protective effects.

Outside the brain, caffeine can be a performance enhancer, boosting the strength of muscle contraction and offsetting some of the physiological and psychological effects of physical exertion. But, especially in the short term, it also has negative effects, which include raising blood pressure, making arteries stiffer, and increasing levels of homocysteine, insulin, and possibly cholesterol. Habitual use may cause some of these effects to wear off. For some conditions, though, coffee may have some benefit despite, rather than because of, caffeine.

Caffeine content *35 mg presumes a single tea bag steeped in 8-ounce cup **Per 8.4-ounce can

Cafestol and kahweol: Filtering out cholesterol boosters

Coffee drinkers concerned about cholesterol weren't happy about some early study results showing that coffee seems to increase cholesterol levels, and "bad" LDL cholesterol levels in particular. But upon closer inspection, the bad news turned out to be not so bad, because the cholesterol-raising effect seems to be limited to coffee that hasn't been filtered, which includes Turkish coffee, coffee brewed in a French press, and the boiled coffee consumed in Scandinavia.

The cholesterol-raising ingredients in coffee are oily substances called diterpenes, and the two main types in coffee are cafestol (pronounced CAF-es-tol) and kahweol (pronounced KAH-we-awl). They are present either as oily droplets or in the grounds floating in the coffee. But a paper filter traps most of the cafestol and kahweol, so coffee that's been filtered probably has little, if any, effect on cholesterol levels.

The best evidence is for paper filters, but an interesting study published in 2011 showed that filtering methods used in Singapore (the so-called sock method, which uses a cotton-nylon cloth) and India (metal mesh) were also effective at trapping cafestol.

Espresso contains more cafestol and kahweol than paper-filtered coffee, but because it is consumed in smaller amounts, it may not have much of an effect on people's LDL level.

There is a twist to this aspect of the coffee story, because cafestol and kahweol may also have some health benefits that are lost when they're filtered out. The research is in the preliminary stages, but cafestol and kahweol could have some anticancer effects and be good for the liver.

Chlorogenic acid and other antioxidants

Explanations for the association between coffee consumption and lower rates of heart disease and diabetes often point to chlorogenic acid and other obscure antioxidant substances as the responsible parties. Antioxidants are substances that sop up reactive molecules before they have a chance to harm sensitive tissue like the lining of blood vessels. Chlorogenic acid was probably the main antioxidant in your cup of coffee this morning. Some experiments have shown that it may also inhibit absorption of glucose in the digestive system and even out insulin levels.

Chlorogenic acid might be another coffee ingredient with a split personality. Along with caffeine, it seems to push up levels of homocysteine, an amino acid that has been associated with artery-clogging atherosclerosis.

Vitamins and minerals

Coffee isn't a great source of vitamins and minerals, but as a plant-based drink, it contains some, and a few that we should be getting more of.

Let's start with magnesium. A cup of coffee contains about 7 mg, which is a drop in the daily-requirement bucket (420 mg for men, 320 mg for women). But because we don't eat enough fruit, vegetables, and whole grains, the average American's intake falls about 100 mg short of the daily goal. A cup of coffee or two can help close that gap a little bit.

Potassium can offset some of the negative consequences of sodium. At about 116 mg per cup, coffee's contribution toward the 4,700 mg of the potassium that we're supposed to get daily is a widow's mite, but it's something. A cup of coffee also has small amounts of niacin (0.5 mg) and choline (6.2 mg).

A health drink? Not quite.

It is one thing to say that coffee may be good for you; it's another to say it's so good for you that drinking it should be recommended. And we're not there yet.

All of the favorable studies and all of the seemingly healthful ingredients in coffee are good news for coffee drinkers. They can relax and enjoy their habit. And people who don't drink coffee can find plenty of other things to do to help keep themselves healthy.

To summarize, they seem to be of the collective mindset that "it's alright!".  When I kept looking for research on its anti-inflammatory properties, versus it's histamine activity....I found this from the Pacific Northwest Foundation (where the coffee scene really exploded...so there's that nugget ).

COFFEE: TO DRINK OR NOT TO DRINK
As with many of life’s pleasures, controversy abounds. It is certain that some people, who may be allergic or have life threatening aggravations to coffee, should abstain from any coffee. Others can seemingly tolerate unlimited amounts. However, for most people moderate amounts can contribute to the simple pleasures of the pallet without dire consequences. The key is quantity and quality.
There is much research concerning both the negative effects of coffee drinking as well as the benefits. Much of the press focuses on caffeine; however there are many other not so researched chemicals that contribute to both the negatives and the positives. Many of the Pro’s and Con’s, from various studies that can easily be found on the Internet, are listed below:
Cons

• Coffee is a central nervous system stimulator that gives the adrenals a kick and causes production of the stress handling hormone adrenalin and the production of more cortisol resulting in short term benefits of heightened awareness / alertness and more energy, but long term may result in a crash after each consumption to lower levels of energy than previously thereby necessitating another cup and another cup, etc. Thus, it may be addictive and ultimately may result in adrenal exhaustion.
  
• Even though coffee has never been conclusively linked to cancer, it does contain acknowledged carcinogens such as caffeine and other chemicals produced by the high heat of roasting such as creosote, pymdine, tars, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons.
  
• Caffeine interferes with adenosine, a brain chemical that normally has a calming effect.
  
• Cortisol levels are raised which in turn results in constriction of the blood vessels, harder pumping of the heart and higher blood pressure. (Constriction of blood vessels is also a benefit, see the next section.)
  
• The liver in fetuses and newborns cannot metabolize caffeine, so it remains in the body for up to four days stimulating the nervous system resulting in irritability and sleeplessness.
  
• Coffee has been associated with low birth weight, birth defects, miscarriages, premature birth, inability to conceive, and sluggish sperm.
  
• Many of the chemicals in coffee and decaf irritate the stomach lining causing an increase of stomach acid leading to digestive disorders.
  

• Coffee, including decaf, has high amounts of vitamin K, which affects coagulability of the blood – bad for people at risk of heart attack, stroke and blood clots.
  
• Decreases quality of sleep.
  
• Caffeine may cause problems with blood sugar control after meals for type
  2 diabetics.
  
• Coffee excites more rapid peristaltic movements of the intestines resulting
  in shorted transit times and less absorption of nutrients.
  
• Coffee hampers the absorption of essential minerals and vitamins such as magnesium, zinc, iron, potassium, and B’s.
  
• Coffee contributes to caries in the teeth.
  
• Coffee stimulates more frequent urination and subsequent loss of various
  vitamins and minerals such as B, C, calcium, iron and zinc.
  
• Caffeine may aggravate osteoporosis by leaching calcium from the bones.
  
• Caffeine may increase intraocular pressure in persons with glaucoma.
  
• Coffee may interfere with proper levels of homocysteine and cholesterol by inhibiting vitamins folate, B12 or B6.
  
• Coffee is one of most heavily pesticide sprayed crops.
  
• Caffeine aggravates stress in people who drink it every day. Pros
  
• There are scientific studies that refute most if not all of the above listed negative effects.
  
• Many of the old studies showing the bad effects of coffee may be attributed to not taking into account whether the person also smoked. In addition, coffee drinkers before 1975 used unfiltered and percolated coffee. After 1975, the filters for preparing coffee removed most of the chemicals, like terpenes, that cause elevations in homocysteine and cholesterol resulting in better results. Also, early Finnish studies when people still drank boiled coffee had higher risk of rheumatoid arthritis. Later studies using coffee preparations other than boiled did not show an associated rheumatoid arthritis risk.
  

• Caffeine increases intellectual activity when fatigued or bored.
  
• Caffeine speeds up fat metabolism during exercise while conserving glycogen and glucose thereby maintaining brain activity and reducing hunger.
  
• Caffeine prevents crystallization of cholesterol and reduces risk of development of gallstones.
  
• Coffee has a protective effect against cirrhosis of the liver.
  
• Coffee has shown a protective effect against colon cancer likely due to enhanced colonic activity of the colon and antimutagenic components in coffee.
  
• Coffee may lower the incidence of Parkinson’s disease due to high anti- oxidant activity.
  
• The theophylline in coffee may be protective against asthma.
  
• Coffee has four times the anti-oxidants of Green Tea, makes an excellent
  anti-depressant, and enhances performance and memory.
  
• Caffeine dilates the arteries of the brain and may counter migraines. (Caffeine is also a cause of migraines.)
  
• The FDA considers caffeine to be “Generally Recognized as Safe.”
  
• Coffee may reduce the incidence of kidney stones by increasing the flow
  of urine and decreasing its concentration.
  
• Coffee lessens the incidence of bladder cancer in smokers due to its diuretic effect.
  
• Minerals like magnesium and antioxidants may contribute to coffee being shown to reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes.
  
• Coffee has the ability to reduce the release of histamine from mast cells thereby having anti-allergic properties.
  With all of these conflicting studies, it is apparent that common sense must prevail. To determine if you should even consider drinking coffee, evaluate the items below. If the answer is you are going to consider drinking it, then use kinesiology to see if it is appropriate. (See the last section.) And finally, if you do
  

drink coffee, follow the suggestions in the “Guidelines for Drinking Coffee” section below.
Do Not Drink Coffee Rules

• Do not drink coffee if you are pregnant or nursing.
  
• Avoid coffee if you have high blood pressure, heart disease, high
  cholesterol, gall stones, or a tendency for blood clots or stroke.
  
• Do not drink coffee if you have mental illness, insomnia or anxiety.
  
• Avoid coffee if you have a coffee allergy or sensitivity or drug interaction issue.
  
• Avoid coffee if you get agitated or feel hyper or quivery inside after drinking.
  
• Do not drink coffee if you feel you must have a cup to wake up and get going and then need another cup later in the day to keep going. If this is your situation then begin to wean yourself off slowly and switch to tea.
  Guidelines for Drinking Coffee
  

• Use organic coffee to avoid pesticides, herbicides, and chemical fertilizers.
  
• If you drink decaffeinated coffee, use the Swiss Water Process or some
  other decaffeinating process that does not employ chemicals.
  
• If you use filters, utilize unbleached filters to avoid leaching of chlorine from the bleached filters.
  
• Use lower caffeine coffees: Arabica beans have lower caffeine than Robusta beans. Darker roasted beans also have less caffeine.
  
• Use brewing methods that expose coffee grounds to water for shorter periods of time. Percolated and French Press preparations use longer times and have more caffeine than standard drip methods or espresso machines (depending of course on the type of bean and method of roasting as well).
  
• Drink plenty of water to avoid dehydration.
  
• Take a good vitamin/mineral supplement to replace lost electrolytes, minerals, and vitamins due to the diuretic effects.
• Do not drink coffee after meals because of the possible adverse blood sugar effects.
• Use coffees that have mitigating properties for many of the possible negative effects of coffee. For example, there is a coffee made from Arabica beans. It is roasted outside the US for lower acidity and with an extract of organic Ganoderma Lucidum (Reishi red mushroom) included that neutralizes some of the already lower caffeine levels and acts as an immune system enhancer with anti-viral, bacterial and fungal properties. This particular coffee in one of its forms usually tests well for most people except for those in the section above who should not drink coffee. For more information please contact Bob Shane at shanebob@msn.com.

In a nutshell, coffee should be good for me...but I'm going to keep looking, because experience tells me that when I wasn't drinking it, I think I felt better.  There's a nagging doubt though, because it was when I changed a whole lot of everything...so maybe I shouldn't have taken it out, maybe I should have a cup in the morning, but definitely, I'll keep looking into it!

Cheers and chao