Paleo Diet and Paleolithic Diet Questions & Answers

Question

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http://raypeat.com/articles/articles/caffeine.shtml Ray's caffeine ideas have made me think more about it.

edited Feb 21 2012 at 20:48

Primordial
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asked Jul 21 2011 at 2:52

The hacker formerly knownasron
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What thoughts did you have when you were thinking about it? – John Naruwan Jul 21 2011 at 5:28

loving the RayPeatHacks. – No more. Jul 21 2011 at 16:28

Maybe the benefits outweigh the detrimental side of it – The hacker formerly knownasron Jul 21 2011 at 17:18

Wozza · Answer 1 · 2011-07-21 04:55:20Z UTC

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Having read the article, I have to wonder how human beings ever evolved without it.

answered Jul 21 2011 at 4:55

Wozza
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bittykitty · Answer 2 · 2011-07-21 13:33:43Z UTC

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I stopped drinking coffee and black tea a few weeks ago as an experiment, and I am not going back.I have more energy(bye bye mid-day work crashes),and my formerly flagging libido has returned.Skin looks better,teeth looks better.Think it's just a matter of personal body chemistry,though.I was an amphetamine addict and have gluten ataxia,so my nervous system doesn't function at top level.

answered Jul 21 2011 at 13:33

bittykitty
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	You mention the mid-afternoon crashes and from doing both a non-caffeine experiment and adjusting my carbs from day to night, I found that the latter experiment is what helped me overcome the crashes. It had nothing to do with caffeine. – baconbitch Jul 21 2011 at 19:15
	Like I said,everyone is different.I work third shift two days a week(one of them is generally a 10 hour shift),and it was starting to become a crutch for me.I love the taste of coffee,but it's just not my friend right now. – bittykitty Jul 22 2011 at 13:32

PaleoAngel · Answer 3 · 2011-07-21 14:12:06Z UTC

Thanks for the article. Pre-paleo I think it was a necessity for me because I was on the grain roller coaster that just made mornings awful. So I sort of love/hated it. Now that I'm eating cleanly and wake up easier/have more energy, my morning coffee is my friend. Taking the "need" for it away has let me enjoy it. I'm actually sipping from my mug and typing right now! Great way to start my day.

In general it's one of those things that some people will do well with and others won't.

John Naruwan · Answer 4 · 2011-07-21 05:26:32Z UTC

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Ing general, I like it. Tastes good, keeps me awake.

answered Jul 21 2011 at 5:26

John Naruwan
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Ali · Answer 5 · 2011-07-21 14:38:04Z UTC

I see caffeine in the same light as anything else people digest: it effects everyone differently and you can find evidence for healthful and deleterious effects that are attributed to it.

I think caffeine in small doses (1-2 cups of coffee or several cups of tea) is fine for most people and can be a great treat. It can even be beneficial; however, I agree with the poster who said it is personal. I can handle caffeine just fine, but my husband gets headaches and other annoying/painful side effects from it so he avoids it.

Ben · Answer 6 · 2011-07-21 16:25:35Z UTC

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I'm still not sure on caffeine. That article was SUPER one-sided. I didn't see any objectivity there. He didn't even mention the adrenal glands...

answered Jul 21 2011 at 16:25

Ben
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He'd view adrenal insufficiency more in line with Bryan Walsh's view that it's a hypothalamus problem not an adrenal problem. It's not that coffee cannot ever be a problem but that it's not a problem in the context of his diet which would be providing the hypothalamus all the materials it needs to be functional. He sees thyroid dis-regulation as a much larger problem than adrenal insufficiency. – No more. Jul 21 2011 at 16:32

invisible ink · Answer 7 · 2011-07-21 16:46:41Z UTC

Caffeine often gives me headaches and makes me extremely irritable in higher doses (or normal doses taken over a longer period of time, say, everyday for a week) so I tend to stay away from it although I thoroughly enjoy the taste of coffee. I don't see that it is necessary to incorporate into a healthy lifestyle. On occassion I'll partake but more often than not I'll drink 95% decaf/5% caf (if I make it myself) as a treat. I think the notion of elevating caffeine beyond a drug, as per the article, is going a little far.

Asclepius · Answer 8 · 2011-07-22 14:45:15Z UTC

A very interesting article - but remember 'correlation does not equal causation'! Personally I love coffee, but there is a high level of acrylamide in instant coffee so I limit instant coffee to one a day. Ground coffee is enjoyable but can disrupt my sleep, so again I limit it to one a day.

IIRC, coffee increases cortisol, so if you are fasting, coffee can help you get through the hunger. Whether you want to repeatedly stimulate your cortisol receptors chronically and regularly is another matter. It may be best to skip coffee every other day, or at least vary your intake.

What do you think about caffeine in general?

8 Answers