Coffree

I feel like there is some confusion on this subject. Coffee is a hot water percolation. An herbal medication. It is not food. Getting addicted to it is the same as getting addicted to opioids; also from an herb. In the long term it will really start to hurt you. Coffee (Coffea arabica) has reached 2.25 billion cups consumed each day across the globe and its history with the human race dates back centuries (Nieber, 2004). I believe it is safe to say humans and coffee have a very long and intimate relationship together. Maybe that's why coffee is an herb that has always fascinated me. I find it interesting that it flies under the radar as a medicinal herb, perhaps because it is so pervasive and normalized in our culture as a food. I think most people think of coffee as just a food or merely a beverage with breakfast or “about whether coffee consumption can be enjoyed as part of a healthy, balanced diet.” (Nieber, 2004). Most people do not realize it is actually an herbal medicine! Commonly consumed as a hot, water percolation.

That medicine is doing something. Coffee contains methyxanthines, which include caffeine, theobromine, and theophylline (Pengelly, 2019). Theobromine has no apparent CNS effects and theophylline is much milder than caffeine (Pengelly, 2004). Caffeine, is similar to adenosine in structure, so the way it predominantly works is by being an agonist to adenosine. It binds to adenosine receptors without stimulating them so essentially it blocks adenosine from binding. This blocks neurotransmitters like GABA from binding and sedating the nervous system (Nieber,2004). There are so many medicinal benefits to this interaction (Pengelly, 2019). Additionally, caffeine has an effect of increasing the secretion of adrenocorticotropin from the pituitary gland and cortisol from the adrenal cortex, which consequently  increases the body’s intake and utilization of blood sugar (Lovallo et l., 2006). It also provides a dopamine increase from the anterior cingulate gyrus furthering it’s addictive prowess (Lovallo et al., 2005). 

Coffee consumption leads to increased alertness, less fatigue, lowers the risk of cardiovascular, liver and heart disease, has hepatoprotectivity, and increases the rate of metabolism in the whole body (Pengelly, 2019) (Institute for Scientific Information on Coffee, 2017). However, this mechanism also leads to negative effects like anxiety, nervousness, insomnia, high blood pressure, loss of fine motor control, arrhythmia, heartburn, hyperglycemia, hyperhydrochloria, increased urination, and as mentioned earlier an addiction to this herb (Pengelly, 2019) (Kowalchik & Hylton, 1987). Chronic coffee consumption can become very deleterious in this way. Is this herb worth all the protective qualities given all its negative consequences from chronic consumption? Could the same benefits be achieved another way? How can we heal our culture’s addiction to this incredible and healing herb? I think that lies in an understanding of why we need it.

The body has a natural balance. It thrives in homeostasis and constantly works to maintain that constitution. Any disruption to that balance has consequences. I believe coffee can be such a disruption. It is no surprise that caffeine is an ingredient also found in aspirin and other analgesics (Kowalchik & Hylton, 1987). These drugs are used to relieve symptoms of pain by removing the signal of pain. When we block a pathway it prevents the body from communicating with itself. The body may still be in pain, feel exhausted, be drowsy or have a headache, but we cannot signal it to ourselves. Thus, we believe that it is not there anymore. The reason we started consuming coffee may be for that very reason; to dull the senses. When caffeine prevents us from getting that signal of being tired or in pain it gives us a false sense of melioration.

As we continue to block these neurological signals that causes all sorts of other problems. Perhaps, one way we can deal with our coffee dependency is by using other herbs as alternatives. An adaptogen for the adrenal glands, such as ashwagandha (Withania somnifera), American Ginseng (Panax quinquefolius) , licorice (Glycyrrhiza glabra) or Eleuthero root (Eleutherococcus senticosus) can give us an energy boost. Nervines like passionflower (Passiflora incarnata), chamomile (Chamomilla recutita)  or valerian (Valeriana officinalis) can be used to sedate the nervous system and relieve pain. For hepatoprotective and cardioprotective properties we can use herbs like dandelion (Taraxacum officinale) and artichoke (Cynara scolymus), or Hawthorn (Crataegus monogyna)  and garlic (Allium sativum), respectively. 

Cessation from coffee is the ultimate goal.  We can even add some of these herbs directly to our diet e.g. garlic, and dandelion; as herbs can not only aid in healing, but in dietary transitions (Pitchford, 2009). Herbs stand on the border between food and medicine (Pitchford, 2009) If we transformed our diet to be an herbal powerhouse that is rich with medicinal plants we might not have to fight our addiction to coffee because we would no longer need it all the time. 

References

Institute for Scientific Information on Coffee (2017). Coffee and Health Export Report.

Kowalchik, C., & Hylton, W. (1987). Rodale's Encyclopedia of herbs. Emmaus, PA: Rodale Press.

Lovallo, W. R., Whitsett, T. L., Al’Absi, M., Sung, B. H., Vincent, A. S., & Wilson, M. F. (2005). Caffeine Stimulation of Cortisol Secretion Across the Waking Hours in Relation to Caffeine Intake Levels. Psychosomatic Medicine,67(5), 734-739. doi:10.1097/01.psy.0000181270.20036.06

Lovallo, W. R., Farag, N. H., Vincent, A. S., Thomas, T. L., & Wilson, M. F. (2006). Cortisol responses to mental stress, exercise, and meals following caffeine intake in men and women. Pharmacology Biochemistry and Behavior,83(3), 441-447. doi:10.1016/j.pbb.2006.03.005

Pengelly, A. (2004). The constituents of medicinal plants: An introduction to the chemistry and therapeutics of herbal medicine. Oxon, UK: CABI Pub.

Pengelly, A. (2019c). Choose your beverage Part 1 [Powerpoint slides]. Retrieved from MUIH: https://learn.muih.edu/courses/7731/pages/module-13-resources?module_item_id=217481

 

Pitchford, P. (2009). Healing with whole foods: Asian traditions and modern nutrition. Berkeley, CA: North Atlantic Books.

Nieber, K. (2017). The Impact of Coffee on Health. Planta Medica,83(16), 1256-1263. doi:10.1055/s-0043-115007