coffee

I'm back on coffee again, not as before, but that doesn't make me any happier. It started as a pick me up when I didn't feel like going into the weight room. Now the flavor has kicked in with hazelnut creamer and sugar, I hope I can stay away from the dessert flavored coffees at those coffee places. Don't tell me about decaf, that's not for java junkies. Although, decaf retains enough caffeine to affect sensitive individuals. Decaffeinated coffee can be just as rough on the stomach as regular coffee. If you have any of the following conditions, stay away form both drinks: migraine, tremor, anxiety, irregular heartbeat, insomnia, coronary heart disease or a strong family history of it, high cholesterol, any gastrointestinal disorder, any urinary disorder, prostate trouble, fibrocystic breasts, premenstrual syndrome, tension headaches, or seizure disorder. If you must, use only the water-extracted versions. There is concern that traces of solvents may remain in coffee decaffeinated by other methods, although the manufacturers deny it.

A study done at the University of California at Berkeley found a relationship between drinking decaf and a slightly increased risk of high cholesterol and heart disease. In that survey of about 45,500 men, regular coffee did not have the same effect. By Andrew Weil, M.D.