Limit Coffee Intake for Better Brain Chemistry

An occasional cup of coffee can stimulate without being addictive.

Today, Mars Venus Living is starting a new monthly feature that I call, “The World’s Worst Advice.”

Having spent my professional life in the relationship therapy, and health and wellness fields I have heard all sorts of advice that typically runs the gamut from good to bad. And then there is that advice that I’ve come to think of as the world’s worst. So each month I’m going to pick a topic and have at it. I hope you enjoy it and I hope you’ll write in with your comments and thoughts.

More and more each day on television, radio, and the Internet  I see and hear experts encouraging people to drink one or more cups of coffee every day, as if this had no negative side effects at all.

This is absurd. Certainly if you’re late on a project or have to burn the midnight oil, or having  a difficult time with the load you are carrying in your present-day life and you need a short term stimulant, than it’s okay on occasion to make caffeine your drug of choice. But to make this an ongoing habit and go from one cup to three or more can have a variety of devastating affects.

There is clear research that when we drink coffee or caffeine-laced products, it raises dopamine, a brain chemical which gives us a temporary energy, focus and motivational lift. It’s a short term solution, however, because in the long run, over-stimulating the body’s production of dopamine, will cause receptor sites in the brain to “down regulate,” which simply means that now you constantly need more caffeine to stimulate greater amounts of dopamine to have the expected effect of a real energy level enhancer. If you think that sounds like any other addiction that’s because it is just that. It’s an unfolding drama that we play out in three steps…

First you become dependent on coffee to get a lift of energy, positive feelings, etc.,  as opposed to getting this through normal activities such as aerobic exercise, yoga, deep-breathing, and other ways. For most people, one cup was fine. But your receptor sites down-regulate when you take more than one cup and the cycle begins. In a relatively short period of time we become ever more dependent on this drug for a higher level of stimulation.No one questions that caffiene is a drug. It’s wise to remember that like all drugs it has side effects: the first being its disruption of normal dopamine production.

Second, when dopamine (the elevating brain chemical) goes up, serotonin (the brain chemical that regulates mood) goes down. Research has proven that this is particularly true in women who drink coffee or other caffeine products (Red Bull probably being the worst of these): Their serotonin levels can drop dramatically. Because this “neurotransmitter” has a lot to do with relaxing us and giving us an overall sense of  well being, contentment and optimism; a drop in serotonin levels invites a number of problems including symptoms of depression, weight gain, and a feeling of being overwhelmed. if you have any of these symptoms, know this: coffee isn’t going to help you in the long run it will ultimately expand these problems.

Third is a condition known as “adrenal burn-out,” a feeling of exhaustion that slowly invades your life. Unfortunately this too causes coffee drinkers to go in search of higher levels of caffeine. The brain’s adrenal cortex, among other things, is responsible for the production of cortisol which principally regulates your feelings of stress. Healthy levels of cortisol mitigate our sense of fear, stress and anxiety. Research has made the clear link between low levels of cortisol and depression brought on by relentless feelings of stress and anxiety.

The coffee that might have been seen as a friend is in truth no friend at all.  To suggest that regular and or frequent enjoyment of coffee has no long term health consequence or to offer it as a solution to feelings of low energy and high stress wins this week’s honor as the world’s worst advice.

Other MarsVenusLiving.com Health & Happiness Articles

The Mood Food Connection

The Best Relationship Stress Buster: Exercise

In Fitness, Movement Matters

Michelle Obama’s Garden of Hope

From Bonnie’s Garden: Feed Your SOL, One Ingredient at a Time

Both Mars and Venus Need a Good Breakfast

The One Exercise Essential: Deep Breathing

Sugar Substitutes Prove to Be a Not So Sweet Deal

When the Search for the Perfect Diet Goes Too Far

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