Hi Steve–

MRE

Once I hit 40 I found I couldn’t really cope with much caffeine after noon and still sleep at night. So I have my caffeinated coffee at breakfast, and then switch to decaf for any other I drink later in the day.

Though at the same time I’ve always ingested a lot of Diet Peach Snapple iced tea (until a couple weeks ago when I read something that convinced me to give up aspartame in favor of drinks containing Splenda only), and that probably has plenty o’caffeine in it, though there’s no accounting of such in the labeling.

Hi herself_nyc–

MRE

Any thoughts about a:

Overstimulating the adrenals (exacerbating adrenal fatigue).

Causing tolerance, given that caffeine is a stimulant.

For those 2 reasons, I’ve always favored decaf, although I respond well to caffeine. That LDL study is making me reconsider.

Fantastic articles (among many, I’m just getting started reading them!).

Much thanks,

Paul

Hi Paul–

If caffeine causes adrenal fatigue, I’ve probably got the most fatigued adrenals in America.  I have always thought the idea of adrenal fatigue was a little overblown.  I’m sure I’ll hear from a lot of people claiming the opposite, but until I see credible information to the contrary, that’s my take on it.

I’m sure that with increased consumption one becomes more tolerant of caffeine.  But, at least in my case, not a whole lot more tolerant.

Give the caffeinated version a go.  See how you feel with it and moderate as necessary.

I firmly believe that coffee is a pretty healthy drink, but if I hated the taste of the stuff, I certainly wouldn’t force it down.  I think a lot of people love coffee, but are afraid to drink it.  It’s to those peolple I say, bottoms up.

Cheers–

MRE 

About a week ago I switched to green tea (giving the ECGC another chance vs. my stubborn last 20 pounds), and so far have had no ill effects, just the normal somewhat hyper alertness that I expect will settle down as I adapt to the caffiene.

Still, I like coffee occasionally. I put coconut milk in it (and in tea) – lovely stuff. I also favor the French press. For some reason even freshly made drip coffee tastes overcooked, harsh and stale in comparison.

Hi Lark–

I totally agree with you about French pressed coffee: it’s by far the best of the brewed coffees.  But, for my taste, it can’t hold a candle to an Americano, which has a lot less caffeine.  French pressed coffee caffeine levels are probably the highest of all the brewed coffees.

Cheers–

MRE 

Hi Victoria–

Thanks for the rundown of the soda market.  I don’t drink them, so I don’t have a clue as to what contains what.

Best–

MRE 

Hi athelstan–

I don’t know how much caffeine is in two scoops of chocolate whey powder, so I can’t really say whether or not there is enough to cause problems.  I doubt that there is a whole lot.

Caffeine is a central nervous system stimulant that doesn’t work through the beta receptors.  It is metabolized in the liver, not the kidneys.

Best–

MRE 

Hi Janet–

That’s a matter of preference.  I prefer it with the water.  If it were just the espresso it wouldn’t be an Americano.

Cheers–

MRE 

While I have progressed to occasionally grinding my own beans (as a sidenote, I’d be curious if anyone has studied that aspect, ground vs. freshly ground) I’m ignorant of what cafe americano is. Finally, the note about pregnant women giving up (coffee), if it did cause birth defects in any number, it would make thalidomide look like a picnic in the park. And since the most dangerous time would be in the first trimester when many women wouldn’t even know they’re pregnant, it’s tantamount to advising all women not using contraception to give up coffee. At the end of the day, it’s an individual decision, balancing a very small risk against a somewhat larger health benefit.

Thanks as always for the time and space to comment.

Hi Mark–

Interesting comment and on the mark about the thalidomide.

Cafe Americano is a couple of shots of espresso and enough extremely hot water to fill up the rest of a normal coffee cup.  In Italy there are no drip coffee makers–it’s all espresso.  Since Americans enjoy drip coffee, the Italians figured out how to approximate the taste by using the mixture of espresso and water.  MD and I love it because it is tastier (we think) than regular drip coffee and is always hot and fresh.

Cheers–

MRE 

In the UK patients, patients are warned to avoid alcohol whilst taking this drug, or risk the mother of all headaches. This is routine advice, but I can’t say I’ve ever come across anyone who paid the price!

Hi Neil–

Metronidizoe – trade name Flagyl – does indeed have Antibuse-like effects.  Patients are always warned about drinking while taking it.  I have given a zillion prescriptions of it for a number of parasitic infections, but I don’t recall anyone ever telling me about a problem with drinking.  Either none of my patients drank alcohol while taking it or none of them reported any side effects to me if they did.

Cheers–

MRE 

Hi Karen J–

I don’t particularly like the astringency of Starbucks, but MD does.  I’ll give the two you recommend a try if I can get them ground for espresso.

Thanks–

MRE