As most of us know, caffeine is an addictive stimulant that you can actually overdose on. I'll give a short list of why to quit caffeine (although 2 cups of coffee or less a day shouldn't be bad for your health at all, but still has its drawbacks), and then let's open the discussion to alternatives to this drug (and to coffee specifically as well.) Increasing hypertension risks keeps the liver busy from filtering other toxins tooth decay weakened bones addiction/dependence causes anxiety a cycle of hyperactivity and/or inability to focus, followed by a subsequent "crash" disrupted sleep habits may interfere with weight loss and has been linked to hypoglycemia buying coffee products may fund inhumane labor overseas financial costs to support caffeine purchases a desire for a healthier pregnancy decreased libido or sexual performance has been linked to affecting learning behavior (unkown if positive or negative yet) Nothing terrible there, but the idea of being addicted bothers many people, including myself. As for alternatives, I take Ginseng pills every morning, which I bought at my local health food store. It has around 700 mg of 4 kinds of ginseng root, and it honestly has given me the energy I need to start the day. It was $16 for one bottle with over a month's supply. Keep in mind it is one of the main ingredients in energy drinks (which may be putrid but alas...), so why not take the pure extract instead of only a mere 25 mg per drink? That and I also take a B-Complex vitamin every morning. I have also ordered an ounce of a root called Galangal, which is used to make an energy tea and has other positive effects. I'll probably try it sometime next week, with my report on its effects. Anyone else have other alternatives to caffeine, or their reasons for quitting? EDIT: Let's stick more to the caffeine (not coffee) aspect.
Amphetamines are a good alternative to caffeine, doctors will advise against children under 12 or so drinking coffee, but they will prescribe them amphetamines, I think that tells you all you need to know in relation to caffiene and amphetamines. Eating a diet high in complex carbohydrates and getting regular exrcise is far superior for keeping your energy levels up when compared to stimulants like caffiene though. Try eating a bowl of porridge in the morning and similar food throughout the day and avoiding sugar and stimulants, you should notice a massive increase in your energy levels that will stay constant throughout the day rather than spiking and crashing as happens when you use stimulants. Plus there is zero tolerance build up over time so you don't need to keep uping your dosage.
Ingesting too much of anything can be harmful (acute withdrawal from caffeine? I don't know about that one). Even water. Let's discuss some of the benefits coffee has to offer: Studies suggest that people who drink coffee have an 80% less chance of developing Parkinson's disease. May reduce your chance of Type 2 diabetes. A 25% reduced risk of colon cancer. An 80% drop in cirrhosis. Less heart disease and liver damage for those who drink & smoke regularly. -Don't know about you, but I'm headed to Starbucks...
I hoped someone would bring up the benefits of coffee, because there are a lot. We should discuss this also. I know that if you drink 2 cups or less of coffee a day it is good for your heart. Healthy coffee intake also depends on how quickly you can metabolize it. But are those benefits the coffee or the pure caffeine? I want to stick more to the caffeine aspect.
That doesn't tell me much of anything. While it is far from a fast cure to stimulant addiction that is good advice, especially for preventing diabetic symptoms and central obesity. Thanks for reminding me of the whole energy, glycolysis (not gluconeogenesis), and stable insulin thing.
Chocolate, but caffeine is still the principal stimulant. These are possible alternatives, if there is interest I can elaborate at a future time. Betel nuts (Arecoline). Piracetam, Aniracetam, Oxiracetam. Tyrosine. Phenylalanine Deprenyl. Macuna (natural L-dopa if I'm remembering correctly). DMAE, alpha-GPC Bromocriptine
Chocolate, but caffeine is still the principal stimulant. These are possible alternatives, if there is interest I would be happy to elaborate. Betel nuts (Arecoline). Piracetam, Aniracetam, Oxiracetam. Tyrosine. Phenylalanine Deprenyl. Macuna (natural L-dopa if I'm remembering correctly). DMAE, alpha-GPC Bromocriptine ephedrine
Don't drink coffee, but here's some speed. That's retarded. Hahaha it's just amazing sometimes. Anyway, yes caffeine is not so great for your body. I've never experienced caffeine addiction or withdrawal. I can't believe that's an actual concern for some people when their kids are whacked out on amphetamine all day. Then again, I don't drink coffee. Ephedrine is a pretty crappy alternative if you're trying to avoid caffeine, it's even worse for you. Amphetamine is absolutely perfect in my opinion. I love the stuff for school, work, and just for fun. Have fun trying to get a prescription though. I was lucky and finally ended up with Dexedrine after cycling through a bunch of ADD meds. I don't have ADD anymore, but I let them think I do. =P Ritalin is quite similar but more cocaine-like. These two are pretty much top of the line when it comes to stimulant pharms. Dexedrine (Dextroamphetamine) is just a step under Methamphetamine. Amphetamine can be quite dangerous if you've got an addictive personality or anything like that. However, the only time I find myself wanting more is when I'm on it (4-5x the recommended dose, because the recommended dose isn't recreational =P). So yeah.
Well, we can all move to South America and chew coca leaves in the Andes. Then we'll slide on over to Africa for some khat. OK, seriously, an alternative to caffeine that is safe? Sublingual B6 & B12 complex and ginsing. And sugar...lots of sugar.
Oh ok, guess I'ma little slow on the uptake. Man I had a dream about that dog in your sig last night, he was the king incharge of a load of green ants and he came up with a plan for his ant army to climb inside of the bodies of spiders and control them to take over disneyland by malfunctioning all the rides and then buying it at a knockdown price, it was my job to bring the spiders to his colony, woke up before I found out if the plan worked or not.
I know I'm off topic, but I've gotta say this: opiate induced dreams are by far the weirdest. Lord Byron, Percy Shelley and Mary Wollstonecraft (soon to become Mrs Shelley) were partying at Lake Geneva, Switzerland in 1816. As the laudanum was being passed around, they dared each other to tell the best ghost story. That night Mary had the dream that inspired the book Frankenstein.
