Leave the Sacred Plant of Coffee da F&%k Alone

My Bro posted a video that demonizes the Sacred Plant of coffee and i cannot resist debunking this shit.  The article claims that the "elite" use coffee to keep mankind ignorant, slow, and fat.  At 50, i have analyzed life both with coffee and without coffee to know that most of these claims are only relevant for a few people.  Most have beneficial side effects from coffee as long as they are not abusive.  My primary deities, Papa Legba, Maman Brigette, and Baron Samedi love coffee and it is sacred to Them, and my spiritual beliefs.  Coffee has been considered sacred by many others as well.  The video is @ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6nEhD9J4O50&feature=youtu.be

The claims will be stated and then i will present my evidence.

1) " Caffeine is an alkaloid that the coffee plant uses to kill bugs, which eat its' seeds" (Lucid Dreamer, 2017).

Agric (2007) from google scholar reports that "The high bioactivity of the caffeine oleate emulsion against H. hampei opens the possibility of using this insecticide formulation as an effective way to control this pest that greatly affects coffee plantations around the world" (Agric, 2007, para.1).  I pose this, if caffeine kills bugs why is there a problems with pest control on coffee farms???

2) MRI images taken before and after 1 cup of coffee showed a decrease in blood flow to the brain by 45%. When the blood flow reduction was measured exactly, it was actually 52% less blood flow to the brain, after just one small cup of coffee. http://abcn.ws/2ipmLj7

This is from ABC News;  ABC News must know how to do research well .  Another google scholar research article states that "caffeine increases energy metabolism throughout the brain but decreases at the same time cerebral blood flow, inducing a relative brain hypoperfusion. Caffeine activates noradrenaline neurons and seems to affect the local release of dopamine. Many of the alerting effects of caffeine may be related to the action of the methylxanthine on serotonine neurons. The methylxanthine induces dose-response increases in locomotor activity in animals. Its psychostimulant action on man is, however, often subtle and not very easy to detect. The effects of caffeine on learning, memory, performance and coordination are rather related to the methylxanthine action on arousal, vigilance and fatigue. Caffeine exerts obvious effects on anxiety and sleep which vary according to individual sensitivity to the methylxanthine. However, children in general do not appear more sensitive to methylxanthine effects than adults. The central nervous system does not seem to develop a great tolerance to the effects of caffeine although dependence and withdrawal symptoms are reported" (Caffeine increases energy metabolism throughout the brain but decreases at the same time cerebral blood flow, inducing a relative brain hypoperfusion (Nehliga, 1996, para.1).

"Hypoperfusion (shock) is the inadequate perfusion of body tissues, resulting inadequate supply of oxygen and nutrients to the body tissues."

"Methylated xanthines (methylxanthines), which include caffeine, aminophylline, IBMX, paraxanthine, pentoxifylline, theobromine, and theophylline, affect not only the airways but stimulate heart rate, force of contraction, and cardiac arrhythmias at high concentrations."  This claim seems to be partially true, but blown out of proportion.  Also, if the "elite" are trying to make coffee seem less dangerous than it can be when it's used instead of abused why does this study admit it can be bad???

3) "Brain imaging studies of chronic coffee drinkers showed they presented the same degradation of their brains as chronic alcoholics, cigarette smokers, Parkinson's patients and marijuana users" (Lucid Dreamer, 2017).  http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-1177258/Are-wrecking-brain-Chilling-pictures-reveal-shocking-effects-alcohol-cigarettes-caffeine-mind.html

This non scientific site does have some pics, unlike any i have seen in college studies and the coffee brain is coffee and nicotine....ciggies cut of oxygen to the brain so this study is bunk.

4) "Coffee can cause an urge to move ones' bowels because this is one way the body tries to eliminate poison from the system. The sudden urge to 'poo' after drinking coffee is one of the body's defense mechanisms to poison" (Lucid Dreamer, 2017).

"Coffee increases contractions in your gut, which activate that gotta-go urge as stool travels to your rectum, says Satish Rao, M.D., Ph.D., the director of the digestive health center at Georgia Regents University" because it's a stimulant, and food increases it even more in a study by said doctor @ https://www.menshealth.com/health/why-coffee-makes-you-poop

 5) "Coffee increases energy via the human fight or flight metabolic response, because the body is afraid of the caffeine based poison. Coffee doesn't give energy, it removes it from the body" (Lucid Dreamer, 2017).

I guess we could all be different, but it helps many i know a lot.

6) "When the fight or flight response is triggered in the body, the lower IQ centers of the brain are activated as well as hormonal systems in control of aggression, violence, irrational and illogical decision making, jealousy, rage, anger, fear and paranoia" (Lucid Dreamer, 2017).

It can go both ways, but coffee consumption should be a personal decision.

A google scholar article states that "over the last decade, Food Regulation Authorities have concluded that coffee/caffeine consumption is not harmful if consumed at levels of 200 mg in one sitting (around 2½ cups of coffee) or 400 mg daily (around 5 cups of coffee). In addition, caffeine has many positive actions on the brain. It can increase alertness and well-being, help concentration, improve mood and limit depression. Caffeine may disturb sleep, but only in sensitive individuals. It may raise anxiety in a small subset of particularly sensitive people. Caffeine does not seem to lead to dependence, although a minority of people experience withdrawal symptoms. Caffeine can potentiate the effect of regular analgesic drugs in headache and migraine. Lifelong coffee/caffeine consumption has been associated with prevention of cognitive decline, and reduced risk of developing stroke, Parkinson's disease and Alzheimer's disease. Its consumption does not seem to influence seizure occurrence. Thus, daily coffee and caffeine intake can be part of a healthy balanced diet; its consumption does not need to be stopped in elderly people" (Nehlig,2015, para.1).  This article is much more accurate to what i have observed in myself and others throughout life.  Not to mention the way the mood elavates from dopamine. "Caffeine activates noradrenaline neurons and seems to affect the local release of dopamine"(Nehliga, 1996, para.1). 

Some claims are so ridculous that i will not waste my time to research.  The claims of flight or flight troubles may be from the jitteriness that some have when they consumke coffeee; however, this is an individual reaction.

10) Coffee is proven to cause an enlarged prostate, high anxiety, insomnia, depression, birth defects, pain syndromes, unnatural breathing patterns, brain damage, hyperactivity, learning disorders (from the brain damage) behavior disorders, fatigue, certain types of cancer, Crohns, IBS, colitis, carpel tunnel, ulcers, low iron, heart disease, headaches, PMS, increased incidence of muscle and tendon injury, joint pain, heart attack, stroke,TIA's (mini strokes)… and that's a short list.  It may do some of these things, but i ain't going through that list i didn't make the claim, and the author did not cite his w

I will state a theory that drinking too much coffee without drinking plenty of water will bind your urinary tract because it's a diuretic which makes you pee thus removing fluid from your body.  This can, indeed, result in joint pain as well as maladies that are associated with dehydration, but it's not the plant's fault if we don't drink enough fluids.

12) "Coffee (caffeine) blocks iron absorption, causing the vast majority of anemia today" (Lucid Dreamer, 2017).

I looked up this study, and part of the sentence is left off.  The article states "these studies demonstrate that coffee inhibits iron absorption in a concentration-dependent fashion" (Morck, 1983, para.1.

The abstract reads "dual isotope studies were performed in iron replete human subjects to evaluate the effect of coffee on nonheme iron absorption. A cup of coffee reduced iron absorption from a hamburger meal by 39% as compared to a 64% decrease with tea, which is known to be a potent inhibitor of iron absorption. When a cup of drip coffee or instant coffee was ingested with a meal composed of semipurified ingredients, absorption was reduced from 5.88% to 1.64 and 0.97%, respectively, and when the strength of the instant coffee was doubled, percentage iron absorption fell to 0.53%. No decrease in iron absorption occurred when coffee was consumed 1 h before a meal, but the same degree of inhibition as with simultaneous ingestion was seen when coffee was taken 1 h later. In tests containing no food items, iron absorption from NaFeEDTA was diminished to the same extent as that from ferric chloride when each was added to a cup of coffee. These studies demonstrate that coffee inhibits iron absorption in a concentration-dependent fashion (Morck, 1983, para.1).

What About the Other Side of the Story???

Sacred Earth (n.d.) explains that "Originally, Coffee also played a significant magical and religious role in the pre-Islamic practices of Ethiopia. It was used in all kinds of blessings as well as exorcism rituals and healing ceremonies. Coffee beans had a strong sexual-spiritual connotation due not only to the beans energizing qualities, but also as a symbolic representation of the female genitalia as the gateway of life.

Long before the seed of the coffee berry was ever roasted and ground to make a 'cuppa joe' the berries were eaten either fresh or mixed with fat as a kind of energy bar. Infusions were made from either dried or toasted leaves. It is thought that coffee beans first reached what is now Jemen with slaves which the Arabs took from the Horn of Africa. Coffee was first cultivated in Jemen and some scholars believe that the Robusta bean transformed into the Arabica variety by adaptation to this new environment. From there it spread throughout the Arab world to northern Africa, Egypt and Turkey. Notably wandering dervishes and Sufis were instrumental in spreading the use of coffee. They embraced the beverage as a means to stay alert during long hours of prayer during religious ceremonies.

Medicinal uses:

Constituents:

Tannins, caffeine, theobromine, theophylline, volatile and fatty oils, sugars, polyphenol antioxygen

Actions:

Mental stimulant, central nervous system stimulant, heart stimulant, anti-sudorific, anti-narcotic, anti-emetic, diaphoretic, diuretic, anti-malerial, appetite suppressant, anti-malarial, anti-epidemic, aids memory and cognition, concentration, deodorant (roasted coffee beans)

Coffee is rarely used medicinally these days, though caffeine is a common ingredient in various pharmaceutical drugs. It is usually added to counteract drowsiness in anti-histamines and to produce a sense of well-being while taking painkillers such as aspirin.

It is commonly used as a pick-me-up and mental stimulant to improve alertness and overcome tiredness. The anti-narcotic effect is useful for treating negative effects of narcotics. In traditional medicine coffee preparations were used as anti-malarial agents and to treat early symptoms of typhoid. It is also used for treating diarrhoea.

Coffee constricts the blood vessels to the head and may thus prove helpful for treating migraine headaches. It is also sometimes used as an adjunct in medications for treating asthma or whooping cough as it relaxes the respiratory tract.

Coffee stimulates secretion of hydrochloric acid and also has a cholinergic effect on the gall bladder. People who do not produce sufficient amounts of hydrochloric acid or have insufficient gall-bladder secretions coffee may aid digestion. People who suffer from stomach ulcers should avoid coffee.

In Germany coffee charcoal is used to remove toxins from the digestive system. Tolerance to caffeine varies widely between individuals. Small amounts of caffeine containing foods or beverages are not usually associated with adverse health effects. However, as tolerance builds up and use is increased negative effects can result. These include nervousness and agitation, (the jitters), raised blood pressure, raised blood cholesterol levels, insulin resistance.

But regular consumption can produce headache as a withdrawal symptom, other negative side effects include jitters, raised blood pressure, insomnia, and raised blood cholesterol levels. These quickly normalize as coffee intake is reduced or stopped, but headaches may result as a withdrawal symptom if use of coffee is suddenly stopped" (Sacred Earth, n.d.).

References

Agric, J. (21 July, 2007). Insecticidal Activity of Caffeine Aqueous Solutions and Caffeine Oleate Emulsions against Drosophila melanogaster and Hypothenemus hampei. American Chemical Society. Food Chem., 55 (17), pp 6918–692. DOI: 10.1021/jf071052b. Retireved from http://pubs.acs.org/doi/pdf/10.1021/jf071052b

 Lucid Dreamer. (27 Aug, 2017). The Coffee Deception: 13 Little Known Facts About Coffee. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6nEhD9J4O50&feature=youtu.be used this source

Jason Christoff for posting this on Facebook! Read “Caffeine Blues: Wake Up to the Hidden Dangers of America's #1 Drug.”

ManaThe studied quoted says that"dual isotope studies were performed in iron replete human subjects to evaluate the effect of coffee on nonheme iron absorption. A cup of coffee reduced iron absorption from a hamburger meal by 39% as compared to a 64% decrease with tea, which is known to be a potent inhibitor of iron absorption. When a cup of drip coffee or instant coffee was ingested with a meal composed of semipurified ingredients, absorption was reduced from 5.88% to 1.64 and 0.97%, respectively, and when the strength of the instant coffee was doubled, percentage iron absorption fell to 0.53%. No decrease in iron absorption occurred when coffee was consumed 1 h before a meal, but the same degree of inhibition as with simultaneous ingestion was seen when coffee was taken 1 h later. In tests containing no food items, iron absorption from NaFeEDTA was diminished to the same extent as that from ferric chloride when each was added to a cup of coffee. These studies demonstrate that coffee inhibits iron absorption in a concentration-dependent fashion" (Morck, 1983, para.1)References
Agric, J. (21 July, 2007). Insecticidal Activity of Caffeine Aqueous Solutions and Caffeine Oleate Emulsions against Drosophila melanogaster and Hypothenemus hampei. American Chemical Society. Food Chem., 55 (17), pp 6918–692. DOI: 10.1021/jf071052b. Retireved from http://pubs.acs.org/doi/pdf/10.1021/jf071052Lucid Dreamer. (27 Aug, 2017). The Coffee Deception: 13 Little Known Facts About Coffee. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6nEhD9J4O50&feature=youtu.be

Morck TA, Lynch SR, Cook JD. (1983). Inhibition of food iron absorption by coffee. Am J Clin Nutr. Mar;37(3):416-20. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/6402915

Nehlig, Astrrid. Dr. (15 March, 2015). Effects of coffee/caffeine on brain health and disease: What should I tell my patients? Practical Neurology. http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/practneurol-2015-001162. Retrieved from http://pn.bmj.com/content/early/2015/12/16/practneurol-2015-001162?utm_content=buffera2d96&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=buffer

Nehliga, Astrrid, Davala, Jean Luc, & Debryb, Gérard. (2 June, 1996). Brain Research Reviews. Volume 17, Issue 2, May–August 1992, Pages 139-170. https://doi.org/10.1016/0165-0173(92)90012-B. Retrieved from http://www.sciencedirect.com/.../art.../pii/016501739290012B

Sacred Earth. (n.d.). Plant Profile: Coffee. Retrieved from http://www.sacredearth.com/ethno.../plantprofiles/coffee.php