May 7, 2004
A: FROM STUDENT MEMBER JENNIFER K. IN NJ
I'm not a mentor, but I believe I can help. Caffeine is addictive, so
people can grow dependent on it. When someone drinks coffee regularly and
then loses it for a while, it will definitely lower one's ability to
perform. However, if you go off coffee for a while, I will guarantee that
you will feel better, even healthier. If you do go back to it, you'll need
less to get up than you did before. I know someone who gave coffee up for
Lent, and although the first few days were hard, she was feeling great at
the end.

Unfortunately, I'm not aware of the effects of decaffeinated coffee.
*********************
A: FROM MENTOR KRISTIN TAGHON IN IL
Hi,
I just found this website that says that coffee might prevent diabetes!! Coffee
does cause your body not to digest and process many of the nutrients you take in
through your mouth. I hear that that is true whether it's caffeinated or
decaf. And that may cause a problem to your brain if you drink ALOT! I think
if you drink too much caffeine, you become over hyper and I know I can't think
when I am shaking as I do when I have too much caffeine. And realize that decaf
actually does have some caffeine in it and is still a diuretic. (I think?)
But, coffee can have good side effects, as well. Please be careful. I have
heard that you lose more weight if you drink a cup of coffee an hour before you
exercise. BUT, it can also be a problem and cause your heart to palpitate and
cause you to have a bad exercise session. When I was in college, I took diet
pills and they had caffeine in them. My heart palpitated (meaning, pounded and
felt like it missed beats) during exercise. And later, it was found that people
were having heart problems when on the diet pills. So, my belief is everything
in moderation.

So, check out this site about coffee and diabetes!
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,8122-1032868,00.html

Excerpts from the article:

"The research, details of which are published today in the Journal of the
American Medical Association, does not indicate why coffee appears to protect
against diabetes. Scientists believe caffeine is a likely candidate, though
minerals such as potassium and magnesium and the vitamin niacin have also been
suggested.
...
Excessive coffee drinking has been linked to a range of health problems,
including miscarriage, insomnia, anxiety, diarrhoea and an irregular heartbeat.
Most nutritionists advise against drinking more than four cups a day,
particularly during pregnancy.
...
The condition(Type 2 Diabetes) develops when the body becomes insensitive to
insulin. Coffee reduces insulin sensitivity but other components in it, such as
magnesium or chlorogenic acid, may have beneficial effects."

*******************
May 5, 2004

A: FROM MENTOR JOAN LUSK IN RI
I doubt this very much! When one is used to drinking coffee, going
without it can make you feel sleepy, less alert, slower - but I don't
think the coffee caused any damage. Plenty of people have given up
coffee or caffeine, and after they adjust they never complain. Do
you think they are just too brain-damaged to know how stupid they've
become? I don't think so.

Coffee contains lots of substances besides caffeine, so we shouldn't
assume that decaf is going to be totally without effect. I find it
doesn't have the wake-up effect of caffeinated coffee in the morning,
and that's in a fairly blind test, being served decaf or even half
decaf by friends, unbeknownst to me. If there are studies showing
long-term effects on the brain I didn't find them quickly - and I
don't want to endorse any particular study. A number that showed no
bad effects popped up when I searched on 'long-term coffee caffeine
brain' - you can check them out for yourself.