I don’t like coffee.
I know I’m not alone in this, but when I mention my dislike to people who like coffee, they often look at me as though I have taken their teddy bear, especially if I say it before they have had their first cup!
I don’t know exactly if there was an incident that turned me off coffee, but it might be because years ago, I read a study that noted that if teens drank coffee, they were more likely to smoke marijuana and take other recreational drugs. The authors concluded that coffee could be considered a gateway drug. I guess somewhere deep down, that stuck with me, and I developed a dislike for it.
However, recently I’ve spent a lot of time in Central America, where coffee is one of the major exports, and I thought it was time to rehabilitate myself…in reverse…and get addicted to the stuff. To do that, I decided the best way would be to go to the source, stay on a coffee farm for a few days, and get to know the whole cycle from seed to cup.
However, even though the producers assured me it was the best coffee in the region, I still have yet to get it. No matter how hard I tried, I was not too fond of the taste, the jitters, the increased digestional speed, or the sleep interruption. Also, I was a little disappointed to think about the massive exploitation and shear use of energy that goes into growing, harvesting, cleaning, cooking, and grinding the black stuff before it ends up in someone’s paper cup in a country that can’t grow it in the first place.
All this serves as a prologue to some papers I recently came across that add some backing to my dislike of drinking the stuff.
Firstly a study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition (1) noted that ;
“Daily consumption of caffeine in amounts equal to or greater than that obtained from about two to three servings of brewed coffee may accelerate bone loss from the spine and total body in women with calcium intakes below the recommended dietary allowance of 800mg”. Interestingly this effect was countered if they added milk, but…some like it black…and that could be a problem if you aren’t a fan of diary.”.
Another study in the same journal (2) found a similar result in elderly women and went further by identifying a particular genotype at play. Still, unless you have had your DNA tested, you wouldn’t know if you had it…. (tt genetic variant of VDR for those who are interested).
This got me thinking, what else does coffee do to us?
We all know in addition to its addictive properties, it causes bad breath, mood swings, high blood pressure, and sleep disruption. Still, I didn’t realize that its acidity can also break down the enamel of your teeth, leading to an increased risk of cavities (3).
Lastly, because I don’t want to labor the point, as per the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, caffeine is a known acid reflux trigger, which is especially important to keep in mind if you deal with gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), this can have some terrible consequences.
I’m fully aware that some people will counter my dislike with their own opinion and back it up by stating things like; caffeine has been shown to increase endurance and alertness and maybe even help heart health. They might even look at those studies above and point out that if you are a healthy male or premenopausal female, there is probably no risk of bone loss or any detrimental effects…While those things might be true, I can 100% say that whatever benefit other people perceive doesn’t help me overcome my dislike…I’m a glass of water in the morning, guy, and always will be.
Sources:
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/8092093/
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11684540/
- https://www.belchertown-dentist.com/blog/coffee-dental-health/
