A new twist in the 'caffeine as intoxicant?' argument

[Individual]

I've seen several studies which suggest that there's no observable long-term effect of 1-3 caffeinated beverages a day.

Hi Individual and all

I think it would be interesting to have a look at the study.

Stuff here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caffeine#E ... moderation" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

http://www.webmd.com/diet/features/pros ... aze?page=2" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Moderate coffee consumption -- defined as three or four cups a day, providing 300 or 400 milligrams of caffeine -- carries "little evidence of health risks and some evidence of health benefits," conclude researchers from the Linus Pauling Institute at Oregon State University in Corvalis, writing in Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition in March 2006.

And there's plenty of stuff out there on sites like WebMD, MedicineNet, etc..

I don't think there's hardly any studies that say caffeine is ALWAYS bad, but there's variation on how much would constitute "moderation". Some might say no more than 1 cup of coffee a day. Some might allow for up to 4. As Wikipedia says, it depends on body-weight and tolerance.

With caffeine, I think you can know your limit by practicing mindfulness. If you can drink a certain amount of caffeinated beverages without getting the jitters or a "crash" (sensitivity to light, anxiety, depression, fatigue, headaches, dehydration), then it seems to be okay. People who abuse caffeine regularly can be pretty well-aware that they're abusing it by abstaining from it and then observing how they feel... As for me, I seldolmly drink Coca-Cola for a pick-me-up, but not every day, and not all the time... Drinking carbonated soda every day, period, upsets my stomach, and I don't really like coffee (the occasional cafe mocha, though, is nice too).

I don't think the new energy drinks are good, though... Monster Energy, Red Bull, etc.. I drank those a couple of times when I had to stay away for over 24+ hours. When I finally went to sleep, when I woke up the next day, it felt like I had just taken some kind of serious drugs... sometimes with bad withdrawal, that is, anxiety and depression... There are definitely a lot of caffeine junkies out there who drink caffeine with every meal and it's bizarre.

[AdvaitaJ]

I used to do about 6-10 cups a day, built up to it over the years and never had any ill effect or entertaining non-realities. Now, I drink about six cups of half-caf per day and am much better off with no afternoon "crashes". In my youth, though, my wife supplied me with some extra-strength No-Doz for a trip we made once. Each little pill was like a double-espresso of caffeine. I may have taken one or two too many because I completely and irrationally lost my temper over a nit and punched the dashboard in the car. :cookoo:

( It's taken her twenty years to forget about that -- please don't bring it up. )

AdvaitaJ