Caffeine and alcohol



The supposed health benefits of caffeine beverages and alcohol are often touted in the media. People like to read that their bad habits are actually healthful, and the media market responds accordingly. To feed these stories, there is a great deal of scientific research devoted to ferreting out some beneficial nutrient in tea, coffee or wine. I wonder who pays so willingly for all that research, care to guess?

Caffeine is a drug, a mild and rather addictive stimulant. Like any addiction, a caffeine habit is a nuisance. One is forever having to go find some caffeine to get back to feeling OK. Stimulants put you out of touch with your body and its true level of fatigue. If you are tired, you need to be aware of it and respond appropriately by resting, not cover up your body's signals and demand even more from it. That's just common sense.

Caffeine has several negative health effects. The most obvious is interference with proper appetite regulation. As for the positives, you aren't going to somehow trick your body into feeling better or performing better than it's made to. If you feel better or more energetic now, you're going to feel worse or more tired later. Your metabolism is already optimized for survival in a primitive environment, which is a lot tougher than dealing with your boss or your kids. Speeding it up with drugs doesn't make you any smarter, but it does age you a little faster.

Alcohol makes even less sense. For a certain percentage of the population, it's an extremely dangerous, life-destroying drug. If you are fortunate enough not to be in that group, alcohol is still a lousy deal. The supposed health benefits are exaggerated and are laughable compared to the benefits of nutritarian eating.

I have a cup of tea once in a while, when I have a long drive and want to make sure that the monotony doesn't make me too drowsy. Now and then I have a glass of ale or red wine when I'm out at a restaurant with friends. It's fun, like a lot of things I am lucky enough to be able to do. But the way to feel your best and perform your best is to give your body excellent nutrition, and have a healthy lifestyle in general, so that your mind and body are getting what they really need. And that just isn't tea, coffee, or alcoholic beverages.