Drug of Choice

If you were to be asked what the most used recreational stimulant drug in the world was, what would you say? Would you be surprised to know that it is probably something you have used
yourself? Whilst often not considered as such, caffeine in the form of coffee is the most widely used stimulant worldwide. Whilst relatively benign and sporting a host of benefits it is important to remember that caffeine is a drug and as such needs to be used in moderation. So why don’t we look at some of the benefits and detractors to this stimulant.

Coffee has been consumed primarily for its capacity as a cognitive enhancer, it has been shown to improve processing power, attention as well as memory. But there are a number of other benefits that are perhaps subtler, or less frequently appreciated by people.

One realm of benefits is in exercise and weight loss. One Spanish study demonstrated that by consuming a standardised volume of coffee prior to exertional effort, participants burnt as much as 15% more calories than their non-coffee drinking counter parts. Not only this, but it has been shown to increase your base metabolic rate – which is the rate your body consumes energy at rest by up to 20%. There are other benefits to coffee with exercise as well. The perceived level of exertion following coffee is shown consistently 5% lower than non-consumers. This allowed participants to improve their performance by up to 11%. Caffeine also promotes blood flow, with one Japanese study establishing a 30% increase, this is important in providing oxygen to muscles during exertion as well as washing out waste products post-exertion.

Coffee has been linked in several studies to be protective for various psychiatric and neurological conditions. For example, the fact that coffee stimulates reward chemicals in the brain like serotonin and dopamine has been hypothesised to protect against depression with a 20% reduction in the risk of developing depression seen in coffee drinkers in some studies. Additionally, studies at both the University of Miami and the University of South Florida have demonstrated a decreased risk of developing dementia in those who drink coffee of up to 65% as well as up to a 60% decreased risk of developing Parkinson’s disease.

Coffee has also demonstrated some nutritional value. Oxidants are chemicals that have been linked with age-related changes as well as other degenerative features in humans. Coffee contains a number of anti-oxidants, and in fact it has been posited that coffee is the primary source of antioxidants in the Western diet in the face of the relatively low intake of fruits and vegetables.

However, caffeine, and by extension coffee is not a completely benign substance. As such it is important to keep some of the possible side effects in mind.

The side effect that most people would be familiar with is ‘jitteriness,’ that feeling of being elevated beyond what is desirable and ‘on edge.’ This is caused by caffeine’s ability to simulate a ‘fight or flight’ situation and as a result stress hormones like adrenalin and cortisol are released. This can be unpleasant, making you anxious, stressed and irritable as well as temporary insomnia.

Another notable side effect is that many of the compounds in coffee, including caffeine, are gut irritants. This can result in many different effects including stomach pain or discomfort, diarrhoea and as a result can exacerbate other conditions of the gut including ulcers, gastritis and other inflammatory conditions.

So whilst it is a commonly used drug with a plethora of benefits, be mindful that any substance that alters your physiology can have additional effects and as such should be taken in moderation.