Is coffee making me ill?
Discussion
For approx five weeks now I've had an intermittent cold. Well, sort of, more the feverishness/wobbliness with little of the bunged up/sore throat bits.
I assumed this was an endless cold, as numerous people round here have referred to something similar.
Then I noticed something odd: I was getting ill at the start of the working week and recovering at the end.
My first thought was that it was a delayed reaction to the fact I tend to drink alcohol (perhaps 15-20 units) over the weekend and very rarely drink in the week, but I couldn't see any close correlation.
Then it occurred to me that as I work on the site of a garden centre with an excellent coffee shop I tend to drink quite a lot of strong black coffee in the week, but rarely drink any at home.
So I tried changing coffee for tea last week and felt better. Then yesterday AM - without really thinking - I made a big pot of coffee at home and after a couple of cups started to feel a bit off, then this morning woke up with the full on pseudo-cold again.
The only reasons other than cool-story-bro points I'm mentioning this are:
a. I've been drinking black coffee at work for 12 years
b. a Google search does bring up results for "flu-like symptoms after drinking coffee" but in every case as a caffeine withdrawal symptom.
I assumed this was an endless cold, as numerous people round here have referred to something similar.
Then I noticed something odd: I was getting ill at the start of the working week and recovering at the end.
My first thought was that it was a delayed reaction to the fact I tend to drink alcohol (perhaps 15-20 units) over the weekend and very rarely drink in the week, but I couldn't see any close correlation.
Then it occurred to me that as I work on the site of a garden centre with an excellent coffee shop I tend to drink quite a lot of strong black coffee in the week, but rarely drink any at home.
So I tried changing coffee for tea last week and felt better. Then yesterday AM - without really thinking - I made a big pot of coffee at home and after a couple of cups started to feel a bit off, then this morning woke up with the full on pseudo-cold again.
The only reasons other than cool-story-bro points I'm mentioning this are:
a. I've been drinking black coffee at work for 12 years
b. a Google search does bring up results for "flu-like symptoms after drinking coffee" but in every case as a caffeine withdrawal symptom.
Another answer is that you work in a garden centre, damp, warm, cold, high foot traffic of germ carrying customers. You go out at the weekends, get some booze and kebab, run your immune system down, then jump into the test tube at work. I drink loads of coffee, some would say to much, no cold here.
Warnie said:
You'd do well to knock it on the head anyway as I can't think of anything in coffee that is actually good for you.
Drink Green Tea instead, tastes pretty much like normal tea but is actually good for you.
That's a terrible reason not to do something! OP, not doing things because they aren't good for you is well gay. You should only cut things if they're actually bad for you, and even then, not without considering simply toughening up a bit and pressing on with your bad habit.Drink Green Tea instead, tastes pretty much like normal tea but is actually good for you.
Coffee is excellent. Tastes good and allows me to continue living, so I'd be surprised if it's making you feel ill. I find the opposite to be true in fact. Not drinking it causes me headaches and suchlike.
Green tea sounds like something lesbians and people made of yoga would drink. Avoid!
Warnie said:
You'd do well to knock it on the head anyway as I can't think of anything in coffee that is actually good for you.
Drink Green Tea instead, tastes pretty much like normal tea but is actually good for you.
Rubbish!Drink Green Tea instead, tastes pretty much like normal tea but is actually good for you.
I would rather drink diesel over green tea!
7 good reasons to drink the black elixer of life....
Cut the Pain
Two cups of coffee can cut post-workout muscle pain by up to 48%.
Increase your fiber intake
A cup of brewed coffee represents a contribution of up to 1.8 grams of fiber of the recommended intake of 20-38 grams.
Protection against cirrhosis of the liver
Of course you could just cut down on the alcohol intake.
Lowered risk of Type 2 Diabetes
Those who consumed 6 or more cups per day had a 22% lower risk of diabetes.
Lowered risk of Alzheimer’s disease
There is considerable evidence that caffeine may protect against Alzheimer’s disease.
Reduces suicide risk
10 year study of 86,000 female nurses show a reduced risk of suicide in the coffee drinkers.
Protection against Parkinson’s
People with Parkinson’s disease are less likely to be smokers and coffee drinkers than their healthy siblings. Just make sure you don’t get lung cancer on the way.
Taken from here where they have links to medical things...
http://www.energyfiend.com/7-good-reasons-to-drink...
Johnnytheboy said:
Warnie said:
Drink Green Tea instead, tastes pretty much like normal tea but is actually good for you.
It tastes like straw!
You're right. I don't know how anyone can say it tastes like normal tea. You don't put milk in it for a start. I quite like green tea, though.Moo.
Warnie said:
You'd do well to knock it on the head anyway as I can't think of anything in coffee that is actually good for you.
Drink Green Tea instead, tastes pretty much like normal tea but is actually good for you.
Coffee is full of good stuff and is arguably better for you than green tea.Drink Green Tea instead, tastes pretty much like normal tea but is actually good for you.
From http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22591295
"there was a significant inverse association between coffee consumption and mortality."
"Inverse associations were observed for deaths due to heart disease, respiratory disease, stroke, injuries and accidents, diabetes, and infections, but not for deaths due to cancer. Results were similar in subgroups, including persons who had never smoked and persons who reported very good to excellent health at baseline."
They found men who drank 4-5 cups of coffee per day had 12% lower death rates than those who drank none. Think I'll have a coffee.
Flibble said:
Warnie said:
You'd do well to knock it on the head anyway as I can't think of anything in coffee that is actually good for you.
Drink Green Tea instead, tastes pretty much like normal tea but is actually good for you.
Coffee is full of good stuff and is arguably better for you than green tea.Drink Green Tea instead, tastes pretty much like normal tea but is actually good for you.
From http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22591295
"there was a significant inverse association between coffee consumption and mortality."
"Inverse associations were observed for deaths due to heart disease, respiratory disease, stroke, injuries and accidents, diabetes, and infections, but not for deaths due to cancer. Results were similar in subgroups, including persons who had never smoked and persons who reported very good to excellent health at baseline."
They found men who drank 4-5 cups of coffee per day had 12% lower death rates than those who drank none. Think I'll have a coffee.
Whilst I'm just going off the summary and methods, another significant criticism is that choice of study population, although fairly large, is not representative of the wider population. Only a narrow age group was chosen (50-70), and a wide ranging number of pre-existing medical conditions rendered people ineligible (let's face it if you've not got any health problems at 50 you're unlikely to be typical). It's certainly not sufficient to say either way. It's not even indicative of chronic use because of the exclusion.
We should be wary of trying to elicit any truth from epidemiological studies I reckon. It's clinical research for lazy people.
Just as a postscript to this I am now completely satisfied that coffee was behind me feeling ill, as I have almost entirely stopped drinking it now, but if I do drink more than a small cup in a day I get that "coming down with the flu" feeling the following day.
My OH's attitude when I finally concluded this was mild annoyance at the fact our nice coffee machine would now be of no use.
My OH's attitude when I finally concluded this was mild annoyance at the fact our nice coffee machine would now be of no use.
Warnie said:
You'd do well to knock it on the head anyway as I can't think of anything in coffee that is actually good for you.
Drink Green Tea instead, tastes pretty much like normal tea but is actually good for you.
I drink about 7 or 8 about small cups of coffee a day.With milk no sugar.Drink Green Tea instead, tastes pretty much like normal tea but is actually good for you.
And herbal tea usually first thing in the morning and a few cups at night before going to bed. Drinking coffee has not affected me regarding colds.
I like a glass of red wine or a can of Guinness.To be truthfull I like any food or drink.
Prof Prolapse said:
Happy to be corrected.
Glad you're feeling better.
Is this a PH first? Glad you're feeling better.
What I find interesting is that Google (the fount of all wisdom) suggests that flu-like symptoms are only associated with caffeine withdrawal rather than coffee intake (and I'm still drinking tea).
Gassing Station | Health Matters | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff