9 replies to this topic

[Yodaflip]

I saw this video on YouTube



Essentially this guy is saying that coffee/caffeine is bad for you and that it hinders productivity/focus instead of helping.

I cycle caffeine anyways but I looked through the forum and only found that longecity praises caffeine/coffee

[gamesguru]

He's literally comparing N.O.-XPLODE to Japanese sencha.  That stuff literally causes ADHD and stomach cancer.  He also argues from a very personal perspective—yes, it's unfortunate caffeine gave him some panic attacks on occasion, but no, that doesn't mean it generally depletes you or is a bad thing for everyone else.

 

There are plenty of studies suggesting the opposite, that caffeine upregulates dopamine receptors, that it fights Parkinson's disease, and improves attention span.

 

I really don't buy the dependence issue either.  I've given my tea to coffee drinkers and they say it keeps them up for days—so it must have an extraordinary amount of caffeine—but I can quit it no problem.

 

I don't know if it really depletes you or makes you more or less productive.  Either way I don't get much done.

[Futurenow]

The only way to be sure how caffeine, and especially coffee is affecting you is to literally quit for a few months.
I believe there is some research indicating that with habitual use coffee's "nootropic" benefits are negative on cognitive performance tests.
Like basically everything, dose is the poison.

[experimenting]

Tea and coffee affect me rather differently.

Cold brew coffee is great-nice smooth stimulation. Makes me feel good but also a bit scatterbrained. No withdrawal issues. Would say it’s more of treat, neither helps nor hurts.

Hot brew I do not like, makes me nervous. Bothers my stomach, especially nespresso.

Black tea is very stimulating for me, and oddly makes me a bit more pain sensitive. Can also produce a weird kind of anger for me. My guess is some kind of NMDA up regulation.

Green tea I don’t have much experience with. Doesn’t really do much for me either way.

So for me it’s cold brew or nothing. Can’t be bothered to make a habit of it though.

[Mind]

The vast majority of studies on coffee show positive effects on mortality, no matter how much you drink.

 

Whether or not it is an optimal strategy for focus and energy depends upon the individual, but as for health, it is good for you, according to the research.

[Mr Matsubayashi]

This is my go-to for basic dietary advice. They have a whole section on coffee and is it good/bad? It depends! 

 

https://www.youtube....8sc0iLpZwriMRt3

 

My takeaways

  Don't use sugar/milk

  With my genetics, one coffee in the morning will do

  Use a lighter roast

 

 

 

Edited by Mr Matsubayashi, 15 October 2021 - 08:03 AM.

[OneScrewLoose]

How it affects one's focus is highly variable to the individual.

 

But it can be quite addictive though. I recently decided to go sober indefinitely to see what happens (no caffeine, nicotine nor alcohol). I've always been able to pick up and put down nicotine my whole life rather easily (smoke for a year, take 3 off) but caffeine was always a son of a bitch for me. I would have an easier time quitting benzos than caffeine (that's just me though). Longest I had gone without caffeine since I started as a teenager was 2 months. Now it's 4!

But even dependence varies a lot from person to person.

If you see a video making hyperbolic claims about supplements and drugs, and the person is making it seem like it applies to everyone, don't buy it, especially if it's a contrarian position to the established understanding. It's easier to get clicks making sweeping statements than making videos with real nuance.

[TheFountain]

Caffeine always has a loopy affect on me where it works a day or two then I can't sleep, then it develops into minor anxiety then major anxiety. 

 

I don't see this as a deficit, I see it as my body not being numb to negative affects. That's a good thing and part of the process of elimination for indicating what is and isn't good for one individual to the next individual. 

 

Contrary to popular belief bodily sensitivity is a good thing, blunting and numbness are not. 

 

 

[kurdishfella]

coffee is a toxin and can help your body triggers its immune response and increase metabolism thus improving your health long term increasing all the forms of metabolisms and immune responses. Of course low doses should be used. Kind of like how playing in dirt as a kid makes you grow up with an stronger immune system. Which can result in you adapting to this after coming off .

Edited by kurdishfella, 02 June 2022 - 11:37 PM.

[jroseland]

Alex Becker is an ex-get-rich-quick bro who gets his clicks and maintains relevance by making sensationalistic absolute generalizations. I wouldn't take him very seriously.

 

Cycling coffee/caffeine is a decent idea though.