Discussion of Caffeine Blues

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I started reading the book Caffeine Blues: Wake Up to the Hidden Dangers of America’s #1 Drug after seeing it mentioned in this thread:

by an anonymous user. I didn’t read it immediately after seeing it mentioned. Just recently after another day of bad sleep I finally considered looking into caffeine and its effects, and remembered seeing that book.

Has anyone else read this book? Has anyone else read this book that still drinks caffeine? Who still drinks caffeine specifically because they disagree with what they read in this book (or any other anti-caffeine material) and not due to failing at quitting caffeine? Is anyone aware of refutations of the book? I googled “refutation of caffeine blues” and didn’t find anything substantial.

Personally I’m quitting caffeine regardless (only reason I have not yet is due to being on vacation in another country as I write this and I don’t want to bother with any big lifestyle changes away from home) as I openly drink it to avoid headaches and nothing else. I personally don’t get any noticeable affect when I drink it. Probably because I’ve been drinking a fair amount of caffeine since little (~5 at least). Sodas are the obvious culprit, but my father also let me have a fair bit of energy drinks too. So the decision to quit it isn’t difficult and I always intended to quit it for a short-time (to cycle the affects) but after reading this it may be a longer-term decision to not drink it again.

Some things mentioned in the book that I found interesting:

I find it remarkable that so little attention has been paid to the role of caffeine in eye health. Caffeine’s diuretic effect can make your eyes so dry that wearing contact lenses is uncomfortable or impossible.

Cherniske, Stephen Snehan . Caffeine Blues: Wake Up to the Hidden Dangers of America’s #1 Drug (p. 223). Grand Central Publishing. Kindle Edition.

I’ve always had an issue with dry eyes. I’ve never been given a good reason as to why that is. My ophthalmologists growing up were aware of my caffeine intake (I have a number of eye conditions) and didn’t mention anything about not taking in caffeine. They just prescribed me special eye drop drugs for my eyes and thats it. Insurance never covered the eye-drops though and I was too broke (at the time) to afford the eyedrops so I never tried them. Maybe my caffeine intake played a part. Broadly I have quite a few issues with my eyes and I wonder how much of those issues have been due to caffeine.

It’s metabolic stress from poor food choices, pollution, and electromagnetic radiation.

Cherniske, Stephen Snehan . Caffeine Blues: Wake Up to the Hidden Dangers of America’s #1 Drug (p. 206). Grand Central Publishing. Kindle Edition.

The author mentions electromagnetic radiation being bad. I remember Elliot asking about the health concerns of EMFs health here: Do EMFs Harm Health and Cause Cancer?

The article Elliot references is from 2021, the book is from 1998. The author doesn’t go into anything in-depth on EMFs I just noticed he mentioned them as a potential health concern.

Malnutrition is one of the most well-defined effects of habitual caffeine intake. It contributes in a very logical way to a host of disorders that we will explore in Chapter 5. Caffeine, and possibly other ingredients in coffee and tea, causes an increased loss of thiamin and other B vitamins in the urine.43–44, 45 There is evidence that caffeic acid also decreases the bioavailability of thiamin so that less of this vital nutrient is absorbed from food46. Since the B vitamin status of many Americans is borderline to begin with, regular consumption of coffee and soft drinks can contribute to deficiency and a raft of symptoms, including neurological damage.47

Cherniske, Stephen Snehan . Caffeine Blues: Wake Up to the Hidden Dangers of America’s #1 Drug (p. 96). Grand Central Publishing. Kindle Edition.

Caffeine causes issues with thiamin. Thiamin is something the forum has talked about before, here: Thiamin, Vitamins and Derrick Lonsdale
I’m having trouble finding my digital copy as I write this, but in Why I Left Orthodox Medicine: Healing for the 21st Century I don’t think Lonsdale talks about caffeine too much and its interacting with thiamin. I remember him not being a fan of caffeine but thats it.

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The word “caffeine” is only in the book 3 times but “coffee” is 20 times. Examples (bold added):

What I am trying to illustrate here is the essential learning process that I have had to go through in order to have confidence in nutritional therapy as a practical approach to virtually any disease to which the human being is prone. Most of our diseases are brought upon ourselves by widespread cultural activities such as smoking, bad diet, and over-use of alcohol, caffeine, and soft drinks.

When we crave something like coffee, chocolate, or cola, we are addicted. It is the pleasure-craving zones in the brain that dictate a continued satisfaction and create the sensation that we call craving.

I am fascinated by the people who come back for second visits after being advised to discontinue coffee, chocolate, sweets, tobacco, milk, fruit juice, or whatever is their particular addiction. I ask them how they are getting on with the withdrawal. Often I get the reply, with a kind of smile to suggest that I, the physician, will be pleased, “I am working at it.” I point out that their low dose is now often as harmful as or even more harmful than their original intake. Furthermore, they are not at all affecting me as their advisor.

I remember a delightful gentleman who came to see me because he was repeatedly sick with many different things. He was an alcoholic, a member of AA. He had been “dry” for several years and was justifiably pleased with himself. The only problem was that he had substituted the alcohol with sixteen cups of coffee a day! I told him that he had to quit coffee. He remonstrated, saying that he was unable to do it. He was actually successful, however, and later told me that it was the hardest thing that he had ever done. He went to sleep in his office, became excessively sleepy driving his car, and had the most appalling headaches. Was it worth it? Well, all I can say is that I never see him now. He does not need me. But then, he does not need any other physician either: he is well.

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Hmm. From Why I Left Orthodox Medicine: Healing for the 21st Century by Derrick Lonsdale (you can get a free digital copy here):

Hence, a deep craving for sex is really no different, in principle, from a craving for tobacco, chocolate, or coffee.

Withdrawal from any addictive substance will result in withdrawal symptoms.

Coffee is a well-known addiction, and many people are completely
amazed by the strength and virulence of the headaches that they experience
during withdrawal. Why do these symptoms develop? It is, I think, because
the computer is maladapted to the sensory input. All kinds of autonomic
nervous system mischief accrues if the computer becomes erratic in its
electro-chemical behavior. We would never become addicted to anything
unless exposed to it. Alcoholics, though they are born with the
constitutionally predisposed system which easily creates addiction, would
never become alcoholics unless exposed to alcohol. An addictive tendency in
a woman is accentuated in the premenstrual week, and this is when craving
for chocolate or salt is tremendously increased.

I started glancing over those passages again and if memory serves me correct in understanding these quotes Lonsdale attributes issues with caffeine/coffee with peoples addiction to the feeling they get from the substance and how that addicting pleasure affects the brains “computer” (something like that). Because of that he recommends quitting stuff cold turkey instead of over time. ~I don’t know. His explanations kind of make sense but I don’t know if I completely agree with him on addiction, withdrawal, and if you can ween off something (versus just going cold turkey). Interestingly enough those three examples he gave after sex have chemicals that are considered addictive. tobacco-nicotine, chocolate - caffeine, coffee-caffeine. I guess these are all stimulants. Chocolate has two stimulants caffeine and theobromine.

One reason I disagree with Lonsdale here (at least partially) is because I didn’t really have any withdrawal symptoms when I quit vaping. Maybe its due to how I quit? I tried cold turkey a bunch of times and I did feel huge cravings (though never sick or anything) and picked it up back up a few times, then the final time I quit cold turkey again and (for whatever reason) stuck to it this time. Didn’t feel anything negative (did feel better from stopping, but that’s different).

From Caffeine Blues:

For the most part, the withdrawal reaction has to do with the sudden change in your circulation brought about by the absence of caffeine. Blood vessels no longer constricted by caffeine suddenly open up and allow greater amounts of blood to flow through. And while this is a very good thing, when it comes to the blood vessels in your brain, the sudden increase in circulation can cause splitting headaches. Other symptoms of caffeine withdrawal, like rebound constipation, are related to decreased muscular stress. With caffeine no longer contracting your intestinal muscles, you may experience sluggish elimination. It may take several months to restore the natural rhythm and function of your colon.

Withdrawal reactions from caffeine are due to what caffeine does to your body. The author of Caffeine Blues mentions avoiding cold turkey as the withdrawal reactions are the most severe when you do this (presumably increasing the odds you won’t actually quit caffeine). He recommends weaning off of it over two weeks.

Lonsdale is not a fan of weaning off:

There is really only one effective way to beat addiction—to quit “cold
turkey.” When a gradual withdrawal is attempted, the individual may become
increasingly sensitive to the substance.

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That’s surprising to hear. I quit nicotine (vaping) cold turkey and had what I would consider withdrawal symptoms for a good two to three weeks. My mind was really foggy, I would get confused in conversations a lot, I was emotional and irritable. I didn’t have any cravings though, and I didn’t have any physical discomfort.

When I quit regular caffeine intake (I still have occasional sources of caffeine like in chocolate) I had only mild headaches but I had muscle aching pain bad enough to wake me up at night a couple times. My legs hurt for about a week.

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Oh I quit caffeine cold turkey too btw.

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You guys might be interested in Netflix’s Juul documentary which I watched recently.

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I don’t know either. I like Lonsdale but I’m not persuaded by all his claims.

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I found myself more emotional and irritable on nicotine then without.

Do you feel better now after quitting caffeine? I’ve been fully caffeine free the past three days and I feel really really good. Genuinely the best I’ve felt in a while over a long period of time. I’ve had days in the past where I felt like this when I drank caffeine but they were for short periods of time. I think part of the reason is the emphasis the book gives on improving your nutrition and exercise while your quitting.