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Noooooo! We coffee-free spirits are already too few in numbers! We can't afford to lose more to the latte side!
On the flip side, caffeine is a habit forming substance that impairs your bodies natural ability to govern its own alertness levels. You hear about coffee addicts who can't start their day until they've had their first coffee, but in reality it's the coffee itself that causes that. If you start drinking it regularly, you'll soon find that you're tired whenever you DON'T drink it.
Here's why: The human brain naturally releases a neurotransmitter when it's time for you to get tired. Neurotransmitters are kind of like keys, and each one fits a particular lock. Caffeine works because it fits into the same lock as the "sleep" neurotransmitter, but it doesn't turn it. It stops the "sleep" chemicals from plugging in, which helps you to stay awake longer.
The problem is that the body wants to govern its own alertness levels. When caffeine regularly blocks those "locks", the body compensates by increasing its production of those neurotransmitters to try and overpower it...and it MAINTAINS those higher levels for longer periods of time. This does two things: 1) It means that you constantly need more caffeine to stay awake. And 2) It means that you're flooded with sleep neurotransmitters whenever you don't have coffee in you. You'll feel tired even when your body doesn't actually need any rest because the caffeine has thrown your brains chemistry off so badly.
To be honest, coffee is about as addictive as cigarette smoking. We don't have a public campaign against it because it doesn't carry the health risks of smoking and it's far cheaper, but it's still a habit forming, semi-addictive substance. Personally, I have no interest in being an addict. I'll enjoy a cappuccino every once in a great while, and a nice tea once or twice a week, but I look at it as what it really is...a drug. Our bodies are built to work in a balance, and most drugs function by throwing that balance off. Personally, I prefer to keep my body in a well balanced, healthy shape.
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