Coffee, Cancer and Russian Roulette

Most people wouldn’t play Russian Roulette–loading a bullet into a chamber of a revolver, spinning the cylinder, and then pulling the trigger while pointing the gun at one’s own head–but millions do it with their health by drinking coffee that can cause a dozen health problems like bullets and time pulls the trigger, says Richard Ruhling, MD, who taught Health Science at Loma Linda University.

Ruhling applauds the LA judge who requires a cancer warning for coffee makers because roasting the coffee beans makes acrylamide, a carcinogen.  https://www.usnews.com/news/business/articles/2018-03-29/apnewsbreak-california-judge-coffee-needs-cancer-warnings

It’s nearly 40 years since the New England Journal of Medicine reported a strong association between coffee and cancer of the pancreas, our 4^th leading cancer cause of death. Harvard also reported about double the risk of bladder cancer in women who drank two or more cups a day.

11 more problems in this Russian Roulette. Readers may Google any of the following to discover a link like “osteoporosis, coffee” The problems include

#1. Insomnia or trouble sleeping, even if only drunk in the morning for some people.

#2. Nervous disorders and need of a tranquilzer for many. It can cause hyperventilation syndrome–once saw a youth on a flight who “couldn’t breathe” but his lungs were clear–so I asked if he drank any cokes–Yes, they’re free–he’d had several. The caffeine contributed to his hyperventilation.

#3. Heart irregularity (PVCs) and it lowers the threshold for fatal arrhythmia, V. fib, which is why it is not allowed in Coronary Care Units.

#4. Gastro-Esophageal Reflux Disorder (GERD), Gastritis and Ulcers are common.

#5. Breast lumps (fibrocystic breast disease) as the most frequent cause of breast surgery to make sure it’s not cancer, but this condition is also a risk factor for cancer.

#6. Osteoporosis—the more one drinks, the worse it is.

#7. Chromosomal damage—pictures of children with a horribly disfigured mouth for which donations are asked to provide surgical correction wouldn’t be necessary if mothers didn’t drink coffee early in pregnancy.

#8. The Russian scientist, Pavlov, called coffee “Bad Habit Glue” because most people who use it would never make it up to work in the morning without their dose of caffeine so that it glues their bad habits together when a lighter supper, a walk and earlier bed without TV would mean better health and no need of coffee in the morning.

#9. Headaches are a common withdrawal symptom, which is why it’s hard to break this addiction. Understanding it as an addiction and the need to put up with a headache for a few days helps. Minimize the headache by taking a Tylenol, Aspirin or Motrin, but don’t use Anacin or Excedrin that have caffeine.

#10. Drug companies love caffeine because it helps create a market for drugs in all of the above categories, but those drugs are also a risk factor for health as seen on the package insert that everyone taking prescriptions should read. http://LeadingCauseOfDeathPrescriptionDrugs.com

 #11. Coffee or caffeine in any form stimulates the nerves and creates a desire for a smoke, It makes quitting smoking nearly impossible. It also increase need thirst for alcohol in lab animals given the option of water or alcohol to drink.

Why not admit it—this is drug addiction. Why wait for trouble and a trip to some doctor who will only complicate the situation with something to relieve the symptoms and sooner or later you will have two or more problems. Quit on a Friday and by Monday or Tuesday, quitting is over the hump for most people.

Dr. Richard Ruhling is author of Why You Shouldn’t Ask Your Doctor  available free on March 31 at https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0186TXK94 Amazon offers a free app to read it on phones or computers. Ruhling offers more information at http://News4Living.wordpress.com