Guatemalan toddlers drink coffee. The benefits of caffeine.
Dr. Andrew Huberman, the renowned neuroscientist and host of the Huberman Lab podcast, has stated that “caffeine is a powerful molecule” Caffeine however, must be consumed in appropriate dosages to get the most out of it and to avoid unwanted side effects.
Recently, I remembered something that puzzled me a great deal. When I was about 17 years of age, I was doing some shopping at a popular market In Guatemala. I was buying produce from an indigenous Mayan woman. Sitting on the floor beside her baskets of goodies, she extended her hand and gave me my change. As she was doing that, her toddler who was beside her on the floor, started screaming and calling for her.
The woman quickly grabbed his milk bottle,🍼 opened it, and poured her left over coffee into his bottle!☕️She then put the bottle into his mouth to shut him up!
Puzzled by this memory I quickly grabbed the phone and called my nephew Luis. Luis is a successful coffee farmer and agricultural engineer with great knowledge and experience in producing one of the best coffees in Guatemala.
I asked Luis if indigenous women still give coffee to their toddlers. Luis cracked up laughing and said “Alberto, we all got coffee in our bottles when we were toddlers, not just indigenous kids. Luis assured me that we did not just get a little bit of coffee, we got a lot of coffee, all day long, then he reassured me, “nothing wrong with that, we are just fine, aren’t we?
To be sure, Luis and I partly Mayans. We are Mesoamericans which means we have Mayan and European blood, courtesy the Spanish conquistadors who colonized Guatemala in 1524.
Back to my coffee drinking history. I can remember drinking coffee when I was 14 years old, that is as far as I can remember. I drank coffee in the morning, at lunch time at school, after school, and sometimes, just before going to bed.
I was a very active boy, (or maybe hyperactive courtesy of the yummy Guatemalan coffee😁) I usually got up at 4am to help in my family’s business and by 7:30 Am I was on my way to school.
After school, a quick bite and a cup of yummy Guatemalan coffee😋 before my karate class three times a week and on the off days, I still drank my coffee before my English and typing lessons. That was a lot of coffee drinking for a young boy and still slept well, or so I thought 😕. Let me explain.
According to Dr. Huberman , “even if one can sleep after drinking coffee, the architecture and depth of one’s sleep is disrupted, especially our REM sleep, which is essential for cleansing the brain from cellular toxins”. So to the folks that brag about being able to sleep after having a coffee, it turns out, it’s not healthy sleep, ouch!🤕
Enough bad news! Caffeine, when consumed responsibly, does have many benefits, lets see…
The Benefits of Caffeine.
Being a natural stimulant, caffeine also has many potential benefits, including:
- Increased alertness: Caffeine can help you feel more awake and alert by blocking the activity of adenosine, a neurotransmitter that makes you feel tired.
- Improved cognitive function: Caffeine may improve cognitive function, including memory, attention, and reaction time.
- Boosted mood: Caffeine can also enhance mood and reduce symptoms of depression. Caffeine increases our sensitivity to dopamine. Dopamine is always floating around our entire body but we do not always sense it, there are many ways to increase our sensitivity to dopamine, engaging in activities that excite us, looking forward to achieving our dreams and yes, drinking caffeine is a sure way to increase the sensitivity of dopamine in our brain and body.
- Increased physical performance: Caffeine has been shown to improve endurance and reduce fatigue during physical activity.
- Weight loss: Caffeine can increase metabolism and help you burn more calories, which may aid in weight loss, it also helps if you just have a coffee for breakfast instead of a heavy meal for example.
- Reduced risk of certain diseases: Some studies have suggested that caffeine consumption may reduce the risk of Parkinson’s disease, liver disease, and some types of cancer.
But remember, caffeine can also have some negative effects, particularly if consumed in excess. These can include anxiety, insomnia, and digestive issues. Therefore, it’s important to consume caffeine in moderation and be aware of its potential effects on your individual health.
Dr. Huberman advises that caffeine intake should be monitored as everyone has different levels of caffeine tolerance. It is important to be aware of one’s coffee tolerance levels, and if someone starts to experience jitters after drinking coffee, it may be time to reduce the amount consumed. Additionally, he recommends taking coffee breaks to reset caffeine tolerance levels and enhance the coffee experience.