Coffee: How Bad Is It...Really?

With over 400 billion cups consumed per year, coffee is the most popular drink in the world.  Over half the population in the U.S. consumes coffee on a daily basis.  The average American coffee drinker will consume nearly 10 pounds of it in a year's time, and about 400 million cups are drank everyday in our country!  Something consumed this much deserves a closer look.

First, why do people drink coffee?

Though some do drink it for the taste, most are anticipating an energy "boost" to propel them through their day.  This of course is provided by the caffeine present in coffee.  Many swear that without it, they'd never be able to "get going" in the morning and would be physically tired and mentally foggy throughout their day.

Hasn't coffee been shown to help some diseases?

It's true that coffee has been shown in certain studies to reduce the risk of heart disease and diabetes, and even improve short term memory. This is most likely due to the antioxidants found in coffee that are known to have healing benefits.

So I guess coffee is safe then…right?

Wrong!!! Drinking coffee for its “health” benefits would be like smoking cigarettes to inhibit your appetite and avoid obesity! While we all know obesity’s negative effects on your overall health, it would be crazy to prescribe cigarettes as an obesity treatment. Are you all with me on this!?!

So how is coffee bad for my health?

Let’s get right down to it folks…coffee is a drug. And like all drugs, along with its “benefits” come a variety of side-effects, such as:

• Increased risk of stomach cancer
• Increased risk of leukemia
• Interference with your body’s ability to use water and promote fluid loss
• Raising blood cholesterol levels
• Massively raising insulin levels (wake up diabetics!!!)
• Rheumatoid arthritis
• Stroke
• Damaging blood vessels
• Interference with the body’s ability to use folate, and vitamins B12 and B6 (life threatening)
• Prostate and other cancers (due to pesticide use)
• Parkinson’s disease (pesticides)
• Miscarriages (pesticides)
• Adrenal gland burn-out (due to over stimulation)
• Osteoporosis (from metabolic damage and increased blood acidity)
• Insomnia
• A rise in blood pressure and stress hormone levels
• Heart palpitations
• A sensation of jitteriness and nervousness
• Symptoms of anxiety, especially if you already have a panic or anxiety disorder
• Depletion of iron and calcium levels in women
• AND increasing your risk of heart disease (America’s #1 killer)

But it’s the only way I know to get a “pick-me-up”!

The caffeine in coffee only provides a fake and temporary jolt of energy. It actually depletes your B vitamins, which leads to more of an energy shortage! If you’re tired all the time, your body is telling you something is wrong! Start listening to your body and making the right lifestyle changes to naturally enhance your health.

Our bodies are divinely designed. Self-healing has absolutely been PROVEN to be a part of our plan.

Remember, health is your God given right!

For my personal recommendations on coffee substitutes and raising your energy naturally, please email me at eric@pierceresults.com

The Low-Down On Lowering Cholesterol

This is a long, but life saving blog post...so fasten your seatbelts and brace yourself!

I bet we all know someone who has been diagnosed with "hyper-cholesterol-emia" (a.k.a. high cholesterol), and it's almost a guarantee they were prescribed at least one cholesterol lowering medication to achieve "healthy" levels.  This of course is due to the fact that cholesterol "increases the risk of heart disease," right?...WRONG!  Saying that is like saying yellow fingers cause lung cancer!  Increased cholesterol is absolutely something we see when heart disease is present, however, did the yellow fingers cause the lung cancer, or did the cigarettes cause it?  Cholesterol is being framed here for something it did not do!  Let me explain...

First off, what is cholesterol?

• a waxy substance found in the blood stream and ALL your cells

What does it do?

• Helps produce cell membranes, hormones, Vitamin D and bile acids (digest fats)
• Also helps in formation of memories and neurological function
• Vital to nearly EVERY function in your body

Where is it made?

• 75% of it is made in your liver

Isn't there a "good" and "bad" cholesterol?

• Many have called HDL "good" and LDL "bad" types of cholesterol.  The truth is that your cholesterol levels are always appropriate to your external and internal environment, which in the end is almost always dictated by your lifestyle choices.

So what causes my cholesterol to go up?

• More often than not, inflammation is what causes cholesterol levels to rise.  Let's use a cut on your finger as an example.  What happens?  Well, first your blood vessels will constrict so that you don't bleed to death and your blood thickness will increase to make clotting easier.  Some might call this high blood pressure...insane!  Next your immune system will kick into high gear and cells will start to multiply to repair any damage.
• It's no different with arteries, only the "scar" is plaque.

So what substance will be sent to aid in cellular repair when my arteries are damaged?

• CHOLESTEROL!!!  It shows on the scene AFTER the damage is already done.

And what is medicine's answer for this occurrence?  To artificially lower your cholesterol levels with a drug.  Does this sound nuts to anyone else?!?!  Of course they must manufacture these drugs so they don't affect any other bodily function...right??...WRONG again!  Low cholesterol levels have been linked with the following conditions:

• depression
• suicide
• violent behavior
• aggression
• increased risk of cancer
• increased risk of Parkinson's

...just to name a few!

So how low should my levels be?  And who decides?

• before 2004, LDL levels of 130 were considered "healthy"
• U.S. government's National Cholesterol Education Program panel then advised they be lowered to 100 and even 70 for "high risk" individuals
• levels that low almost ALWAYS need one OR MORE drugs to achieve
• in 2006 a study in the Annals of Internal Medicine found these numbers to have no scientific basis

So who was on this panel?

• 8 of the 9 people on this panel had direct financial connections to the companies producing the cholesterol lowering drugs...I know...shocking.

Do these drugs have side effects? (come on now!)

• depletion of CoQ10 (important for heart health and muscle function)
• rhabdomyolysis (muscle pain and weakness)
• polyneuropathy
• dizziness
• cognitive impairment and memory loss
• increased risk of cancer
• decreased immune system function
• depression
• liver problems
• Lou Gehrig's disease

So do these drugs even reduce the risk for heart attacks?

• Business Week exposed a Pfizer claim that Lipitor reduced heart attack incidence by 36%
• What the study actually showed was that 3% of placebo patients got heart attacks and that 2% taking Lipitor got them...really a 1% improvement...but Pfizer used 1% divided by 3% to come up with their 36% number...again, shocking and misleading!
• So basically, you're exposing yourself to all the conditions mentioned above for a 1% improvement...

Ask yourself...is it worth it?  You're better off learning what causes chronic inflammation and using natural ways to reduce it. 

So what causes chronic inflammation?

• Oxidized cholesterol (cholesterol that has gone rancid, such as that from overcooked, scrambled eggs)
• Eating lots of sugar and grains
• Eating foods cooked at high temperatures
• Eating trans fats
• Improper spinal movement or a sedentary lifestyle
• Smoking
• Emotional stress

So what can I do to naturally reduce inflammation?

• It's easy!  Just follow my Top 10!!!

Remember, health is your God-given right!

(For the references to the information provided in this blog, please email Dr. Eric at eric@pierceresults.com)