on caffeine (bad) and cayenne (good)

[PLOlover]

basically caffeine restricts your blood vessels and according to one book decreases bloodflow to your brain by 1/3.

I heard that cayenne pepper powder will increase blood flow and is good for you, so I went to the supermarket and got some in the mexican section in a little packet 1oz I think it was like 89cents.

based on a couple days of abstaining from caffeine and using some cayenne my observations are

a) after 2-3 day withdrawal (headache and stuff) from caffeine I feel better and more relaxed less stressed.

b) I think the cayenne does indeed work as advertised based on my personal experiences which we don't need to get into (basically erections lol), it's supposed to really be good for blood vessels and heart and stuff.

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just posted because it's weird sometimes you don't realize how insidious caffeine is, it's in a lot of stuff, and as I went through withdrawals I must have been addicted.

[Blarg]

Supposedly people who drink coffee are 40% less likely to get cirrhosis of the liver, as well as less likely to get some other liver problems.

I used to think caffeine was basically evil, and I still think it's a drug and should be given respect accordingly when you consume it, but I've read enough positive speculations over the years that I've changed my mind.

Re: cayenne and chili peppers, they are supposedly great for you, but I wonder if more than a tiny percentage of people get anywhere near enough to make a difference. For instance, I think I read that chili peppers have even more vitamin C than oranges, but who is going to eat a chili pepper the size of a baseball, or enough smaller ones to simulate that size, to get that huge vitamin C benefit? I love spicy food, but by weight, I can't go through too many. What's the effective "dose" of cayenne or chili peppers per day to make any difference to someone's health?

Also, how fresh does it have to be? I'm sure plenty of cayenne powder sits around for years.

[cbloom]

How do you eat a teaspoon of cayenne without burning your mouth to all hell ?


Caffeine is widely regarded by doctors as by the most effective/beneficial/safest sports performance enhancer. (for something you take right before, not as a program leading up to an event)

[Snafu'd]

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Also, how fresh does it have to be? I'm sure plenty of cayenne powder sits around for years.

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It seems I remember Alton Brown saying that you should clean out your spice cabinet every 8 months to a year. I know I've had spices sit around for much longer than that though.

[TimM]

I just bought some cayenne powder to put in my chili. The expiration date is in 2014.

Also restricting bloodflow to your brain by 1/3 sounds like it would just kill you.

[AZK]

I have yet to come across literature that will stop me from drinking my double espresso every day. If you can find something for me, I'd very much appreciate it.

[Victor]

i drink about 8oz of coffee a day. will i die?

[SNOWBALL]

where did you get this info about restricting bloodflow to the brain? If it's true then I should probably abstain before playing poker.

[PLOlover]

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where did you get this info about restricting bloodflow to the brain? If it's true then I should probably abstain before playing poker.

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"caffeine blues" book
http://www.amazon.com/Caffeine-Blues.../dp/0446673919

review of book in june 2007 section
http://georgegordon.org/Radio_Archives.htm#Archives

here's some links I googled on bloodflow

http://www.iflyamerica.org/caffeine.asp
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High doses of caffeine also restrict blood flow to the brain. The result: less oxygen to fuel those all-important mental tasks that keep us moving safely through the air. Even just two cups of coffee can reduce the blood flow by 15 to 20 percent, according to David Kerr, MD, who has studied the issue for the British military.

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http://www.adastreet.com.au/content/cms/CAFFEINE/2015/
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Caffeine can restrict blood flow to the heart muscle by up to 39% during exercise. This can cause tissue scarring which is a major cause of heart attack.

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http://www.sportsgeezer.com/sportsge..._before_e.html
[ QUOTE ]
The story reports that both groups repeated the test after ingesting 200 milligrams of caffeine -- the amount contained in two cups of coffee. Researchers found that the caffeine did not affect heart blood flow when the participants were inactive, but did so for those who had exercised. Heart blood flow was 22 percent lower in those who exercised in normal air pressure and 39 percent lower in those who exercised in the high-altitude chamber.

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as far as cayenne, it's not really that hot and I'm a white guy. also freshness just buy in packet at mexican store or section of grocery, very probably that is *not* irradiated, unlike a lot of spices in bottles which are imported and irradiated as a matter of course.

[AZK]

get me an article from here:

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez