Food Can Fix It - dr. Mehmet Oz

herder, named Kaldi, took the berries to a monastery, and they, too, noticed the
pep-in-the-step qualities of the berries, so one monk dried them and started using
them to brew up a beverage. That monk experienced the same bounce that the
goats did, and coffee was born.
Now we get can’t enough of our favourite go-go-go beverage. All because of
some zippy goats.
I’m not an especially big coffee drinker (as a surgeon who once did operations
that lasted into the double-digit hours, I couldn’t run off to the toilet because of
the digestive prodding that follows a cup of joe). I do like to drink green tea or
black tea, with just a tiny bit of sugar. (Tea’s origin story? It is believed to have
been discovered thousands of years ago by a Chinese emperor when tea leaves
blew into a pot of boiling water.) Whatever type of tea you favour, from Earl
Grey to jasmine green, tea is one of the world’s great health drinks. It contains
compounds that are linked to all kinds of health benefits, such as reducing risk of
heart disease and cancer. As long as you don’t sweeten it up with a truckload of
sugar, it’s a wonderful alternative to the high-calorie drinks you may rely on. But
there’s nothing wrong with having a cup of coffee in the morning if you like it.
In fact, you’ll be slurping up health benefits; that’s because coffee (caffeinated
or decaffeinated) does come with disease-fighting properties. Daily coffee
drinkers have a lower risk of dying from diabetes or developing heart and
neurological diseases than non–coffee drinkers, according to a major Harvard
University study. Other research has shown decreased rates of certain cancers
among those who drink caffeinated coffee (three to five cups per day seemed to
have the best rates). And it has also been linked to better moods and improved
memory. The power comes from beneficial compounds called polyphenols,
many of which have antioxidant properties. And then, of course, there’s the real
reason so many of us drink coffee: the caffeine jolt, which can release adrenaline
and mood-boosting dopamine to make you feel good, as well as sharpening
concentration and even improving workout performance. Caffeine’s energizing
effects peak forty-five minutes after the first sip (you do get rid of about half the
caffeine through pee, by the way).
But I have two questions I want you to ask yourself about what you drink,
whether it’s as a morning boost or an afternoon pick-me-up: One, what’s in your
coffee? If your mug is pumped with sugar, syrups, and whipped this or that, then
the benefits you get energywise just aren’t worth it. All of those add-ins can
contribute to weight gain, mood swings, and energy dips. Two, how much do
you rely on caffeine as a get-you-through-the-day crutch?