Consider exploring topics from across the top or click the More button on the right choosing information on foods, over the counter, or herbs. Use the pulldown menu to choose an item.Words in brown are links. This site contains details on cystic organ disease. If you cannot find what you are looking for, contact us, or try searching using the search engine or the language translator located at the bottom of each page.
Caffeine: Tea Coffee Chocolate Cola, Enjoy Alternative Hot Drinks Caffeine: Tea Coffee Chocolate Cola, Avoid Alternative Hot Drinks
Myocytes contractile
is seen in heart failure. Researchers found caffeine increases myocyte contraction
Myocytes ↑ in Caffeine changes cardiac remodeling in PKD model
Cardiac disorders are the main cause of mortality in autosomal- dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD)
Myocytes in ADPKD
This paper gives a series of molecular events resulting in the development of
cardiovascular abnormalities observed in patients with ADPKD.
This increase is affected by caffeine.
Caffeine Avoid
Read about the harmful effect of caffeine and decaf drinks upon cystic organs and a bit more on the dangers of caffeine.
Decaf anything but | Harmful effects coffee | Caffeine in Guarana |
Caffeine articles | Chocolate harm | Avoid tea |
Magnesium | Avoid Cleavers | Coffee ↑ osteoporosis | Caffeine Plants
Caffeine can trigger a migraine headache three days later following consumption, long before we have forgotten about the caffeine drink. Even the smallest amount of caffeine is harmful to PKD and PLD.
Caffeine ↑:
blood pressure which ↑ cyst growth.
↑ kidney cyst growth is correlated with ↓ kidney functioning.
Caffeinated beverages should be discouraged in PKD/PLD.
Individuals with PKD who drink coffee note that it ↑ kidney pain.
Migraine headaches ↑, possibly due to mouth bacteria.
Caffeine inhibits phosphodiesterase; enhances cAMP accumulation; and potentiates the effects of vasopressin on chloride secretion and cell proliferation. It alters signaling to the ADPKD heart by stimulating cardiomyocytes. Caffeine inhibits the breakdown of cyclic AMP. An increase in cAMP results in more circulating cAMP. This increases cyst growth creating more cysts, increasing organ size and increasing symptoms.
What Contains Caffeine?
Coffee, tea, chocolate, cleavers, colas, cola nut (cola acuminata), guaraná (paullinia cupanasodas), yerba mate (ilex paraguariensis), cacao (theobroma cacao) all contain caffeine.
Coffee contains cafestol. Cafestol is the most potent cholesterol-elevating compound identified in the human diet and, although several human and animal studies have investigated its effect on lipoprotein metabolism, its precise molecular mechanism has remained unclear.
Consumption of greater than 250-300 mg of caffeine per day can cause sleep disturbances, tachycardia, migraines, increase in blood pressure and possibly cyst growth. Decaffeinated Coffee Maybe Anything But. There is significant caffeine in decaf coffee, tea, chocolate, drinks to cause harm to PKD PLD cysts.
Caffeine Adversely Affects ADPKD/ADPLD
Caffeines Affect On Cysts
↑ Cyst growth of PKD kidneys and PLD liver
↓ Bone density
↑ Dehydration which can lead to diminished kidney functioning
↑ Osteoporosis or bone thinning
↑ Excretion of the body's minerals
↑ Cholesterol, especially triglycerides, LDL (Cafestol coffee)
↑ Excretion of the body's minerals
↑ Kidney stone formation
↑ cAMP production - signals cysts to grow, expand, and multiply
↑ PKD cyst formation
↑ PKD blood pressure
↑ Altering signaling to the heart, especially with PKD
↑ Heart problems LVH
↑ Alters PKD smooth muscle calcium stores
↑ Altered signaling to the heart, especially with PKD
Cafestol, found in caffeine is the highest item known to man that ↑ cholesterol
↑ Hypertension
In PLD
↑ Liver enzymes in healthy individuals. Increased problems for those with liver cysts
↑ Liver cyst growth. Both kidney and liver cysts have cAMP
↑ Estradiol levels by 70%
Liver cyst walls contain 8x cAMP, especially important for PLD'rs to avoid caffeine
Tea
To remove most of the caffeine from your tea, simply pour boiling water over the loose-leaf tea leaves in a teapot. Allow the tea to steep for 30 seconds, and then discard the liquid. Use the same tea leaves with fresh hot water to brew a tea that comes close to a cup of decaffeinated tea.
What are some hot drinks to Replace Coffee or Tea?
Celestial seasonings holiday tea, sugar cookie sleigh ride contains milk thistle (especially beneficial for a cystic liver), roasted barley (beneficial for kidneys), orange peel, natural sugar cookie flavor with other natural flavors and vanilla bean. Drinking caffeinated teas gives a double whammy to the body by increasing blood pressure and increasing cyst growth. Cyclic AMP is a protein messenger that tells flattened envelope cyst structures to fill with fluid, enlarge and multiply. Cyclic AMP is increased by drinking caffeinated drinks.
Enjoy These Hot DrinksHow To Stop Coffee?
Coffee contains cafestol. Cafestol is the
most potent cholesterol-elevating compound identified in the human diet
and, although several human and animal studies have investigated its effect on lipoprotein metabolism, its precise
molecular mechanism has remained unclear. Coffee especially raises triglycerides, LDL, HDL levels.
This effect is reproducible.
Kahweol contained in coffee, elevates liver enzymes in healthy individuals.
Coffee raises
blood pressure especially harmful in PKD. The Tanners did this research to find that in the PKD model, blood pressure was
raised. Prior to the Tanners researching PKD, the Tanners were caffeine researchers.
Thirteen little known things about coffee.
The three components of estrogen are: estrone (E1), estradiol (E2), and estriol (E3). Drinking 2 cups of coffee per day can increase estradiol levels by 70%.
Some have tried weaning themselves off coffee by drinking carrot juice, wheatgrass juice, or taking extra vitamin B12. Here is a little more on coffee.
Teeccino is alkaline. Contains roasted carob, barley, and chicory root (can cause dehydration in some), grains, almonds, figs, dates and beets. It contains 65 mg of potassium. It comes as grounds that can be mixed with coffee grounds until one is drinking only Teeccino. Some have used teeccino to Quit coffee painlessly. while avoiding headaches and brain fuzziness.
Teeccino (pronounced tea-chee-no) is rich in inulin, a soluble fiber that enhances digestion and promotes regularity by increasing the quantity of beneficial digestive flora in the intestines and colon. Teeccino helps restore the body's natural alkaline balance which can be disturbed by the acidity of coffee. Teeccino comes in several flavors: almond amaretto, original espresso, vanilla nut.
If you are on a weight loss program, all diets recommend stabilizing your blood sugar by avoiding caffeine which can increase your appetite and results in spikes to your insulin production.
If you are suffering from stress, adrenal exhaustion, and fatigue—
Read articles to understand how caffeine affects health, increases stress, and accelerates aging.
Acute effects of coffee consumption on self-reported gastrointestinal symptoms, blood pressure and stress indices in healthy individuals
Breast Cancer Increases With Coffee Consumption
Daily Caffeine Reduces Insulin Sensitivity
Coffee, caffeine, and sleep
Coffee and Adrenal Fatigue
Chocolate
Some have found carob a good substitute for chocolate. For others it is a taste hard to swallow. It is not surprising that chocolate cravings is by far and away one of the most difficult addictions for PKD'rs to avoid. A substance called phenylethylamine is found in chocolate and seems to trigger feelings similar to falling in love. There is also a compound in chocolate called anandamide that stimulates brain receptors in a manner similar to that of other addictive substances. Chocolate cravings may also be triggered when the taste buds tingle with the taste of chocolate. This sensation occurs because chocolate's melting point is 97 degrees, just below body temperature. When the taste buds are excited, endorphins are released from the brain. These endorphins are the body's feel good chemical. There is also a link between hormonal fluctuations in women and chocolate cravings. Ever notice how it happens that as you get very near to menses your will to avoid chocolate fades?
Medical literature supports the presence of both theobromine and caffeine in chocolate. A lively discussion with a famous raw foodie guaranteed that cacao contained no caffeine. A few have tried taking raw cacao, drying it in the sun and grinding it into freshly made coconut milk for a delicious hot cocoa drink. The results were the same as with processed cacao:
elevated blood pressure for 3 days
migraine headache 3 days later following drinking the hot cocoa that lasted 3 days.
Nitrates Migraines
Pink meats, wine, chocolate, caffeine, certain medications can cause migraine headaches. Sometimes this can be seen about three days after the food indiscretion, long after eating the food is forgotten. The headache can last as long as three days. These can turn into histamine or cluster headaches. Scientists have discovered a correlation between mouth bacteria and migraine headaches.
Dr Viirre stressed that they have found only a correlation and can't make the leap to say that these mouth bacteria are the actual cause of headaches. Many other factors are associated with migraine, including genetic factors and hormonal factors, and all kinds of other things. So unfortunately, we can't draw a straight path between what these bacteria process and the actual activation of the headaches. Dr Viirre and his colleagues are keen to do a prospective study to regularly track the incidence of headaches among patients as well as their bacterial flora. The key advance here is the capability to do these broad quantitative analyses of bacteria at relatively low cost; this is the genome project kind of spinoff.
One can try other drinks containing theobromine without it causing symptoms. An increase in symptoms seems to occur only with chocolate. With chocolate this ongoing debate continues to this day that it is theobromine which causes symptoms and that cacao contains no caffeine. In the minds of medical researchers, this is simply not true. Chocolate contains caffeine and aflatoxin, a known carcinogen has also been found in cacao powder.
Chocolate contains caffeine.
Chocolate contains tyramine a kind of active acidity and the main factor to cause headache in individuals with PKD. The other reason is that the cocoa powder in chocolate may stimulate the activity of kidney cysts and prompt the growth of these cysts. Another reason for dialysis patients to avoid chocolate in addition to caffeine increasing cyst growth, is that chocolate is high in phosphorus; caffeine can cause blood pressure to rise. Caffeine in chocolate enhances the action of cAMP by inhibiting its breakdown, resulting in more circulating cAMP, which increases cyst growth creating more cysts, increasing organ size and increasing symptoms. One amusing article tells of the correlation between Nobel Laureates and drinking chocolate, particularly an Italian drink called Barbajada. See the articles below from the pulldown menu.
What do you drink as alternative hot drinks?
Some useful non-caffeine alternatives make a pleasant hot drink.
Cyclic AMP increases Cysts
Many articles below show the effect of increasing cyclic AMP on cyst filling and growth. Many of the articles are done in the laboratory with lab animals. Humans take such a long time to study, especially those with cystic organs. Events are seen about 20 years later. Many do not wish to wait this long and are decreasing caffeine intake now.
Caffeine drinks are not recommended for cystic organ disease. Caffeine in chocolate, cola, and coffee enhances the action of cAMP by inhibiting its breakdown, resulting in more circulating cAMP, increasing cyst growth, creating more cysts, enlarging cystic organs and increasing symptoms.
Is Drinking Caffeine Drug Abuse?
For some the neurological effects of caffeine are similar to a drug. Caffeine is the most widely used psychoactive substance and is often considered a drug of abuse. How much is known about the neurologic effects of caffeine? The population consumes caffeine in bottled water drinks, Caffeine saturated energy drinks, and coffee, all of which can possibly lead to caffeine abuse.
Cola
Cola manufacturers have added additional caffeine to drinks. This is why they can name some beverages with a caffeine free label.
Along with added caffeine, high-fructose corn syrup 55 as an ingredient, so named because it is 55 per cent fructose or fruit sugar and 42 per cent glucose or simple sugar. HFCS is made by grinding wet corn until it becomes cornstarch. Most USA corn has been genetically modified. This cornstarch is mixed with an enzyme secreted by a rod-shaped bacterium called Bacillus and an enzyme secreted by a mold called Aspergillus. This process creates the glucose. A third enzyme, also derived from bacteria, is then used to turn some of the glucose into fructose. This process is harmful.
Humor
A little chuckle sent from Sandy about uses for Cola:
l. To clean a toilet pour a can of cola into the toilet bowl. Let the real
thing sit for one hour, then flush clean. The citric acid in Coke removes
stains from vitreous china.
2. To remove rust spots from chrome car bumpers, rub the bumper with a
crumpled up piece of Reynolds Wrap dipped in cola.
3. To clean corrosion from car battery terminals pour a can of cola
over the terminals to bubble away any corrosion.
4. To loosen a rusted bolt apply a cloth soaked in cola to the rusted
bolt for several minutes. Also pouring cola on lug nuts will loosen them for
easy removal.
5. To remove grease from clothes empty a can of cola into a load of
greasy clothes, add detergent and run through a regular cycle. The cola will help loosen grease stains.
6. Cola will clean road haze from your windshield.
Caffeine raises blood pressure and increases cyst growth