Although the medical explanations regarding the many negative effects of caffeine are lengthy, they leave you with no doubt about the validity of the author's argument. (And you might even learn something about the way your body works!) I now recommend this book to everyone I know that drinks coffee, and have myself stopped ingesting caffeine as a result of reading this book. If you are at all interested in learning more about the effects of caffeine, you will not regret buying this book!

This is an excellent book about the adverse effects of caffeine. The books explains how coffee and caffeine use increases stress hormones like adrenaline and cortisol in the blood and leads to fatigue, depression and hunger. It explains how it raises insulin levels and stains teeth, increases muscle tension and pain and is connected to increased h pylori levels. It's basically a nightmare - and everyone including doctors and little kids are addicted to it.

People defend it and say how they love it (like loving it is somehow unique to them) because they are addicted to it. If they stop, they will endure devastatingly painful withdrawal symptoms including headaches, body aches, fatigue, constipation and the worse - depression. And though a lot of these withdrawal symptoms pass within a week or so of no caffeine, mild fatigue and depression can continue for a couple of months. Addicted people, and the addiction is secured with less than one cup of coffee a day, must have their coffee or the price will be severe. This is why people "love coffee". They are addicts keeping withdrawal at bay.

I quit coffee using this book. I found it harder than quitting smoking - and I quit from just one cup a day. Very worth it though, once you get pass the caffeine withdrawal hell, which takes time. It doesn't help when everyone and their diabetic mom and doctor is gulping down the stuff all around you. Some of the positives:

Weight loss - 20 lbs in 3 months without deliberately changing anything. I simply stopped craving sugar and junk food and lost that crazy hunger I would get some hours after having coffee. I didnt just lose weight, I got leaner, more muscular.

Better sleep and much better complexion and skin tone.

I go to the bathroom normally now and have no stomach issues.

Much healthier gums. My dentist asked me what I was doing different and when I told him he says - no that can't be it as he flashed his yellow coffee teeth and told me how he drinks 4 cups a day cause it's healthy. Meanwhile the guy is totally fat with a huge belly.

Definitely though, however you quit coffee/caffeine, it is really hard. I know some other people who have quit caffeine who have conquered other what most people would consider extremely addictive substances and in their opinion they were nothing compared to caffeine. So it's doable and ridiculously worth it but it is hard. And the addicts are everywhere aroung you drinking it and suggesting more fixes.

I thought I would add my two bits to the discussion. I am a senior level medical student and weeks away from graduation.

First off, I am not suprised to see some of the asinine, half-witted comments in the "1 star" section as I commonly encounter these same rebuttals both by hospital staff and patients. In fact, during a recent debate with a resident doctor of Internal Medicine in the past week, he made the statements: "you can't trust a dietician" and "caffeine/coffee has NEVER been shown to have any long-term health effects". Wrong, and such a strong statement. While multiple studies do indeed show ambiguity in their results, there are many others which DO unequivocally link caffeine to adverse health outcomes. I have personally done a literature review on caffeine and have discovered many well-built and RECENT studies in the literature to support the author's claims. It is particularly amusing to see people tenaciously defend caffeine and neglect to entertain any discussion with respect to its negative health effects. It's as though you've insulted their mothers!

I embarassingly admit that I have learned more about caffeine from a single chapter in this intriguing text than during my medical training in its entirety. Furthermore, only negative effects were related to me in med-school, never positives. Despite it's ubiquitous presence in society, the physiologic effects of caffeine on the body are not taught in medical school. This may serve to explain why many physicians neglect to broach the discussion on caffeine with their patients.

This brings me to my next thought: The fact that the author is not a doctor/PHD does not preclude the book's credibility. The author is more informed about caffeine than the majority of practicing physicians. He does cite valid studies which I assert, are appropriately interpreted. With access to Pubmed (a search tool that allows access to virtually any journal in print) I have personally and randomly clarified several of the references he lists, for verification. What difference does it make if a well-informed nutritionist or physician accesses the forum by which researchers exchange information?

For those who argue that the recent studies are not cited, let the reader bear in mind that this book was published in 1996. Since, there have been multiple studies to show adverse health effects of caffeine.

Lastly, while it may be touted that coffee has been shown to contain anti-oxidants which can reduce the likelihood of developing cancer, it also contains diterpenes, molecular compounds that increases your risk for heart attack. Why take the bad with the good? There are a vast array of food products that contain anti-oxidants, without the diterpenes present.

This is great book for lay-people and health professionals alike. It's definitely worth a read, especially if you have your suspicions about coffee or if you're a practicing physician who prefers to exhaust conservative measures before resigning to medical therapy.

I've been a coffee lover since I was a kid. I was diagnosed with depression/anxiety 15 yrs ago,I'm now 40. Med's never helped, tried them all. Then was diagnosed with mild bi-polar,which I thought was ridiculous. Ended up going to a Psychiatrist and he told me my problem was ADD and put me on Adderall. I did great at first but then it started pooping out on me and I realized that the ADD med's felt just like 10 cups of coffee so I knew I had to quit them both. Then I read Caffeine Blues and am a new woman. I've weaned down to 2oz.and am feeling good. Coffee was harder to quit than the amphetamines. I've gone much slower than the book recommends and am still have withdrawal symptoms, needing a nap at noon, sleeping only 6.5 hrs at night, but I know this will pass. This book has saved my life.

There is surprisingly very little clear information out there on the effects of caffeine on the body when I initially started searching on-line. I was what is considered a "moderate" coffee drinker - one to two strong mugs in the morning for about 20 years. I have not had caffeine for a month now and I am quite amazed about the positive changes in my body, energy level and mood. I read this book after I stopped, but I wish someone had given it to me years ago. Caffeine is a drug and for those who jump on the defensive bandwagon if someone just brings up the idea it may not be good for you, take a deep breath. All he is suggesting is that some people (like myself) may have more sensitivity to it and owe it to ourselves to see what happens if we stop. The other important point is that there are major industries with HUGE vested interests in keeping people addicted to their products. He raises points that should be discussed and I wish more people would. Like a previous reviewer, I think the book should be updated and wish there was a current web-site out there to help inform people. I have ordered another book which looks interesting - The Truth about Caffeine - and will see how that ranks with Caffeine Blues. So, for anyone wondering - do yourself a favor read the book and see what happens if you get off the caffeine rollercoaster. In my case, my sleep is more restful than I ever recall having and no more peaks and valleys of energy during the day. And for those worried about gaining weight....well, I am actually losing weight and don't find myself wanting to snack nearly as much. Go figure.

This is now my favorite book. I don't think I've ever learned so much from a book before. It has changed my life and the lives of many others now. I recommend this book to all of my clients if they would like to learn more from our sessions. Enjoy your caffeine-free tea! ;)
Amanda Hudes
www.aplusplan.com

Overall, this is an extremely well written and meticulously documented explanation of why and how caffeine affects you. The depth and breadth of negative effects are startling and frightening.

The main purpose of the book is to empower the reader to make informed choices about caffeine consumption. Unfortunately, while the scientific documentation is there, most of this information is not widely known from mainstream media sources. There is a lot of information in this book - some may skim over certain sections, and enjoy the rich details in areas of greater interest.

The author clearly hopes that many readers will follow in the footsteps of the many people in his practice who are enjoying much better health after reducing caffeine intake.

Reader: Inform Thyself!

A response to some of the reviews:
* Some complain that the book is overly negative. To those I ask: "Should a book on smoking give equal weight and time to the positive and negative effects of smoking"?

* One claimed that the author misused science, but in offering no evidence, the claim is unfounded.

* Many reviewers claim that small amounts of caffeine are harmless. We who love coffee are strongly motivated to believe this - even if science says otherwise. Cherniske explains that studies suggesting that caffeine is fine, are often misleading. They either use shoddy research methods, or use very low quantities (which are much less harmful) or are conducted with a carefully chosen set of people so that the negative effects do not show up.

* One reviewer remarked that Cherniske is now the president of an MLM company selling junk. I wonder if they speak from personal experience. I know of many people (including myself) who consumed that `junk' for just a week or two, and found that they spontaneously stopped drinking coffee. The body seems to find caffeine undesirable when it gets the nutrition it needs to generate energy and mental alertness the old fashioned way (without causing stress).

* Yes the author has a very zealous style which puts some readers off and probably undermines his otherwise valid points. However, one might forgive this zeal, given the many people in his practice who feel so much better off the bean.

* I would also like to see a revised edition with new research results taken into account, some of which show benefits of caffeine. One must be careful to distinguish between benefits of coffee and of caffeine. A recent study reported in the New Scientist (May 2007) showed that drinking many cups a day of coffee significantly reduces the risk to gout - but the benefits derive equally from decaf.

The author did put out a later book called The Metabolic Plan; it offers a more comprehensive approach to staying healthy longer, that includes some of the material in The Caffeine Blues and probably has updated references.

I strongly recommend this book. If you still want to ingest caffeine, so be it. At least you are informed. Hopefully you can escape the side effects of caffeine by
* feeling relaxed, experiencing little stress and being in a consistently good mood
* sleeping restfully and deeply every night, feeling great in the morning
* having good concentration, and consistent energy that does not depend on when you had your last cup of coffee
* your digestive system can absorb plenty of calcium, manganese and other important nutrients with no ulcers, acid indigestion heartburn, bloating/gas, diarrhea or colitis
* having a regular heartbeat with good blood pressure
* having youthful moist skin, with no rashes
* experiencing few headaches, dizziness or ringing in your ears
* no blood sugar swings
* your bowel remains blissfully non-irritable
* your sex life is healthy and vibrant

If this does not describe you, then you might try getting off the bean.

If you drink a lot of [...] daily, especially coffee, you should read this. Just switching from coffee to regular tea has helped me massively--less [...]. Less heart palpitations, much more energy(I can immediately swim far more laps) and more. Bothersome situations now seem petty. Psychologically you will see that petty things are indeed petty. Those who have an immediate reaction against thie information are almost certainly addicted to [...]--I understand, I am too. Withdraw gradually and you will see your negativity is the reflex of the addict. And good luck, do it! As far as the author's credentials: his corresspondence university diploma is wallpaper as far as I am concerned. But the information in the book works. I don't have a degree in nutrition either, but I know it works.

This book really changed my health. I read it from front to back without putting it down. Then I took his advice and stopped drinking coffee. After three months, I felt like a new person. I used to have anxiety attacks and upset stomach on a regular basis. I stopped taking ALL medications and no longer need to take antacids for my stomach. It has been six months since I stopped drinking coffee and sodas.
If you injest caffiene in any form, I suggest you read this book. Take his advice and try his program for three or four months. I know you will feel better. If not, resume your current habits.
Here is to your health.

This book really changed my health. I read it from front to back without putting it down. Then I took his advice and stopped drinking coffee. After three months, I felt like a new person. I used to have anxiety attacks and upset stomach on a regular basis. I stopped taking ALL medications and no longer need to take antacids for my stomach. It has been six months since I stopped drinking coffee and sodas.
If you injest caffiene in any form, I suggest you read this book. Take his advice and try his program for three or four months. I know you will feel better. If not, resume your current habits.
Here is to your health.

This book is packed with the truth about caffeine, its addictive powers, and its profound negative impact on your body... especially if you are a woman. I found this book in my library, just by chance, and thought it sounded interesting. I have been suffering from confounding thyroid/adrenal issues, depression/irritability -- for which I was on Prozac for several years, and every single medical problem listed in the chapter about women. I am a stay-at-home mom who consumed about 400-600 mg. of coffee per day for nearly a decade now. I quit cold turkey a few days ago because I could not find the herbal coffee replacement mentioned in the book (and I didn't want to wait to order online), and Postum is nasty... and the migraines have been awful, but I know it is short term. I went through similar withdrawls from aspartame last year. I am not a "health nut," per se, but I know that the answer to my ailments cannot continue to be finding another pill to thwart my symptoms of caffeine addiction. Read it, share it, and be blessed. (P.S. As far as the author's credentials, please read all of the reviews. And if you read the book, you will see from the notes at the end, he has done his research. What he says makes sense and he aptly points out flaws of studies that have deemed "moderate" amounts of caffeine to be safe.)

After reading this book I actually omitted all caffeine from my diet for about a year. In all honesty I felt worse. My memory was not as good and in general my thinking was not as sharp as it was when I was drinking tea, coffee or eating chocolate that had caffeine in it.

The key as with most things is moderation not elimination of caffeine. Of course excessive amounts are not good for you, which is why you should limit your daily consumption to about 2 or 3 cups of tea, caffinated soda or coffee a day. This would be roughly 300MG a day including chocolate etc. Also I would not consume any caffeine after 4:00pm because it can disrupt your sleep but again it depends on the individual because caffeine effects everyone differently.

Caffeine is not the bad substance that this book would have you believe, if so 90% of the population would be in trouble and they are not. This book would have you believe that caffeine is very detrimental and should be avoided at all cost. That is not true and scares people unnecessarily about a substance that is fine if used in moderation.

i think it is sad that some of the treasures of the world, coffee and tea, have been reduced to a bunch of facts and figures aimed to scare and coerce people to abandon a cornerstone of cultures and lifestyles. sure, caffeine needs moderation, so does everything, what else is new. i say drink up, life is too short to fall into the 'fad health' book mentality.

It is truly sad to see how many reviewers of this book call Stephen Cherniske "overzealous" and insist that "one cup a day won't hurt you." Sad, but not surprising, as it is indicative of the depth of our society's addiction to this drug. One cup a day won't hurt you? One cup a day is all I usually drank, and the results were withdrawal headaches, a great plunge in my energy at 3 pm (never connected that to your morning cup of coffee, did you? Surprise!), problems with stress and tension, and even tooth-grinding in the night. All this went away when I quit, and Caffeine Blues was the book that inspired me to do it.

In addition to it being an easy and fascinating, if at times disturbing read, there are three things I like about this book:
1) It details--thoroughly--the ways in which caffeine may damage your health.
2) It reveals the damage that coffee does to the environment. Specifically, coffee was once grown in the shade, so that trees were left in place. Then sun coffee was introduced, allowing greater yields but contributing to the destruction of rain forests. I haven't seen this mentioned anywhere else.
3) It explains how best to go off coffee. This is important. If you try cold turkey, as most people probably do, the withdrawal symptoms will likely drive you right back to coffee.

All in all, this is a great book. It should be required reading for everyone who has ever had a withdrawal headache.

Coffee rocks and it's good for you. Don't drink too much, use a hands free earpiece if you must use a cel-phone while driving. Also look both ways before you cross the street.

Cherniske here makes a bold, spirited case for abstinence from caffeine. While some people may feel his tone is zealous to a fault, the truth of his words cannot be denied. Caffeine IS an addictive drug. Caffeine IS harmful for the body. Granted, there are many other things we consume that are harmful as well, but that does not negate the author's argument.

I have been a coffee lover for many years, but have been a believer in physical fitness and sensible nutrition for an even longer period of time. In the back of my mind I always have been aware of the perils of caffeine. This author has brought all those thoughts to the forefront. As a result, I am weaning myself off this harmful, yet widely accepted, substance.

Yes, pretty much everyone in our society drinks caffeine, blind to the dangers. Fifty years ago pretty much everyone in our society smoked tobacco, blind to the dangers. We've realized the dangers now of tobacco -- will the dangers of caffeine be the next great realization?

I highly recommend this book. I especially recommend it to people who have lives with high-stress and are mindlessly guzzling caffeine. Buy this title -- it will make you think, and will probably put you on the path to a much more serene existence.

I have loved coffee for much of my life. I have even been heard to utter, in mock appreciation of Socrates, that "the uncaffeinated life is not worth living." One time I quite coffee, felt really good, but during a flat stage, I got back on, more than ever, with the comment that without caffeine, I had lost the "joy of living." I have read this book by Cherniske. I have read all the reviews here. I have laughed hardest at the ones that recommend "The Caffeine Advantage," which supposedly about how great caffeine can make your life. Perhaps this book is over the top in its indictment of coffee and caffeine. But the fact is, that I will not quit the stuff without a little shouting at me to do it. Those reasonable persons who would suggest to have only a cup a day or so, or who only have coffee in the morning, or who can go weeks without it, with no headaches; well, more power to you. But I am not one of you. I am an ADDICT. I cannot drink coffee in moderation. I can only drink it to excess, and it invariably messes up my life. It messes with my sleep patterns, leading me to get less sleep and to then be tired often during the day. It screws up my diet, causing me to binge on sweets to try to counter the feeling of being too hyped up and hungry from caffeine. It messes with my breathing, as I occasionally experience a shortness of breath sensation that I notice when I am drinking lots of caffeine. And most of all, I know all of this in my heart. I know that caffeine is bad for me, that using it is using a powerful drug, and that the only answer for me is to gett of it completely. There is no possibility of moderation. I have tried that most earnestly and failed. This book has provided the only successful incentive I have ever had to make a serious effort to get myself off caffeine. And I have not done it yet. It is a battle. But I know it must be done. As I write this, I am in day 3 of weaning off in accordance with the guidance of the book. To sum up, referring to the title of my review, look at your own heart. You know, many of you, that caffein is bad for you. So don't kid yourself, get off of it, and be the person you were created to be.

This was a very intriguing book. For a long time now, I've had a feeling that caffeine was not so good for you. I've been reading Men's Health magazine, regularly, and every issue seems to have two or three blurbs about why coffee is either bad or good for you. It seems like every study comes up with new evidence for one case or the another. Contradiction after contradiction.

So, I was dying for a good book to give me some facts. I saw this one in the library, and scooped it up. I tried to be open-minded and skeptical at the same time, as I usually do when I read one-sided books like this, but I really became alarmed as I turned more pages. What Cherniske has to say really rings true, so I followed his advice and gave up the bean, and as he promised, I felt MUCH better once my withdrawal pains eased off. The biggest improvements were in my energy level, and the quality of sleep. I felt fully alert and ready to go as soon as I woke up every morning- without a single cup!

The most compelling statement he makes is that it will take about eight weeks of no caffeine to truly feel the benefits of its absence. Then he asks, "What do you have to lose?" If after two months of no coffee you don't feel a lot better, go back to drinking it for all we care. However, you'll be amazed at how hard it is to quit caffeine for two months. After two or three days, you will get some really hairy headaches unless you wean yourself off it slowly. And just try to walk by a coffee shop or the flavored coffee display in the grocery store without getting the shakes as soon as that old familiar aroma hits you.

Anyway, if you try to quit, you'll have no doubt that this is one powerful drug, and when you get those headaches, you can feel how bad it must be for your body.

-The only problem I have with this book, is that it was published in 1998, and there is no updated version, or newer books on the subject, and even Cherniske's website hasn't been updated in ages. Meanwhile, I still see plenty of new pro-coffee research articles in health magazines and such, and I *still* get the cravings every now and then, and I have to wonder how bad could one cup be now and then, or every two days or so? My will power is beginning to buckle here, and I could use some positive reinforcement despite the benefits I've felt. The pressure is pretty strong!

How about it Steve? We need you to refute these new claims!