I’ll never tell anyone to stop drinking their morning coffee. Fact is, gunfire in the workplace would likely increase. Coffee, more specifically caffeine, is how most Americans start their day and most daily drinkers are pretty grumpy until they get their fix. Add a couple sugar packets and you’ve got yourself a witch’s brew of artificial stimulation. Let’s talk about sugar first.

Sweet sabotage. Refined sugars and carbohydrates create unsteady blood sugar levels, and many mental health issues including depression and schizophrenia have been linked to blood sugar stability problems. Sugar also does a number on our vitamin and mineral stores. One teaspoon of sugar can make a person entirely B Vitamin deficient. B Vitamins are important for maximum brain performance.

Researchers at Massachusetts Institute of Technology have shown a correlation between the intake of refined sugars and low IQ scores. In fact, the study found that unhealthy sugar intake reduced IQ scores by 25 points. Refined sugars are also implicated in aggressive behavior, anxiety, fatigue, hyperactivity, ADHD, depression, eating disorders, learning disabilities and even PMS. A study of 1382 detained juvenile offenders placed on reduced sugar diets reported a 44% decline in anti-social behavior.

The moment blood sugar levels spike above their natural threshold, glucose becomes toxic to the brain. This is why diabetics develop nerve, eye and brain damage. Excess glucose damages nerves and stops them from functioning properly. Glucose reacts with proteins in the brain and nervous system in a process called glycation which stops the protein from moving freely resulting in a thickening of the membrane and slowed brain communication. Excess glucose also causes inflammation in the brain, a hallmark of Alzheimer’s Disease. However, when we avoid simple sugars and keep our blood sugar levels are steady, glucose doesn’t have any of these adverse effects.

Simply stimulated. When our blood sugar level is low, we can raise it two ways; by eating sugar or by producing the stress hormones cortisol and adrenaline. Consuming stimulant foods like coffee and tea or smoking cigarettes produce some of the same chemical responses in the body as being really stressed out. We’ve already discussed the fact the stress has a direct impact on our ability to process information and remember it later. What’s worse, caffeine is highly addictive.

100mg of caffeine daily can lead to withdrawal symptoms when consumption is stopped. These symptoms include headache, fatigue, drowsiness and poor concentration. Designer coffees often contain 500mg of caffeine per large cup. That dosage usually leads to overnight withdrawal and we wake up angry, irritable, tired and in a bad mood. Research has shown that hand steadiness is considerably worse in people who consume 250mg of caffeine every day. This makes me wonder how many surgeons make a Starbucks pit-stop on their way into the office each morning. Studies have also shown that coffee drinkers don’t perform any better than non-drinkers. Consuming caffeine merely relieves withdrawal symptoms and allows a worker to carry out their job with average efficiency, which for road crews is about 12% (just kidding).

High anxiety. People who consume one to five cups of coffee daily have higher levels of anxiety and greater occurrence of depression compared to non coffee drinkers. They also suffer increased stress related medical problems, decreased academic performance and poor memory. According to one researcher, caffeine may have a deleterious effect of the rapid processing of confusing or ambiguous stimuli. This is bad news for cops and soldiers who operate in the realm of all things rapid and confusing.

Caffeine also blocks the release of adenosine, the brain chemical responsible for curbing the release of the stimulating neurotransmitters dopamine and adrenaline. Regular caffeine consumption eventually makes the brain insensitive to its own natural stimulants, resulting in low motivation, fatigue, poor concentration and withdrawal.

Coffee actually contains three stimulants: caffeine, theobromine and theophylline. Theophylline is known to disrupt sleep patterns and theobromine has effects similar to caffeine. Both theophylline and theobromine remain present in decaffeinated coffees, although not in great quantities.

Tea is a better choice than coffee although many teas contain just as much caffeine as well as additional stimulants. The upside of tea is its anti-oxidant value, polyphenol. Green tea is especially potent and effective at battling oxidants.

Stimulants are in other foods too. A bright and nutrient savvy friend recently pointed out that her favorite dark chocolate bars contain theobromine as well as caffeine. After eating one of these high cocoa content bars, her sister said she felt as though she had overdosed on a drug. She did say, however, that it was delicious.

Cola and energy drinks are full of caffeine, 40 to 80 milligrams per can, as well as refined sugars, artificial colors and other stimulants. We all know soda is bad for us so I’ll leave it at that.

The real fix. Eating a substantial breakfast of high fiber, no or low refined foods, live yogurt or eggs will get you moving and motivated. Snacking on high fiber fruits and vegetables help steady blood sugar and curb cravings for alcohol and cigarettes. Vitamins and minerals also help stabilize blood sugar – specifically Vitamin C, B Complex, Calcium, Magnesium and Chromium (200mcg daily).

There will always be times when we need an extra jolt of energy. Maybe you just need to stay awake on a long, late night drive or during a conversation with your mother in law. Infrequent use of caffeine is okay but avoid the habit. Have a great weekend and a productive next week.