Regular Caffeine Consumption Affects Brain Structure

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Lucas Oliveira
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Regular Caffeine Consumption Affects Brain Structure

Post by Lucas Oliveira »

Regular Caffeine Consumption Affects Brain Structure

Frequent caffeine consumption reduces gray matter volume in areas of the right medial temporal lobe, including the hippocampus. Ten days of “caffeine abstinence” helps regenerate gray matter.

https://neurosciencenews.com/caffeine-g ... ter-17781/

Daily caffeine consumption can change the gray matter of the brain
https://www.news-medical.net/news/20210 ... brain.aspx
Meditation Associated With Increased Grey Matter In The Brain

Meditation is known to alter resting brain patterns, suggesting long lasting brain changes, but a new study by researchers from Yale, Harvard, Massachusetts General Hospital, and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology shows meditation also is associated with increased cortical thickness.

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2 ... 215950.htm

Mindfulness practice leads to increases in regional brain gray matter density
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3004979/

Meditation experience is associated with increased cortical thickness
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1361002/
Grey matter

Grey matter (or gray matter) is a major component of the central nervous system, consisting of neuronal cell bodies, neuropil (dendrites and unmyelinated axons), glial cells (astrocytes and oligodendrocytes), synapses, and capillaries. Grey matter is distinguished from white matter in that it contains numerous cell bodies and relatively few myelinated axons, while white matter contains relatively few cell bodies and is composed chiefly of long-range myelinated axons.[1] The colour difference arises mainly from the whiteness of myelin. In living tissue, grey matter actually has a very light grey colour with yellowish or pinkish hues, which come from capillary blood vessels and neuronal cell bodies.[2]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grey_matter

What is Grey Matter?
https://www.news-medical.net/health/Wha ... atter.aspx

Neuroanatomy, Gray Matter
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK553239/

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Sādhaka
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Re: Regular Caffeine Consumption Affects Brain Structure

Post by Sādhaka »

Hm, I’ve been wanting to eliminate or at least reduce my caffeine intake. And I do so for a week or so at times, but then end up slipping back into having 300 mg or more an day.

Shardza Tashi Gyaltsen Rinpoche recommended rhododendron as an alternative; and even went as far as suggesting that tea caffeine can be an cause for lower realm rebirth. Rhododendron actually seems to be a strong adaptogen.

I wonder if yerba maté and guayusa affect grey matter the same way...? They do have virtually no tannins, whereas tea has enough tannins to even make you nauseous. But maybe the tannins—even though they’re an relatively toxic anti-nutrient—are not even an factor in the grey matter thing....

(Many antinutrients are touted as “antioxidants”, and some may have an simultaneous function as both; but I think that glutathione may be one of the only antioxidants one really needs, but that’s off-topic)
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Re: Regular Caffeine Consumption Affects Brain Structure

Post by Brunelleschi »

I mean two things. First the study was only n = 20, with 10 subjects + 10 in the control group. This is a very small sample.

Secondly, it's possible the test used to assess memory isn't suitable as mentioned by the authors:
Notably, we did not find a significant association between mTL volume and the performance in visual working memory. N-Back performance, as the only available measure in memory functions in the current project, might, however, not be a suitable task to detect neurocognitive changes related to mTL GM (Jeneson and Squire 2011). In fact, performing N-back task involves majorly frontal and parietal regions (Wang et al. 2019). Moreover, a change in brain structure does not necessarily come with a difference in behavior, as differential brain activity patterns can compensate or adapt to structural changes such that behavioral performance remains unchanged (Barulli and Stern 2013; Rudrauf 2014). Therefore, we strongly encourage a further investigation in functional activities during working memory as well as other cognitive domains under daily caffeine consumption.
I wouldn't stop drinking coffee based on this study.
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Matt J
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Re: Regular Caffeine Consumption Affects Brain Structure

Post by Matt J »

I quit caffeine for about a year or two. Now, it is creeping back in. :D
“Our results do not necessarily mean that caffeine consumption has a negative impact on the brain,” emphasizes Reichert.
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Re: Regular Caffeine Consumption Affects Brain Structure

Post by DNS »

But then on the other hand, there are studies that show coffee (and caffeine) help prevent alzheimer's and dementia.

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20182054/

:coffee:
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Könchok Thrinley
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Re: Regular Caffeine Consumption Affects Brain Structure

Post by Könchok Thrinley »

DNS wrote: Thu Feb 25, 2021 5:54 pm But then on the other hand, there are studies that show coffee (and caffeine) help prevent alzheimer's and dementia.

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20182054/

:coffee:
Yup, not to mention other things such as preventing heart disease and being overall benefitial for better aging.
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Lucas Oliveira
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Re: Regular Caffeine Consumption Affects Brain Structure

Post by Lucas Oliveira »

one scientific study shows that coffee decreases the gray matter of the brain and another scientific study shows that meditation increases the gray matter of the brain.

but there are also many scientific papers that show the health benefits of coffee.
13 Health Benefits of Coffee, Based on Science
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/to ... TLE_HDR_11
and even some meditation practitioners may like to have a little coffee before practicing an hour or two of meditation.

So let's drink in moderation

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Lucas Oliveira
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Re: Regular Caffeine Consumption Affects Brain Structure

Post by Lucas Oliveira »

Sādhaka wrote: Thu Feb 25, 2021 5:01 pm Hm, I’ve been wanting to eliminate or at least reduce my caffeine intake. And I do so for a week or so at times, but then end up slipping back into having 300 mg or more an day.

Shardza Tashi Gyaltsen Rinpoche recommended rhododendron as an alternative; and even went as far as suggesting that tea caffeine can be an cause for lower realm rebirth. Rhododendron actually seems to be a strong adaptogen.

I wonder if yerba maté and guayusa affect grey matter the same way...? They do have virtually no tannins, whereas tea has enough tannins to even make you nauseous. But maybe the tannins—even though they’re an relatively toxic anti-nutrient—are not even an factor in the grey matter thing....

(Many antinutrients are touted as “antioxidants”, and some may have an simultaneous function as both; but I think that glutathione may be one of the only antioxidants one really needs, but that’s off-topic)
I have also tried to stop drinking coffee several times.

Green tea is also another very energetic drink ... sometimes I look like a zombie. even meditation gets weird with green tea .. I get so alert that it looks weird

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Sādhaka
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Re: Regular Caffeine Consumption Affects Brain Structure

Post by Sādhaka »

Yea I can’t even really do green tea because of the tannins.

Maybe a small cup for ceremony, but not for the caffeine. Enough green tea to feel the caffeine makes me feel like I want to jump out of my skin, and nauseous.
confusedsoso
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Re: Regular Caffeine Consumption Affects Brain Structure

Post by confusedsoso »

I used to drink a lot of coffee and green tea but every since I started a healthy diet, I stopped. The thing is I heard some caffeine and alcohol will actually make you live longer in health studies..........
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Re: Regular Caffeine Consumption Affects Brain Structure

Post by SilenceMonkey »

I'll stick to my pu'er, thanks.
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Kurp
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Re: Regular Caffeine Consumption Affects Brain Structure

Post by Kurp »

Hate caffeine; makes me want to jump out of my skin.

Also, caffeine interferes with the metabolism of certain B vitamins, including thiamine (B1). Guess which B vitamin is great for reducing the risk of developing Alzheimer's disease?

Side Note: bean water (ie coffee) is gross and gives people nasty breath.
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Re: Regular Caffeine Consumption Affects Brain Structure

Post by Kim O'Hara »

Kurp wrote: Mon Sep 20, 2021 1:22 am Hate caffeine; makes me want to jump out of my skin. ...
The less you have, the more sensitive to it you become. That's true of lots of things we consume - garlic, alcohol, salt and sugar just being the first to come to mind.
And you can become habituated, so you feel 'normal' with a certain amount of it in your bloodstream. These days I'm habituated to coffee (i can go and have a nap right after drinking a cup of it) but I don't think I drink enough to be a health hazard.
At least, something else is likely to kill me first. :smile:

:coffee:
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FiveSkandhas
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Re: Regular Caffeine Consumption Affects Brain Structure

Post by FiveSkandhas »

Sādhaka wrote: Thu Feb 25, 2021 7:06 pm Yea I can’t even really do green tea because of the tannins.

Maybe a small cup for ceremony, but not for the caffeine. Enough green tea to feel the caffeine makes me feel like I want to jump out of my skin, and nauseous.
To me there is a huge difference between matcha and sencha.

Mediocre-quality matcha also differs greatly from the high-end varieties imho.

Sencha is as you may know much more common to drink straight than matcha.

I am not a wealthy man but I have been known to splurge very rarely on the highest quality matcha. It's the Rolls Royce of caffeinated beverages; to me the feeling is incomparable.
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Re: Regular Caffeine Consumption Affects Brain Structure

Post by Malcolm »

Sādhaka wrote: Thu Feb 25, 2021 5:01 pm
Shardza Tashi Gyaltsen Rinpoche recommended rhododendron as an alternative; and even went as far as suggesting that tea caffeine can be an cause for lower realm rebirth. Rhododendron actually seems to be a strong adaptogen.
Be careful, most rhododendron species are toxic. He was talking about a specific type of rhododendron native to E. Europe through Asia. I did not hear this personally, but he must have been referring to what is known as Dali (ད་ལིས). The leaves (call Ba lu, བ་ལུ) and flowers of the plant Rhododendron primulaflorum are used in Tibetan Medicine. A decoction made of the leaves is very strongly diuretic. The flowers are used in chulen.
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Sādhaka
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Re: Regular Caffeine Consumption Affects Brain Structure

Post by Sādhaka »

Thanks Malcolm.

https://www.etsy.com/search?q=rhododend ... pe=gallery

I’m seeing Rhododendron Tomentosum (“Marsh Labrador”)

And:

Rhododendron Adamsii (“Sagan Dalya”)

Could either of those^ be the one?

I’m not finding—even in an general search—much on Rhododendron Primulaflorum.... Are you sure that you’ve got the spelling exact on “primulaflorum”?
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Re: Regular Caffeine Consumption Affects Brain Structure

Post by Norwegian »

Sādhaka wrote: Tue Sep 21, 2021 3:00 pm I’m not finding—even in an general search—much on Rhododendron Primulaflorum.... Are you sure that you’ve got the spelling exact on “primulaflorum”?
Rhododendron primuliflorum.
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Sādhaka
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Re: Regular Caffeine Consumption Affects Brain Structure

Post by Sādhaka »

Nice, thanks Norwegian.
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Kurp
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Re: Regular Caffeine Consumption Affects Brain Structure

Post by Kurp »

Kim O'Hara wrote: Tue Sep 21, 2021 1:15 pm
Kurp wrote: Mon Sep 20, 2021 1:22 am Hate caffeine; makes me want to jump out of my skin. ...
The less you have, the more sensitive to it you become. That's true of lots of things we consume - garlic, alcohol, salt and sugar just being the first to come to mind.
And you can become habituated, so you feel 'normal' with a certain amount of it in your bloodstream.
No wonder alcohol and drugs, sincere compliments, and good American horror films shock my system.

But seriously, I’ve noticed this effect with food. Salt and sugar, when I avoid them, are disgusting to me when I go back eating them. I remember going on a super health kick in my mid-20’s eating only small amounts of legumes and lots of non-starchy vegetables. I went to eat a plate of cheese fries for my birthday and oh the disappointment of it all. Tasted like how I assume motor oil would be like. Utterly nauseating.

Still finished them though, sadly. :pig: D’oh! :shrug:
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Sādhaka
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Re: Regular Caffeine Consumption Affects Brain Structure

Post by Sādhaka »

Rhododendron Primuliflorum isn’t so easy to procure.

https://www.etsy.com/search?q=rhododend ... pe=gallery

The other two varieties of Rhododendron that I mentioned found in the above Etsy link, are made for human consumption.

I wonder if either of them are similar enough to Rhododendron Primuliflorum....
Last edited by Sādhaka on Tue Sep 21, 2021 3:42 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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