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Have you heard of the effects of caffeine on the spider? |
Have you heard of the effects of caffeine
on the spider?To test the effects of caffeine on the body, a spider was injected with a small amount of caffeine, and then the researchers waited to see what would happen. It began to spin its web, but something was very wrong. Instead of a beautiful shape it was a mess of strands with no design or pattern, and the spider's behaviour was totally erratic. It was several hours before it could spin a normal organised web. The photographs were sad indeed. What does caffeine do to human beings? With more than five cups a day, the incidence of stomach cancer is higher, and it can cause ulcers.
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| Caffeine certainly causes the healing of ulcers to slow down. It is the caffeols - the oils which give coffee its characteristic flavour and smell - that cause the irritation to the lining of the stomach and digestive tract. The risk of bladder cancer is also increased . |
Caffeine raises blood pressure and heart rate, and aggravates coronary heart disease, by interfering with the fatty acid and glucose balance in the blood. In those who do not drink coffee the risk of heart attacks is lowered by 60%.
Caffeine is a sleep stealer, too. It has been found that in a newly recognised problem called 'caffeinism', problems that had been considered to be psychiatric in nature, e.g. insomnia, agitation, and restlessness, have been clearly determined to be caffeine related. In some cases patients in psychiatric hospitals with these symptoms and who have been taken off caffeine completely have found that their problems have been completely resolved.
Coffee does increase mental speed. This is especially noticeable with tasks like typing, problem solving or mathematics. However what is not noticed is that it affects motor co-ordination, e.g. target practice or car driving.
Caffeine is addictive too. For anyone who drinks coffee regularly, the withdrawal symptoms when coming off it are marked and unpleasant. Any substance that has this addictive quality is better not taken and the body cleansed out from any remaining effects. Have you ever noticed that a cigarette and a coffee often go together? Recent research has shown that those who drink coffee will easily drink more alcohol than would be acceptable. |
| Exercise and Matters Mental |
| Exercise is often thought of in connection with heart disease or the problems of being overweight. It has been proven beneficial in these instances, but it is not so well known that exercise will help with other health problems too. Research is continuing and it is being found that an exercise programme is sometimes helpful in cases of depression, anxiety, lack of self esteem or lack of confidence. Maybe a good brisk walk does blow away some cobwebs after all? The best type of exercise has been described as 'striding' and we can all picture what this means. |
When you exercise briskly and regularly there is an improvement in morale. Some of the brain circuits involved in mood also involve the hypothalamus of the brain, and when you exercise, the hypothalamus puts out more brain hormones. So if you exercise in the morning the good effect lasts with you all day, and without any of the side effects of a cup of tea or coffee or a cigarette
Exercise in doing something practical like gardening, building or creating something needs stickability and this needs the power of the will to choose to do it, to finish it and not become weary in well doing. So, as well as being healthy, this type of exercise can strengthen the will and the character to make you not only a healthier person, but a better person. A neatly kept vegetable garden or a well tended flower garden with the need to plan and use the mind, brings its own rewards and satisfaction affecting the whole person. Physical tasks require forward planning and this keeps the mind hopeful and creative, always looking to the future and seeing in the mind’s eye, the positive results of the finished |
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