The effect of cigarette

‘Man is a knackered ape’, said one child in an exam howler (it should have been ‘naked ape’), but it can so easily be true. When we are under touch stress and we find it hard to unwind and switch off, relaxants such as alcohol, cannabis, or even sleeping pills, sound attractive. It’s so easy to get caught in that trap.
For many people the first taste of addiction comes from seeking something that will increase their energy or decrease their stress, depression and anxiety, which is often caused by sub-optimum nutrition, a lack of sleep and working or playing too hard. At some point you’ll taste the sweetness of sugar and feel its energy-giving effects; or have a strong tea or coffee and feel the lift; or have a cigarette and feel the elevating and relaxing buzz; or the unwinding effect of a glass of wine. Stress itself is a stimulant, promoting the release of adrenalin and cortisol, and many of us become addicted to stress, panic and living on the edge. At least you feel alive – kind of.
When occasional use becomes a need

To begin with this is no big deal – just the occasional use of a substance to change how you feel. But, as we learned in the last chapter, your brain’s chemistry is already changing. You become less sensitive to the substance and therefore need more of it to feel good. Some stop at that one or two coffees a day, or that occasional cigarette, but others don’t. Many people end up hooked and ‘needing’ 20 cigarettes or a dozen cups of tea or coffee to feel kind of normal. For some, even this isn’t enough and the combination of down-regulation (becoming increasingly insensitive to the substance and needing more) and consequent reward deficiency (craving a dopamine high) leads to the desire to try something stronger – maybe cocaine for that extra kick or a more potent relaxant such as more alcohol, or even Valium or heroin if that isn’t enough.
Then there’s the other side of the fence, when you’ve quit something you had become extremely addicted to, such as alcohol, but have substituted it with loads of sugar, stimulant drinks and cigarettes. Although this appears to be a step in the right direction this means your brain chemistry is still out of balance.
The more you have, the more you want

For many people the slippery road to dependency starts with stress, sugar, cigarettes or stimulants such as caffeinated drinks. These all have similar biochemical effects by stimulating the brain’s trio of inbuilt stimulants: dopamine, noradrenalin and adrenalin. These stimulants give you get-up-and-go – at least temporarily – but in the long run they make you more stressed and exhausted.
They are actually ‘worker drugs’, and only really became popular and excessively consumed in the Industrial Revolution, as people started to work harder and harder, driven by the culture of capitalism and competition.
The trouble is, as we have already explained, the more you have the more you want. That one cup of coffee turns into two, then three, then there is the ‘speciality’ coffee that you make yourself in an elaborate ritual that, behind the scenes, means you knock back a triple espresso. That occasional cigarette turns into ten, then 15, then 20 or more. Sweet foods become a constant craving. You become more tired, more stressed and more in need of a fix. Then you need alcohol to relax.


The vicious cycle of stress, stimulants and fatigue

The exhaustion epidemic

Never mind the Industrial Revolution, the technological revolution we live in today has spawned a world that never sleeps. Television, the Internet and even the stock market call to us 24 hours a day, seven days a week. When we shave an hour off our sleep, we feel we’ve gained some small advantage.
Many of us are also trying to keep impossible schedules of work and family responsibilities. And it has a cumulative effect. You struggle to find time with your children, friends and colleagues, not to mention your partner. You’re less alert than you’d like, feeling drowsy as the day wears on, dozing off if you sit down to read or watch TV in the evening. When you finally do get together with your partner at bedtime, neither of you has the energy for anything more than falling asleep.
We turn to chemicals to help us through the day

Too often today we become reliant on chemical ‘helpers’ to keep us going: the frequent coffee breaks, the chocolate bar to satisfy our hunger when we have no time to eat, the cigarette to calm our nerves.
Heavy use of substances like coffee, chocolate and cigarettes can lead to reward deficiency.

Although we might recognise the problems that are created when we use illegal drugs such as heroin, or if we drink to excess, smoke or become hooked on strong prescription drugs, we usually don’t recognise that we can become addicted to caffeine or sugar and that these too can have serious repercussions for our health – dominating our lives and making us feel under par. We believe that we just need a little boost sometimes to get us through the day – despite the fact that if we’re low on energy it might be because we are dependent on stimulants.

How dependent are you on stimulants?

To get an idea of how depleted your natural energy might be and how dependent you are on stimulants, check yourself out in the following questionnaire:
QUESTIONNAIRE: check your energy

Yes No
1. Do you have trouble getting up in the morning?

2. Do you rely on a cup of coffee to get you going in the morning?

3. Do you feel tired all the time?

4. Do you often feel foggy, fuzzy or dull?

5. Do you have trouble concentrating?

6. Do you use sugar, caffeine (tea, coffee, caffeinated cola drinks) or a cigarette as a pick-me-up throughout the day?

7. Are you often irritable or angry, for no apparent reason?

8. Do your moods seem to go up and down for no apparent reason?

9. Are your mood swings often relieved by food, especially sweets?

10. Do you have trouble falling asleep at night?

11. Do you have headaches or shaky feelings that are relieved by sugar, caffeine or cigarettes?

12. Do you suspect you’re addicted to coffee, caffeinated cola, or cigarettes?

13. Do you find yourself operating from crisis to crisis?

14. Are you drawn to thrills, danger and drama in your life?

Score 1 for each ‘yes’ answer.
Total score:

Score

Below 5

You’re doing fine. We all have our moments – bad moods, feeling tired or foggy – when we are in need of a pick-me-up.
Between 5 and 10

You are showing signs of an overdependence on stimulants to keep you going. This next section will explain what is happening in your body, and how to make healthier choices.
More than 10

You are seriously hooked on stimulants, and it is affecting your mental and physical health. It’s important for you to take yourself off them. We will show you how in Part 2.
The see-saw of stimulants and relaxants

If you give in to your cravings for stimulants, it does not necessarily mean you are weak or ‘bad’, but simply that your chemistry is controlling you. You need the right fuel – foods, vitamins and other micronutrients – to run your body’s engine (see Part 2). You also need sufficient sleep to restore body and mind and maintain your energy level. When you turn to stimulants to give you energy, however, they further deplete your already bankrupt system.
The reason they work in the short term but not in the long term is because of what they do to your blood sugar balance, as well as the balance of your neurotransmitters and hormones.
Stress, sugar and stimulants all raise your blood sugar, which can give you a short-term boost in energy. But, in time, your blood sugar level becomes more and more unstable.

One of the reasons for this is that the body becomes less and less sensitive to the hormone insulin, which controls your blood sugar level. So now you need more stimulants to keep you going. Eventually you become dependent on stimulants. It’s a vicious cycle of stress, overuse of stimulants and fatigue. The end result is daily craving – and exhaustion.
Some people start using more potent stimulants such as amphetamines and cocaine to get an extra lift. The more stimulants you use, the harder it is to relax and sleep soundly. Then you need relaxants such as alcohol, sleeping pills, tranquillisers and marijuana to bring you down. This see-saw lifestyle affects performance, promotes stress and depletes your energy.
Handle with care: popular stimulants

As you can see from the diagram on page 90, all stimulants work by mimicking or triggering the release of the three neurotransmitters: dopamine, adrenalin and noradrenalin. That’s what makes you feel motivated and upbeat. We learned in Chapter 3 how down-regulation in the brain eventually puts a stop to the fun of getting high. That’s exactly what happens with stimulants. This overstimulation leads to down-regulation, as receptor sites for dopamine, adrenalin and noradrenalin start to shut down. You keep needing more of the product to l the same effect. But how much is too much, and are there some stimulants we can take safely in moderation?


How stimulants work

Although a substance can be good in one context, it can be harmful in another. In one short-term experiment, coffee was shown to heighten alertness, but you already knew that, didn’t you? And now you know that something can have benefits in the short term but be harmful in the long term.
We’ll deal with these issues as we discuss each substance in detail. But for now let us say that some stimulants are never recommended, whereas others can be acceptable in moderation, depending on the situation.
Sugar: toxic treat

Sugar is a fairly recent entry into the stimulant game. Of course it’s always been available in natural sources such as fruit, with its slow-releasing fructose and fibre. Refined sugar, however, only came in with the Industrial Revolution. Yet today, we can hardly picture a celebration without sweet treats – birthday and wedding cakes, Christmas puddings, Easter chocolates.
How can such a delicious, seemingly harmless children’s treat be so damaging? Rapidly absorbed and broken down into molecules of glucose, it quickly reaches the brain, producing feelings of ‘comfort’ or ‘energy’. Sugar bingeing looks a lot like any other addiction: tolerance develops, and you need more to get the same effect. How serious is that? Furthermore, there’s a strong link between sugar addiction and alcoholism. An illustration of this is a study by addiction researchers from University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.31 In one study they asked 20 abstinent alcoholic men and 37 non-alcoholic men to taste five sugar solutions. The solutions ranged from not sweet at all to very sweet. Sixty-five per cent of alcoholics preferred the sweetest solution compared to only 16 per cent of non-alcoholics. In another study they found that 19 pairs of twin brothers shared a similar liking for sweets and alcohol despite having quite different life experiences.
The downside of sugar


Sugar is bad for you. Although a valuable fuel for our cells, it can be toxic when consumed in excess, often causing damage to the arteries, kidneys, eyes and nerves.
The body tries to get it out of the blood as quickly as possible, but this can then cause a ‘rebound’ low blood sugar with its own set of problems. Some people feel stimulated immediately after eating it, then become cranky and finally go into a low blood sugar slump.


Individuals who reported drinking more alcohol on occasion and having more alcohol-related problems of No had problems controlling how many sweets they ate.

They were more likely to report urges to eat sweets and craving for them. They also were more likely to report this craving when they felt nervous or depressed, and they believed eating sweets made them feel better. This suggests that the craving for sweets and the urge to drink may stem from the same genes, possibly reward deficiency genes.
Caffeine: brewing up trouble

Found in over a hundred plants, caffeine is consumed primarily in drinks. A half-dozen caffeine-containing plants are more widely used than all other herbal materials combined!
Over a thousand years ago, Muslims used coffee for religious rituals. When the stuff finally reached Europe in the seventeenth century it was seen by the authorities as a dangerous drug. Nonetheless, coffee houses spread, as did dependence on this new drug. The rest is history. Together with tea, it comprises 97 per cent of worldwide caffeine consumption. Some parts of the world use other forms of caffeine – mate, guarana and kola nut – which are now becoming more popular in the West.
Caffeine was first isolated from coffee in 1821. The effects of coffee are more potent than those of caffeine alone since it contains two other stimulants: theophylline and theobromine.
How does it work?

Caffeine boosts mood and energy by blocking the receptors for a brain chemical called adenosine, whose function is to stop dopamine release. With less adenosine activity, you increase dopamine and adrenalin. You then feel alert, motivated and stimulated, although some people will feel uncomfortable and jittery. In 30 to 60 minutes, caffeine reaches its peak concentration. It is then inactivated by the liver, with only half its peak level left after four to six hours. Of course, if your liver function is poor you don’t do this so well.
So where’s the danger? Caffeine is highly addictive. Research shows that consuming as little as 100mg a day can lead to withdrawal symptoms when you stop, including headache, fatigue, difficulty concentrating and drowsiness. It’s worth knowing that while a small cup of instant coffee may contain less than 100mg of caffeine, a large ‘designer’ coffee can contain as much as 500mg – five times the ‘addictive’ dose. Decaf has much less – less than 1mg in a cup.
The downside of caffeine


Overstimulation of the central nervous system, leading to increased risk of heart attacks, irritability, insomnia and rapid and irregular heartbeats.
Elevated blood sugar and cholesterol levels.
Heartburn and other gastrointestinal problems.
Increased risk of fibrocystic breast disease.
Diuresis (excessive urination), which can lead to dehydration.
Used during pregnancy, it increases the risk of birth defects.
Contains tars, phenols, and other carcinogens.
Pesticides are used during growing most coffee beans, and these contain cancer-causing compounds (so choose organic if you choose it at all).


At best, we can say that coffee has minor short-term mental and emotional benefits, but these are not sustained. A study published in the American Journal of Psychiatry observed 1,500 psychology students divided into four categories depending on their coffee intake: abstainers, low consumers (who drank one cup or equivalent a day), moderate (one to five cups a day) and high (five or more cups a day). On psychological testing, the moderate and high consumers had higher levels of anxiety and depression than the abstainers, and the high consumers had a higher incidence of stress-related medical problems coupled with lower academic performance.32
The bottom line? Use in moderation, but preferably not at all.
Tea: not always refreshing

In Britain three times more tea than coffee is drunk every day. In the US the figures are reversed. You can guess why by recalling the historic Boston Tea Party, which preceded the American Revolution. Rather than pay a tea tax to their oppressors across the sea, the colonists dumped boxes of imported tea from British ships into the harbour – and haven’t had much taste for it since.
Tea’s stimulating effects come from caffeine, theobromine and theophylline, the same compounds as in coffee. Because of different methods of preparation and the many varieties of the cultivated plant, the average caffeine content of tea ranges widely. Tea contains less caffeine than coffee. However, even when caffeine levels are matched, the effects of tea and coffee on mood are very different, suggesting that there is another component in tea that may be responsible.33 This may be because tea also contains the natural amino acid L-theanine, a relaxant. Early research suggests that 50mg L-theanine naturally stimulates activity in the brain, known as alpha waves, which are associated with a relaxed but alert mental state.34 A typical cup of tea contains 14–18mg of L-theanine.35 Green tea contains even more, and also has much higher levels of health-promoting antioxidant polyphenols. In addition, green tea may help prevent liver damage and lower the risk of death from a number of diseases, including heart disease and strokes.

Case study  PAUL

Paul is a good example of what happens when you have too many stimulants. He was drinking 20 cups of tea a day, each with two sugars, and smoking over 20 cigarettes a day. He had no drive or motivation in life and lacked confidence in himself. After following a low-GL diet (as explained in Chapter 11), plus the right supplements, he has given up cigarettes and caffeine. ‘I feel 100 per cent better. My energy is great. I’m not tired. I feel motivated. My skin is transformed. It’s made a major difference.’

The downside of tea


A strong cup of tea contains as much caffeine as a weak cup of coffee – with all the attendant risks (see page 94).
The tannin content interferes with absorption of minerals.


We recommend tea in moderation, meaning two cups a day, or three cups of green tea.
Colas and caffeinated drinks: ‘cocaine in a can’

A cola drink contains about half the caffeine found in a cup of coffee. The original Coca Cola even contained small amounts of coca (cocaine) – hence the name. Today’s drinks usually contain sugar and colourings, which also act as stimulants. Maybe worse, diet drinks contain the artificial sweetener aspartame (Nutra Sweet), which can be toxically overstimulating to the brain. We have seen people who thought they were ‘going crazy’ with anxiety, insomnia and disordered thinking magically recover when they stopped their diet drinks. Ironically, although touted as a diet product, they can actually cause weight gain. (See www.dorway.com/blayenn.html for information on this chemical.)
However, caffeinated soft drinks that are even stronger, with names such as Jolt or Red Bull, can contain up to 80mg of caffeine per can (that’s more than a weak cup of coffee) and that increases their kick and addictiveness. Shades of the tobacco industry! Red Bull shot to fame in the UK after a newspaper article described it as ‘cocaine in a can’. Children and young people are drinking large amounts of these drinks, especially relative to their weight, thereby exposing their developing brains and bodies to a hazardous substance. Their use, together with alcohol, allows a person to drink more because they stay awake. Never mind illicit drugs, consuming too much junk food and high-sugar, high-caffeine drinks can lead to serious health problems and addictions in children. We often encounter diet cola addicts.

Case study  DENISE
Denise became so addicted to Diet Coke she bought a small fridge to keep by her bed so that when she woke up at night she could reach out and grab a can! Coca Cola’s corporate agenda has been to have their products ‘within a hand’s reach osire’ and, in the case of Denise, they had certainly achieved their goal! At her worst she was knocking back 20 a day. She had irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), frequent colds, low energy, poor sleeping and a desire to lose some weight. Her periods were also irregular, often heavy, with cramping. She had headaches twice a week and took painkillers regularly. After three months of following our nutritional programme not only is she caffeine-free, but all her health problems have resolved – and she has lost weight.

The downside of colas


Colas contain caffeine – with all its attendant risks (see The Downside of Caffeine, page 94).
Sugar and colouring are added stimulants, whereas aspartame in diet versions can toxically overstimulate the brain.
New drinks aimed at young people have even higher levels of caffeine.


Other sources of caffeine

Another source of caffeine is guarana, which is sold as a herbal stimulant. The seeds and leaves of the climbing shrub native to Brazil and Uruguay are high in caffeine. A dried paste made chiefly from the crushed seed of guarana has a relatively high caffeine content, ranging from 2.5 to 5 per cent and averaging about 3.5 per cent. To determine how much caffeine there is in any product, you must do your maths. You multiply the total weight of the capsule or powder by the percentage of caffeine or guarana to get the number of milligrams of caffeine per dose. The conclusion regarding its use? Like coffee, it can be overstimulating, and have the same ill effects.
Some medications for the relief of headaches, such as Anadin, contain caffeine. Other caffeine tablets such as Pro Plus and the herb guarana are sold outright as stimulants. With the exception of a moderate intake of caffeine in tea we recommend you limit your intake of caffeine to no more than 100mg a day.
Here are the caffeine levels of some common products:
CAFFEINE BUZZOMETER

>PEP
Coca-Cola Classic 350ml (12fl oz) 35mg
Diet Coke 350ml (12fl oz) 47mg
Red Bull 250ml (8.3fl oz) 76mg
Hot cocoa 150ml (5fl oz) 10mg
Coffee, instant 150ml (5fl oz) 40–105mg
Coffee, espresso, cappuccino, latte 50–175mg
Coffee, filter 150ml (5fl oz) 102–200mg
Coffee, Starbucks (grande) 150mg
Decaffeinated coffee 150ml (5fl oz) 0.3mg
Tea 150ml (5fl oz) 20–100mg
Chocolate cake (1 slice) 20–30mg
Bittersweet chocolate 28g (1oz) 5–35mg
Pro Plus 50mg
30mg

(Source: Centre for Science in the Public Interest www.cspinet.org/new/cafchart.htm, American Beverage Association, 2005, and Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, 2003)
Death by chocolate?

Chocolate’s major active ingredient is cocoa, a significant source of the stimulant theobromine. Research by British psychologist Dr David Benton at the University of Wales in Swansea, showed chocolate to be an excellent mood elevator.36 When he played sad music to a group of students, their mood sank. He then offered them milk chocolate or carob (a natural chocolate substitute that is similar in taste), although they did not know which one they had chosen. The participants found that the chocolate raised their mood, whereas the carob didn’t. Moreover, as their mood fell, their cravings for chocolate increased.
In addition to theobromine – also found in tea and coffee, as we’ve seen – chocolate contains the mood-enhancing stimulant, phenethylamine. Both of these stimulate dopamine production. Even experimental alcohol-loving rats, when given the choice, will replace some of their alcohol intake with chocolate.
The downside of chocolate


Too much chocolate, especially the highly sweetened kind, causes all the problems of going overboard on sugar, including weight gain.
It is often high in the wrong kinds of fats.
The addictive nature of it suggests the development of tolerance, so ‘just one chocolate’ becomes ‘just one more’.
Cocoa beans, like coffee, are grown in countries where pesticide use is unregulated, exposing the consumer to cancer-causing compounds.


However, chocolate does have some redeeming qualities. It is very high in antioxidants. Of all the stimulant vices it’s probably the least bad, provided you eat the pure, dark, preferably organic stuff, not cheap bars full of fat and sugar. Eat chocolate with a minimum of 70 per cent cocoa solids. But, as with any stimulant, if you eat it every day, or find yourself craving it, you’ve gone too far. Keep chocolate as a special treat, not a daily ritual.
Addicted to adrenalin and cortisol

Stress itself is a stimulant, promoting high levels of adrenalin and cortisol, which keeps you alive and alert. Many people get almost addicted to the buzz of adrenalin and have to keep going, fuelled by additional adrenalin and cortisol-related stimulants such as coffee and cigarettes.

Case study  KATHY

Kathy was an adrenalin junkie. She was drinking up to 30 cups of coffee a day to keep herself going. She also smoked 10 to 15 cigarettes a day. She was gaining weight and losing sleep. She wasn’t fully awake when she was awake, nor peacefully asleep when she was asleep. Within six weeks of starting our recommended diet, however, plus taking the specific supplements explained in Part 2 (combined in our How to Quit Action Plan), she had given up all caffeine, had stopped smoking, and was feeling loads better. She went to bed at 11pm, instead of 2am, and was waking up feeling refreshed. Three months on she had lost a staggering 20kg (3 stone/44lb) without going hungry. Her energy was greater, her skin looked much clearer and she hadn’t suffered from any colds. ‘I feel so much better. My energy levels are improved, I sleep like a baby, I don’t miss coffee at all and I’m not smoking.’

Nicotine

Alongside caffeine and alcohol, nicotine is one of the three most widely used psychoactive drugs in our society. With no redeeming value ‘smoking will continue as the leading cause of preventable, premature mortality for many years to come’, says the US surgeon-general. According to the World Health Organization nearly 5 million people a year die prematurely as a result of smoking.
Nicotine, the primary stimulant in cigarettes, has a significant effect even in small doses.

If you have ever smoked, can you recall the sensation of your first cigarette? It probably tasted terrible, burned your mouth and lungs (if you actually inhaled), and made you nauseated and dizzy. Those are some of its toxic effects in action. A few more smokes, and for most people the body no longer rebels. In fact you rather like it. In short: you’re hooked.
Nicotine has a complex series of actions, both stimulating and relaxing. For many people it is more addictive than heroin – and is often the hardest addiction to break. It stimulates the adrenals to release adrenalin and cortisol, raising blood pressure and heart rate, and increases gastrointestinal activity. It also acts as a muscle relaxant. (We’ll explore this more in Chapter 21.)
In the brain, nicotine activates the release of dopamine, exhibiting a stimulant effect similar to that of caffeine. It also has a short-term antidepressant effect, although this is most often followed by a rebound depression. In larger amounts, nicotine acts as a sedative, probably because of its effect on serotonin. People trying to kick the tobacco habit describe the accompanying tension and irritability as ‘feeling like you want to jump out of your skin’. They often experience low blood sugar problems, which leads them to overeat and gain weight. The trouble is that smoking keeps your brain’s chemistry hooked in to needing stimulants.


Case study  AMANDA

Eleven years ago, after years of drug abuse, Amanda quit heroin, but still felt lousy, with constant low energy, and occasionally got the shakes if she hadn’t eaten. She ‘managed’ her state by smoking up to 40 cigarettes a day, plus caffeinated drinks and sugar or sugary snacks. She often felt anxious and irritable and didn’t sleep well. Within a month of following our recommendations in Part 2 (combined in our How to Quit Action Plan), her energy had rocketed. Twelve weeks later she had quit smoking, avoided caffeinated drinks and sugary foods and definitely felt the benefits. ‘My energy is so much better. I go to bed at 11pm and wake up feeling refreshed. I no longer suffer from mood swings, and I feel much more motivated and less stressed.’ Even after 11 years she was able to ‘rebalance’ her brain’s chemistry in just a few weeks with the right intake of nutrients, both from food and supplements.

The How to Quit programme

Whether you are reading this book because you want to give up caffeine or cigarettes, or have stopped using drugs or drinking alcohol, but still ‘rely’ on stimulants, if you really want to feel great you have to go the whole hog and break out of the sugar-stress-stimulant trap. Just quitting one addictive substance, but continuing others rarely works. You need to eat a diet that balances your blood sugar and take supplements that help ‘reset’ your brain’s chemistry. How to do this is explained in Part 2.
SUMMARY

Nicotine, caffeine and sugar are all stimulants.

 The more stimulants you have, the more stressed and tired you become.

 Your brain becomes increasingly less sensitive to your own natural stimulants – dopamine, noradrenalin and adrenalin. As a consequence you need more stimulants just to feel normal.

 Anyone who has quit an addictive substance but continues to rely on stimulants still has an addicted brain