How Caffeine Addiction Changed History (ft. Michael Pollan) | WIRED
90% of the world's adults consume some form of caffeine everyday, making it the most widely used psychoactive drug on Earth. Michael Pollan, author of "This Is Your Mind On Plants," explains why. Michael goes into the history of coffee drinking, breaking down its origins and how it benefits humankind.
"For more on caffeine and psychopharmacology, read Michael Pollan's latest book THIS IS YOUR MIND ON PLANTS:
www.penguinrandomhouse.com/bo..."
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The problem with humans is that we overdo just about everything.
i’ve come to learn we’re compulsive beings. we smoke too much weed, we drink too much caffeine, we watch too much tv, we eat too much. finding the balance is a tough one
Oh yeah? I overdo things so much. I bet I overdo things more than you do. I over-overdo. I am the overest doer in the world.
I used to overdo everything, Then i found a technique called "Mindful Eating or mindful consumption", very powerful and scientifically proven to be great. It's basically like a niche to eat and drink lesser quantities and greater quality food enjoying every movement.
That’s the product of instant gratification. We have a system of checks and balances we call the “conscience”, but unfortunately this system is corruptible by the promise of power...so really I think our greatest problem is our corruptibility, our eagerness to acquire power, and the illusion of the ego.
if we didn't overdo everything, you wouldn't have the amenities of today.
The fact that coffee has been cited as the biggest source of antioxidants in the US simply highlights how poor the average American diet is, not the fact that coffee is some super food that contains way more antioxidants than normal, healthy whole foods such as fruits and vegetables.
This is true, however green tea, is particularly healthy, and not as high in caffeine vs coffee.
the foods found to be high in antioxidants tend to be the foods in which we bother to look for them. we assume that any antioxidants we have not yet discovered, simply don't exist. ie. the foods which have the most ££ behind them, will magically have the most health benefits according to the studies.
@@JohnDoe-fg9ng yerba mate as well
@@hodsh1 true
Who tf eats fruits and vegetables in America lol
Nobody is talking about how coffee sparks a bowel movement, seconds after taking a sip. Or is it just me..
Do you drink coffee with milk? You could be lactose intolerant..
Just you.
It does for me
Yep for me too.
@@AppleBomb yeah, but its a good feeling, not bad.
Currently at a month without coffee/caffeine. I sleep better, deeper for long. My emotions are more stable, less stress and anxiety. My energy everyday is more stable with almost no fatigue
Right? It's awful getting off of caffeine. It's like a slow burn of energy throughout the day. It's miserable at first and even now but I feel much more emotionally stable.
How long did you feel bad for after stopping, if you don't mind me asking? I have tried multiple times but the headaches I get are so painful that I feel like I just can't do anything without coffee.
Cool! Im contemplating doing the same. Thanks for the inspiration!
@@helenoftroy4017 I’m glad I can help, it’s nice not having to rely on caffeine every day
keep it going!; I quit 7 years ago. Was so hard to give up but being free of coffee completely overhauls your sleep and well-being. I still crave warm drinks so I stick to herbal tea.
"Is it really a bad thing to be dependent on a plant that isn't ruining your life". Covers alot of subjects here.
Medical cannabis, high every day, actually making life better, hmmm.....
The spice must flow.
"and is readily available" , yeah not weed
@@mohamedlaqin8651 LOL what is the definition of a “weed”...?
While i agree with your assumptions...may i add that although things are grown and processed we should consider Brave New World and the way soma could really be implied in this sense as well
Caffeine free since 5 months. This decision saved my life. My anxiety and Panick attacks almost vanished. This video downplays so much the effect of caffeine on sleep. The widely consumption of Caffeine has been proved to have raised mental illnesses correlated directly with sleep. Anxiety is one of the first cases where caffeine is a major culprit.
Caffeine makes me INCREDIBLY anxious. It is SO bad for my health.
@@bob15479 I know
How many cups did you have a day?
@@BrittiDan I used to take 3 cups of Italian espresso plus 2 energetic drinks during the day. It went on for a few years until my first panic attacks started to occur and I deteriorated mentally. I went to the doctor, who advised me to cut off on caffeine. I started gradually until I was drinking only one espresso per day. After I got pregnant I quit completely, firstly because I couldn't stand it (pregnancy side effect) and after some time I decided that since I am not drinking it anymore, I will not go back at it. And i did, almost 6 months free and no panic attack on sight since then.
Caffeine doesn’t change how I feel at all. I quit it for months and didn’t feel any different.
I wouldn’t say that caffeine dependence is a free ride other than sleep; my cardiologist told me to cut caffeine out because it was causing my heart to skip beats.
How much caffeine where you consuming?
@@1997CWR Not an excessive amount, a few cups in the morning.
I'm amazed that people just ignore the fact that a stimulant would mess w your heart
I used to be fine with drinking loads of caffeine in high school - once in a while as much as 6 liters of soda in a day. That caused me to develop a hypersensitivity to the point where I became allergic to it. I had to quit cold turkey because if I didn’t, it might kill me. One time a few years after this happened, I was stuck at someone’s house where the only thing to drink was Coke, so reluctantly I figured one can wouldn’t hurt. I had less than 1/3 of a can and almost had to go to the emergency room because of the heart problems it caused me. I really don’t miss it at all. I’m mostly just pissed off at how many other drinks out there today have become caffeinated and how hard it is to find anything that isn’t when you’re out at a restaurant these days. It’s very stupid. Like how every chewing gum today now contains aspartame - even regular, non-sugar-free gum has it now. We’re a stupid species.
@@no-name420 My friend, “a few cups” every morning is absolutely an excessive amount of coffee.
“I don’t need a drunk text. Send me a caffeine text.” -Chris Fleming
How appropriate!!
👏
If you could encapsulate the caffeinated feeling in a text- "Hey! Hope you're well. Just thought I'd let you know, l'm going to clean my house, and then take over the world. Are you available to hang out Friday?".
i always watch videos about coffe. they always get me confused. "it's good for u, but it's really bad, trust us... but we don't really know".
This videos conclusion on coffee was very clearly positive though
Anything that disrupts natural sleep rhythms is probably not good.
I’d recommend “the bad food bible” - it breaks down the research. For most people caffeine is fine - there are people who have issues related to it, but most are fine.
Also there are many healthier alternatives to caffeine. Best ones are good sleep, diet, exercise, sunshine, and cold therapy in the mornings.
@@sonorasgirl hey, thanks! I will read it
Let's be honest: if you acquire a caffeine habit, you're going to spend a few dollars every day for the rest of your life just to feel the same way you would have felt if you never started.
This. So true.
same with cigarettes
Brewing your own coffee efficiently (with an aeropress, for example) drags that cost down dramatically. A reasonably priced ethically sourced pound of coffee comes out to about 37¢ per cup.
@@InigoPhentoya Exactly what I do. I got into pourover too and I drink coffee mainly for the fun of actually brewing it myself, as well as the flavor. I drink less than 12 ounces a day of black coffee, and I get 17 cups out of 12 ounce bag of coffee. That comes out to about $1/cup.
This is all fine and dandy for neurotypical people to say, but personally, coffee has revolutionized my executive function as someone with ADHD.
Had no idea I was only among 10% of adults in not drinking coffee... I recently started working a mentally taxing job for the first time in my life and I've been so confused how people can sit in offices day after day for 8+ hour stretches of time. Until I realized the difference between me and them is that I DON'T drink coffee. The few days I have caffeine I can suddenly get everything done and still have energy to keep going. But my sleep and anxiety are horrible. Personally I'm on the fence whether I'm ready to give into being addicted to this thing for the rest of my life or continue my life being unproductive (or just not a robot) with plenty of sleep, great skin, low anxiety, etc.
I'm in a similar boat. Sort of. I deliberately stopped drinking coffee regularly a few years ago because of the negative side effects. I only occasionally have a green tea if I think the caffeine will be helpful and I'll have it earlier in the day to minimise sleep disturbance. Every time I have caffeine, I am reminded why people are so inexplicably optimistic and why they expect me to be too yet they don't realise they're on a drug and I am not so they don't realise how close they are to being exactly the same as me and if you tell them that, they trivialise it. You might consider limiting yourself to one cup every day or even every other day but only in the morning/early afternoon. This should help you to prevent addiction and tolerance (so you get optimal benefit) and minimise sleep impact.
@@martincattell6820 It really is strange to think everyone around us is drugged and they have no idea how that makes an impact on their actions/expectations of others! I'm at a point now where every other day I'll take half a caffeine pill, which is about 100mg (coffee is too much hassle) and just have my productive days and my unproductive days. I also only take them before 10am. Luckily I haven't seen my sleep disrupted too badly but I'm really hoping my tolerance doesn't end up going down so that I'll need to take more, and eventually cave to the addiction. This whole process has made me second guess staying at my job though...
Caffeine in green tea supposedly absorbs slower and is a lower dose. That may mitigate anxiety. Also some people drink coffee every other day or like two weeks on 2 weeks off or something like that.
i'm 24 and i had never drank caffeine before this year, so after i had my forst coffe and realised it was not so bad I starte dto drink a little cup after lunch and now im sure people are only this energetic all day because of coffe, its like "oh so this was what you were doing"
I feel you, i can't handle caffeine.. big disadvantage in this world
Quitting caffiene this last month is the best thing I've done in a long time. Research shows so many positives of drinking coffee yet I find it much easier to focus, feel healthier and more hydrated, able to sleep earlier and my skin is better than ever now that I've quit.
Good for you.
Same here, it’s generally wise to listen to your body more than research
@@test99947 Could be to an extent though I'd say it's more likely I'm also highly sensitive to caffiene. The 'stress energy' feeling is something that also I realise has gone. Tried coffee again a few days back and felt tense all day, mistakenly thinking it wasn't enough to effect me noticeably.
@@dherro456 This is true. It could just be highly unlikely to have negative effects but the Internet made me think I was imaging things until I stopped. Always worth listening to your body just to see.
Black coffee is actually better for your skin but overall it’s not good for you in the long run since it affects your sleep and thereby fucks you up slowly but surely
Ironically, that world is now becoming less habitable for coffee plants.
This.
and Wired claims coffee is to blame for capitalism with all the destruction and evils it has brought... hurray for capitalism which is the ownership of the value created by labor by private capital, ie stock market investors. WE MAY HAVE DESTROYED THE EARTH AND ALL LIFE ON IT BUT IN THAT SHORT PERIOD OF HUMAN HISTORY WE CREATED A LOT OF VALUE FOR THE SHAREHOLDERS.
i don't get it
@@Ratigan2 Coffee requires a cooler climate to grow, and as coffee has driven an ever more productive, energy-hungry society, the warming planet is reducing coffee crops and rendering their current growing regions unsuitable. kzhead.info/sun/dM2YpayqiICCp4k/bejne.html
You can bet it will also be one of the first plants taken to mars to grow there.
I would say that being addicted is not worth the benefits. I have been addicted for 10 years, and it has hindered my sleep and my ability to focus throughout the day. Yes I’m alert for that first hour or so, but then get a caffeine crash midday so I have to reach for more; which then negatively effects my sleep. The process is then repeated on a daily basis. Quitting this stuff was the BEST decision I have made. I sleep like a baby and am able to mentally and physically function throughout the day. Quitting caffeine is a b*** but once you do, you never want to go back.
You should try cocaine!
For anyone wanting to quit, it's hard for less than a week after. After that you just feel better and better.
Having 1 cup as soon as you wake up will absolutely take away any of these negative side effects you experienced. Used to drink coffee all day. Once I cut to 1 cup before the sun comes up and drank it black, all negatives went away. Sleep isn't adversely affected, no crash, no jitters, no TMJ, etc.
Agree!
@@christoferstromberg6605 Just like cocaine!
I would say it was sugar addiction that changed history. Completely drove the slave trade for over 400 years, and that legacy lives on today.
In Brazil (and probably other countries as well) slave labour was also used to cultivate coffee - that's why we are the largest producer of coffee until today
Probably both. We're addicted to many things.
No, not really
And now most modern food product has a crap ton of it and is making you gain a crap ton of weight.
But slave ownership has been going on for centuries.
It would be interesting to compare this to the history of tea in the East, where it was initially closely tied with Buddhist religious classes. The Japanese tea ceremony, for example, can last up to four hours, and doesn't seem designed to increase productivity (maybe focus, maybe rational thinking). Tea is more popular worldwide than coffee, so it's arguably a more important case study for caffeine use and how it's interacted with other historical events in a different time and place than those discussed in this video.
Good point. Coffee is really a minor player outside the US and maybe Scandinavia, when it comes to caffeine. Tea has theanine going for it as well, which is probably alot more conducive to Buddhist sensibilities.
They didn’t even mention tea in the history of caffeine in Europe and other parts of the world, yet it was a major source of caffeine then.
Note that the presenter is American. For them "history of the world" really means "history of USA", so don't expect them to cover anything outside their cultural bubble.
@@calimon00 To be fair, in Britain we've consistently drank more coffee than tea, and coffee became a thing earlier. The tea stereotype isn't inaccurate, but there's no way it's bigger than coffee.
In spain we drink coffee too. Nobody drinks tea here. Shut up And teanine or how you want to say, does not exist. Teanine is caffeine. It's the same literally.
no ones talking about the toilets in these coffee houses... must have been chaotic
Voltaire must have taken a lot of bathroom breaks
I'm not a history buff or anything, but I guarantee they didn't have toilets then 😬
True 😩🤣🤣
@@csonweedagain5054 thats very possible, i guess the pit latrines must have been chaotic then
@@lionmenmusic6144 Is it possible for a pit latrine not to be chaotic?
One thing to have in mind is that the presenter it talking specifically about coffee, not all coffee drinks. If you start adding milk, sugar, syrup, whipped cream etc. to your drink then you need to be aware of what all the addons are doing to you.
and thats why you should drink it black
milk is fine though
@@larsmudde4523 i can't stomach caffeine anymore. When I was a coffee drinker black was my go-to. Of course I would take it in any form. But a man has a favorite.
@@larsmudde4523 i would if I was fighting in the civil war
Thank you.
It’s so funny that pretty much everyone that is commenting about how amazing they feel after cutting caffeine, later reveals that they used to have about 3+ caffeinated drinks per day. I’m under the impression that the gentleman in the video wasn’t downplaying the toll coffee has on your sleep (and therefore mental and physical health), he was just referring to people who drink one or two cups a day at most! Obviously, that’s the tricky part about any addiction - you build up a tolerance and always have to have more.
I have one or two espressos a day but it does affect my anxiety. Essentially, if I sleep well, my anxiety is lesser and I take my coffee in the morning, the effect is primarily good. But if I happen to have an anxious day, coffee will amplify that anxiety per ten. I think it’s important for everyone to understand how coffee interacts with mental illnesses, to have better and healthier habits.
@@octaviodigianni905 Espresso also has more caffeine than regular coffee
This is so true! I'm glad these people are feeling better without caffeine but I've always limited myself to 1, 8 ounce, cup of coffee a day. And I feel fine. I always saw the caffeine as a bonus to the delicious flavor!
Agree! Caffeine is a drug and should not be consumed by everyone (people with heart problems, history of depression...) but for the majority of people, consuming coffee in a moderate amount has more health benefits than it has downsides. Overconsuming anything (even water) can be bad for you.
I'm sitting here reading this comments section with my second cup of the day and thinking, "what are these people on?" Life without coffee sucked, I tried it for a month and would never do it again.
Caffeine is only beneficial when used occasionally. Once you're addicted it only has a detrimental effect on you. Sleep is vital for your overall health and wellbeing; so if you think about it, anything that impacts the quality of your sleep, is obviously bad for you. It puts a strain on your adrenal system too. Not to mention, that every time you consume a caffeinated beverage you are taking in a toxin that your liver has to get rid of, and you are making yourself dehydrated. Think of all the people who suffer with anxiety too, they usually find they feel better if they quit caffeine. So, it really bugs me when people try to perpetuate myths like the idea that drinking coffee every day is good for you.
💯💯💯
So true!
Ideas of liver toxicity aside, the common claim that caffeine dehydrates you is a myth. Caffeine IS a diuretic, but it is a mild one and certainly the water content in your coffee more than compensates for any diuretic effects you might experience.
Caffeine is not any form of "toxin." You're getting it confused with alcohol.
@@johnnyvivic8730 Caffeine is a drug, and if you overdose on it you will die. So, I think we can safely call it a toxin.
I guess this is appropriate for Wired
Best comment about
Witty you!
You did it, you won.
It's a tough battle for top comment on here but none of them made me laugh out loud like this did.
Underrated comment
Bold to claim that coffee was the CAUSE of prosperity. It‘s way more likely and plausible that coffee, being a luxury good, is consumed more when prosperity increases.
If by prosperity you mean slaving away at factories then yes. Coffee was perfect for the rise of capitalist during the industrial revolution.
@@agstinacueva1673 by prosperity I mean people having more resources to spend
I used to drink 6-8 cups per day. Over time and dealing with GERD I had to stop. But I needed it to function. Life without coffee was like having brain fog all the time. Then I found out in my 40s that I have ADHD, so I was kind of self medicating with caffeine without knowing it.
Omgggg this kinda sound similar to my life. I feel like I’m totally self medicating with coffee
Whats GERD?
@@xw591Acid Reflux
I understand that beer consumption in the old days was primarily small beer, which is a type of beer with very little alcohol content. People weren't getting drunk at breakfast lunch and dinner, they were drinking beer with 1-2% alcohol. Higher percentage alcohol could be bought, but was more expensive and not the daily drink
It is a fallacy that people of the Middle Ages drank beer because the water was foul. People throughtout history have consumed water and alcohol and so many major cities were built along rivers. Even in ancient times it was known that boiling water could purify it.
So many misconceptions in this video, and people love when their drug is praised. I'm addicted to caffeine like most users, caffeine make most people angry, anxious and depressed, having a bad quality sleep … the list is endless. Yes it makes boring soul-crashing jobs interesting by keeping you high, but the price is high too.
As someone with ADHD, it makes my life livable.
@@skepticmoderate5790 same. I feel the negative side effects constantly, but it gives me needed energy that I don't have otherwise. Taking stimulant ADHD medication doesn't have the same effect, either. I often take both. If I didn't, I would just be a lazy depressed slob that barely has the energy or motivation to do anything.
@@justmarc2015 you mean its better than SSRIs?
@@nathancoleman1223 Actually i use caffeine and doesn't get depressed, just use it wisely, like don't just chug jugs of coffee and stay awake all night and day..
It makes you happy when you drink it and soon you'll only be happy when you drink it, thus the addiction.
Okay, so... The whole of Europe obviously wasn't drunk all the time. That's just demonstrably false (and frankly: has been disproven more than enough times already). The beer that was drunk was usually lower in alcohol than modern beers to begin with. They did *not* give their children ¨hard cider¨ all the time. They also *did* drank water. What do you guys think wells were for? It's also highly unlikely Voltaire drank 72 cups of coffee a day. That would mean drinking 3 cups of coffee every hour of the day, including when normal people would be sleeping. Those cups were smaller and the coffee was probably less strong, but not enough to be able to dirnk 72 cups of them in a day.
how dare you question the legend! Right, that's it. We're changing it to 140 cups.
Also, the sheer amount of liquid consumed would be insane. Let's say they were tiny 6 oz. cups. That's still 432 oz. (or 3.5 gallons) a day!! Extremely unlikely.
Old school coffee cups were around 0,5 dl, so I find it possible, even if unlikely, as that would mean about 3,6 litres. Personally I've drank around 1,5 litres per day at some point, including milk, mind you. But then again we have the highest consumption of coffee per capita here...
Fun fact: all this coffee revolution in Europe started because Polish king John III Sobieski smashed Ottoman Turkish army in a battle of Vienna. Turks left behind whole load of bags with coffee grains. Man called Jerzy Franciszek Kulczycki (a.k.a. Georg Franz Kolschitzky) - the king's translator and spy - chose bags of coffee as payment for his service and with this trophy he opened the first coffee shop in Europe available for public in Vienna in 1683.The place quickly became popular and was frequented by Viennese aristocrats. Source - Austrian Piarist priest Gottfried Uhlich, in his 1783 book Geschichte der Zweyten Türkischen Belagerung Wiens or "The History of The Second Turkish Siege of Vienna", claims that it was indeed the Pole who was first.
@@ezicarus8216 I guess you're being salty cause you have nothing smart to say. 1. I gave the source of the data. 2. In 1783 communism was not invented. 3. The author is German, not Polish, so it'd be German propaganda (if any). 4. Communism was invented by Russians, not Polish people. Get educated before you ridicule yourself next time.
Wrong lol
I once had genetic testing done that told me a lot about my DNA. It also showed I am genetically predisposed to slow caffeine metabolism, which is associated with an increased risk of hypertension and heart attack if I drink more than 2 cups a day. At the time of the testing I was 27 and not a coffee drinker yet. 6 years later I drink coffee everyday, minimum 2 cups, and I just remembered some people really are not supposed to, and that I am one of them.
Which DNA test did you use?
@@moodieforhoodie SmartDNA, which I think is based in Australia, but I did the test in Europe.
Interesting, I think I'm the opposite and metabolize it quickly. So any positive or negative effects wear off super fast.
I had to involuntarily quit caffeine and all forms of coffee (even decaf) 6 months ago due to a health issue and honestly… I was miserable for about three months but now I don’t even notice it. I feel as productive/energetic as I did when I was having four cups of coffee per day, w/o the accompanying brain fog. Weird. Still miss it tho
just crush decafs all day, gives you the benefits of that warm hug
have a cup of coffee and see how you feel, it won't be difficult to remind yourself why you started.
@@JeffreyMarr decaf has caffeine too although. Less but it has too
What was the health issue out of interest?
LLicit interstitial cystitis
Caffeine addiction is a real thing. People also spend so much money getting their morning coffee. I used to make my own coffee every morning but I switched to a nice tea like Assam tea in the morning. Totally changed how I felt. I was a lot more focused and less jittery. I also lost weight because with my morning coffee I always added sugar and cream. I also have not spent as much buying a bag of whole beans which costs a bit more than tea bags
I quit caffeine for 3 months and my sleep is far far better! I don’t feel groggy in the morning, and im not dependent on caffeine. I think it’s far better to be used as a drug for a purpose (use when we need it) not just as a routine drink
I'm 10 years free of coffee addiction and it feels great. No more headaches, no more feeling tired all the time if I don't drink coffee. No more panic attacks.
Lucky for you one day no caffeine for me feels like I hate everybody that comes near me I feel so lazy during the day
i was addicted to caffeine for a long time but then quit. i feel way more like myself and relaxed and my energy is determined by my sleep and diet
Me too.
The caffeine headaches are what get me everytime. So I drink more caffeine to get the headache to go away. It's a vicious daily cycle. I don't like it.
I quit drinking coffee and switched to green tea and yoga, never looked back. It still has caffeine but the difference is significantly less. Hope you find something that works for ya.
@@stephaniefitzsimon1021 or... Drink less coffee?
A great video to watch whilst sipping on your morning coffee. ☕️
I hope we get a caffeine alternative someday. Getting off caffeine has given me the best sleep of my life and I wake up so awake.
kratom exists my friend
@@xaza8uhitra4 i think he was talking about an alternative that's more healthy than Coffee. I'm not against kratom, but i would argue that it's more unhealthy than Coffee.
Dandy blend!
hopefully that will be soma
Adderall
Super interesting video. It would be appropriate to highlight the other side of coffee farming: cutting down old growth forests and habitat destruction. The world wants so much coffee, but the ecological cost of growing it are quite grave. Michael Polan needs to highlight that too!
I have 1 cup each day and I don’t notice any negative effects. I already had anxiety and I feel it actually helps me focus in school.
I was addicted to coffee at high school, I almost had a hearth attack because of anxiety and that. But yes indeed, it is a wonderful drug for working long hours.
So basically coffee sobered up everyone ☕️
No after heavily relying on alcoholic drinks because of water being contaminated I do think we started to get more clean water to drink before coffee got imported and widespread
@@ottojagenstedt9740 ohh ok
@@ottojagenstedt9740 I was wondering about that. Considering that making coffee required boiling water, boiling water alone dealt with the water problem.
Based cobbee :DD
You still need a few beers to wind down after drinking coffee all day imo
For me, no intentional caffeine intake in almost a decade, other than the negligible amount found in the occasional bite of chocolate. No coffee, no tea, no soft drinks, no energy drinks. Nada. Stopped cold turkey. No regrets. I feel _much_ better. I guess I'm part of that 10% that was mentioned.
The way it should be (except for chocolate lol)
Would you say your sleeping improve when quitting or was it the same as before
@@angelfelix228 I would say it improved. As a night owl, I already have difficulty going to bed at a reasonable time & getting enough rest before getting up early. Having a soft drink at lunch or dinner exacerbated that and I didn't seem to sleep as deeply. I've never liked coffee because of the bitter taste. So, I would often have to take a caffeine pill to compensate in the mornings. Of course, everyone's metabolism is different. But for mine, cutting out caffeine did seemingly help my sleeping, by letting me sleep more deeply.
Still drinking coffee, I sleep hard, have good focus, and low to no acne. Honestly it depends on the person on how caffeine effects them. If it's negatively effecting you, stop drinking. If it's something you enjoy that isn't hindering you, why stop?
As a teen I used to be able to drink loads of tea and coffee and suffer no effects, absolutely gutted because I was a barista and coffee connoisseur but now even a cup of tea/chai keeps me up all night and gives me the jitters, let alone coffee. I am incredibly sad, but for my health have had to give it up. Apparently this is normal when people age but I just can't comprehend how or why, I really miss being young for how physically strong I was (used to not get hangovers either!)
That last line has me loving this man. Yes Michael Pollan!!!
This isn't about morals. My friend is a caffeine addict and she barely sleeps. 4 hours a night is luxury for her. It's destroying her on the long run. So I'd say no being dependent on a plant not needed for survival isn't good no matter how you try to justify it
How much does she drink? I drink quite a lot but try not to after 1pm to dont affect my sleep. Also, other factors might be involved
It may not be due to coffee. Insomnia is quite a common thing and it's often hard to pinpoint a reason. I've had it on and off for years and I drink maybe one cup of coffee a week
@@NiePieerdol Their friend probably drinks coffee everyday is my guess
I’ve never had ‘real’ coffee. I started drinking swiss press decaf coffee at 16 cause I loved the smell of it. My parents did not allow me to drink it as I was ‘underage and still developing’. Judging by the comments this might’ve been the best decision ever.
Don't forget the negative aspect of artificial stimulation for people with anxiety problems. I can have half a cup in the morning and be wired through the afternoon. Blessing and a curse, because I enjoy the taste but can't deal with the caffeine. De-caff it is!
it's also worth noting that coffee withdraw is on par with a light hangover (at least for me). So hopping on and off that wagon isn't too much of a stretch.
caffeine contributed to enlightenment, the age of reason and the industrial revolution, all of which required us to think in much more focused linear terms imagine what we could achieve as a society if everybody started snorting cocaine on a daily basis
Must it be snorted? Can't it be drunk like milk?
@@innocento.1552 I use powdered milk in my tea, so why not cocaine.
@@bekbek8848 poor you. People know how to joke. I'm sorry you are so sad and unhappy to not recognize the joke in these comments
@@bekbek8848 Cocaine and caffeine are both considered stimulants. So it is a fair comparison.
@@bekbek8848 only a dumb would comment that
I think a lot of these comments about how how coffee ruined them or quitting was the best decision they’ve made. There are good and bad qualities of coffee. I have a feeling most ppl just drink sugar (Starbucks etc) and not just coffee so ur just sugar overloaded the whole day which is way worse for you than plain coffee
Also, drugs can have different effects on different people for various genetic or other reasons. Caffeine is considered safe to use (within reason) for the vast majority of people. But there are always exceptions.
you cant just assume that
Simple sugar is just a very concentrated form of food. Not a drug.
People : coffee free is the best decision of my life.. coffee ruined me so I quit. Also people: I drink soda, energy drinks , tea (hot or iced) , beers , liquors , sparkling waters , hot chocolates… People who drinks coffee: 🤷♂️🤷♂️ ok we get it.
The statement 0:45 that most people in the Middle Ages were drunk all the day is not correct. There were plenty of drinkable water in lakes and wells at that time.
Thank you! Was looking for this
The fact the climate change is driving several species of coffee plants to extinction is entirely missed here.
the full cycle
Move fast and break things
Check out coffea stenophylla, it’s low yield but highly resistant. Hopefully it can be hybridized for larger production.
maybe it is missed because it is not an extensive study on contemporary state of coffee? I think the title said something about history (past)
Current 21 never had caffeine in my regular diet. Sure I would drink a cup of hot chocolate now and there(like once per 3 month or sometimes 2 times per month, irregular consumption)but never had I really depended on it. But lately I just can't focus, and I'm thinking on drinking coffee to help me focus.
Maybe, instead of trying to drink coffee to counteract the problem, try and think what the recent struggle to focus has caused. And solve that issue. Have you had other changes in diet? Stress, injury, disease, etc? Maybe a vitamin deficiency? Coffee may offer a short term solution, but for the long term, it may cause more trouble than good.
Dont do it caffein is just stress in a cup, if you start like that you will become addicted to it and will not be able to function without it
Why would you want to feed your body something it didn't need previously to function if you could also find out why you are having trouble with focusing etc?
I've been working the night shift for the past 4 months, and recently came off caffeine for 25 days so far. Much more stable energy levels. They say the most tired are those constantly amped up on caffeine. I can't see any benefits to going back to be honest. The moment I dapple around with coffee will be the time I start my 1-2 energy drink a day habit again.
yeah mee too i used caffeine for years on night shift but when i quitted had much more stable energy even in the night but it takes time first month was horrible haha
@@hanskazan7403 It is bad for the first month. I say that because I'm back on caffeine again but more casually lol!
About to get jacked up on some coffee and watch this on repeat!
"The Devils Cup" By Stewart Allen explains the origins of coffee. A fantastic and informative read that plays like a crazy adventure around the world.
Coffee and tea also affect the body's ability to absorb iron due to their polyphenols binding to the iron you intake - so even if you are eating relatively well, like leafy greens or oats which contain iron, this is going to be negatively impacted by caffeine especially if you are a moderate caffeine consumer. I personally have never noticed an improvement in my energy level due to drinking coffee, but I have noticed that it adversely affects my sleep. Unfortunately I like the taste, so I still have a small cup a day.
Leafy greens and oats for iron? are you kidding? Just eat some well raised meat...
I don’t even smoke weed. But this man just made a perfect case for legalizing weed. Especially at the end…..
I reccomend his book how to change your mind. It’s about LSD and psilocybin and how it can be used to enhance therapy. A great read.
I just started a coffee subscription. Ground coffee every month for my aeropress. Choose your own flavour. I have it twice a week as a treat and it honestly just gets me through!! ☕
I love that caffeine rush but I pay for it with anxiety later in the day.
I’ve been off caffeine for two weeks. Feels great
Caffeine definitely changes my mood/personality. I need to get off it
a soul for a soul
@@PM-vb4od you dont have to quit cold turkey just stop abusing it by drinking so much, a little here and there is fine, its when you start to rely on it that it because detrimental.
"but is it really a bad thing to be dependent on a plant, that you have easy access to, that you can afford, that isn't ruining your life and is giving you some benefit?" You mean marijuana?
Marijuana gives you way more cons than pros most of the time. (I am a stoner and smoke at least 2-3 joints a day). But the lung damage is simply undeniable, these days air is harmful because of pollution, but the rule of thumb is that anything that’s not air is bad for your lungs
@@lukazivkovic2510 Well there are always edibles, right?
@@maritekpl Yes! Making tea out of stems or edibles can be really fun I recommend them for folks with chronic pain.
@@lukazivkovic2510 Smoking 3 joints a day is what gives you cons. I tend to smoke a few days in a row, only once every few months. If you abuse the drug, it'll abuse you back.
This is how you know cannabis ain't liberated; I can't buy it without it being a big deal the way buying it currently is. I should be able to buy it like coffee.
Wonder why the classical antiquity cultures, Rome, Greece, etc., never got much into coffee.. Rome especially, was very active in north Africa for quite a while.
I've heard that if you go to any AA or NA meeting, coffee is the one addictive substance on offer.
I didn't start drinking coffee until I worked nightshift. Coffee certainly boosts the economy big time.
ah yes, the addictive bean
Nah, that’s lentils.
@@Kirsten_is_cursed10 nah that's SEEDS
More of this scholar, please!
Great video. Thank you.
I 've never been more proud of being an addict :))
"ruins your sleep" me a university student : here's the thing, *i dont sleep*
Great Video Thank you.
In Brazil drinking coffee is extremely common in all ages but I used to hate it. When I was a child when I got to high school I needed caffeine to get trough the long days but senior year I was so addictive I had extreme stomach issues and had to quit for a while. Now, I only drink because I like the taste and always have it pure black
The first time I had a couple sips of coffee I was playing a video game. I noticed a dramatic increase in focus and response time. It was like a super power. Now I have to drink caffeine just to think clearly in the morning. Plus, now I have some sort of stomach ulcer or something due to constant caffeine use. I can only drink a small amount of caffeine, like a cup of green tea or a soda. No more coffee for me. Definitely not worth it. I’ll kick it at some point.
its because you have a low tolerance to it the more you drink it the more you will be able to handle, and im a gamer as well
1:47 -- 72 cups a day? You gotta pump those numbers up. Those are rookie numbers.
Absolutely fascinating!
I can listen to Michael all day. Also, his jacket is so cool.
man getting off coffee was rough for a few days, i just didnt want to be a slave to it anymore
good man
Same here - had to suffer about 3 days of horrific withdrawal but that was more than 7 years ago now. Well worth it.
Kudos to you for becoming your own Master of yourself.
I sleep great, no Ill effects of coffee on me at all and may 1.5 cups a day. Improves my mood and focus, no anxiety at all. But I also don’t do gluten , dairy for over 10 years now . I’m generally very healthy. Too each his own , I don’t get the cut coffee but then eat TV dinners and fast food
Very well done video !!!
This makes me feel good about my coffee addiction
I can't wait for the next food, drink or supplement as potent or important to us as caffeine
And may be someday we'll have a similar video titled : "How Marijuana Addiction Changed History | (ft. Snoop Dogg)"
One can ONLY hope!!🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻
Call your senators today
@@matthewrogers8416 they're high already
0:54 technically what kills the microbes is the boiling that precedes the fermentation, not the fermentation itself. they just didn't know it at the time and attributed it to fermentation.
*error: Royal Institution” ->”Royal Society” the scientific society Pollan misnamed had origins in coffee houses.
*Very fitting that "WIRED" is doing a video on caffeine*
Interesting take but surely overstated.
In what aspect of it?
That is such an interesting point of view on it :)
People are not talking about the bad effects of caffeine enough.
Slightly different take than just quitting caffeine altogether, but I find that having smaller amounts throughout the day affects sleep and mood way less than you would think. Truly does help to take 3-5 days off though. Balance is key!
I see a reptilian.
Sometimes I actually wonder how I’m living day to day without drinking coffee … I got through all of college without it and now as a full time preschool teacher I make it through. I workout but like so do people who drink caffeine so I don’t understand. I feel like it’s a mind game at some point!
People drink coffee to feel the way you do every day. Caffeine addiction means you only function normally after drinking it.
well, if you drink black tea, consume soda pops, chocolate and so on, you are still on caffeine. It's amazing how much caffeine we consume even without drinking a single cup of coffee. I particularly try to avoid it all because it makes my insomnia worse.. med school without caffeine is hard, but trying to go through It without good sleep is worse (it's nice to know that I have both problems, but caffeine would make it even worse to me lol).
My coffee shop grosses 130,000 a year, I’m super blessed and thankful. Coffee business changed my life!!
As a person who has struggled with various addictions, including coffee on which im still hooked. I DO think it is a bad thing to be dependent on ANY plant. Even if you do have easy affordable access to and it's not ruining your life.
ooofa I love waking up to a video I didn’t now I needed and spiraling down a ruminative rabbit hole as to the history of how caffeine is responsible for my very existence
Luckily you don't have to, because it's not true, lol
Me watching this with my large Baja Blast because I’m addicted to caffeine and sugar 😬😬
I Love this perspective.
Moderation seems to be the key here. I have historically not consumed much coffee. I do however drink lots of tea (I love tea ok). However, the past few months my coffee consumption skyrocketed (tea consumption went down)- as it was just always available. The more you drink, the less you enjoy it / the worse you feel. However, in moderation (say a couple cups a week), a nice cup of coffee is wonderful and contributes to a bright day.
Stopped and X'ed out within a minute, no good information can possibly follow when someone spouts myths like "Europe was drunk all day before coffee came along" and "the water was undrinkable so they drank beer instead". Check your facts.
Coffee propaganda, we should move on
He's right about most of what he says about coffee, but the old myth about everyone constantly being at least a bit drunk during the Middle Ages and water being undrinkable really needs to die.
Question for the experts here: please explain me how middle age European city dwellers obtained clean drinking water?
@@stejer211 Wells, cisterns, tanks, rivers, etc...
@@hititwithit The important word was 'clean'.
This man just really tried to rationalize addiction
He spoke facts tho
He’s not wrong imo
Yeah but addiction is all around us. Almost everyone in the US has a sugar addiction, that arguably has more harmful effects long term, so what's the difference?
@@julianm4381 Well caffeine turns people into manic/irritable assholes, so there's that.
Thank you.
It's worth wondering. Am I becoming more productive in the long run, are my actions more accurate and powerful? Or are there just A LOT of them?
It sounds like caffeine was just a drop in the ocean of social and economic changes which seeded enlightenment. Other cultures have been drinking coffee for much longer and yet no industrial revolution or enlightenment happened to them. Also... people were drunk all the time before coffee? Come on...