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Have you ever wondered what the most popular drug in the world is? Well, it's something millions of Americans take every day.
It's estimated that eight out of ten adults in the West, and millions more around the world, regularly consume caffeine. That can be in coffee, tea, or sodas.
Whatever their delivery system of choice, the end result is the same-- a quick pick-me-up.
And the good news is that there's a lot of evidence they may be getting more than just a little coffee buzz.
Some like to take their medicine green. Others prefer it darker, more pungent. But all of them have one thing in common: They are taking part in a daily ritual that unites people all over the world.
"It kind of gets me going in the morning. But I just love the taste."
"It's a good earthy way to start the day."
For some it's more than just a daily ritual-- it's an addiction.
Graziano Lucchesi owns Caffe Puccini in San Francisco's North Beach, a haven for serious coffee drinkers.
"I got a lot of customers come two, three times a day, seven days a week."
"They come in in the morning and most of them say, 'oh, I need my cafe latte to get going.'"
"The caffeine, it's the caffeine."
It is indeed the caffeine. It acts on the body's central nervous system, acting as a mild anti-depressant, giving you a little boost.
Dr. Neil Benowitz, a UCSF researcher, says, "You get stimulation, you have more adrenaline in your blood stream, your blood pressure goes up a little bit, you think a little bit faster, so it really is a mild stimulant."
Doctor Benowitz is an expert on the effects of caffeine on the body. He says there have been close to 20,000 studies on caffeine over the years, and the overall conclusions seem to be...
"Most studies suggest that if you don't drink more than three to four cups a day, it's pretty safe."
In fact, it may be more than safe. Some studies show that caffeine can reduce your risk of gall stones, can help moderate asthma attacks, reduce the risk of colon cancer, even reduce the risk of Parkinson's disease, depression, and suicide.
It's clearly very encouraging news for caffeine lovers.
"I knew it would save the planet someday."
And coffee makers are not stopping there. One company has even come up with a new way of roasting the beans that it claims will make the brew even healthier.
Loretta Zapp, of Applied Food Sciences, says, "Coffee beans, especially green coffee beans are comprised of some very healthy compounds, including polyphenols which are very potent anti oxidants. We did a lot of work with these polyphenols and recognized the ability of the compounds to really help prevent degenerative diseases such as cancer."
"Bring on the cancer solving coffee."
However, caffeine is not for everyone. Dr. Kim covers that issue in Wednesday's report.
