So I just read about this new study on BBC.com. Researchers think coffee and tea can help prevent or treat Type II Diabetes, along with lifestyle modifications of course. My heart sank a little when I read the headline cuz I thought, well damn, now people are going to rush to get the addictive beverages and while we lower diabetes, we’re gonna drive up GI problems and addiction! But the research is more complicated than that, and the researchers were balanced about their conclusions. It’s not necessarily the caffeine in coffee and tea that helps diabetes, as decaf coffee worked even better! So it’s more likely to be other compounds in the drinks that are beneficial.
Here’s an Ayurvedic view on caffeine that I found very helpful. Now before you jump to conclusions about how the abstract theories of Ayurveda are not scientific, just consider the premise of the specific opinion. We get addicted to coffee and tea for good reason, because we need the boost to get through our busy day. Additionally, many of us like the taste of coffee and tea, which from an Ayurvedic view is a craving for a bitter taste that we don’t get from the proper, nutritious sources. Coffee and tea aren’t without benefits. It’s the addiction to them that’s the problem. Pretty soon we start getting drained and need the drink even more, while our body endures the side effects, whether felt or unfelt by us. It’s the same way with alcohol. Recent studies have shown the benefits of alcohol, even non-red wine alcohols, even in more than recommended amounts, can be beneficial for the heart. Well yes, the depressive effect of alcohol relieves the heart of its work, but heart isn’t the only organ in your body. Taking too much alcohol is hard on your liver – don’t forget you LIVER! On top of that alcohol can give you hyperlipidimia which would block your arteries under the right circumstances of stress+inflammation+genes, etc.
This new coffee and tea study is interesting to say the least. Perhaps it’s even more than the compounds in coffee and tea (other than caffeine) that helps prevent diabetes. Perhaps those who drink coffee frequently get into an active mindset, and somewhat physically active too. So this activity results from a small flight or fight mindset that interacts with insulin/glucagon and metabolism. That thought fits in with the finding that decaf coffee gave even better benefits, which means even in absence of caffeine something, (maybe a psychological boost) helped with metabolism. But of course, preventing diabetes isn’t the only goal for a healthy life. You don’t want coffee and tea aggravating other bodily dysfunctions just to delay diabetes. And of course, living an all-over balanced life will prevent diabetes efficiently too.
When I read about all these different correlations and findings about health, I think about how some of of Ayurveda make sense. Scientists are very often critical of all ancient knowledge banks because we don’t have physical proof about such things as “elements” and “doshas,” and also because the ancient ideas are mired in various extrapolations or superstitions. But not all of the theories are superstitious or fraudulent, and not all oppose modern science. Some ideas don’t have proof in modern science, but many ideas in Ayurveda are not implausible either. Theories like Ayurveda are “big picture” ideas, not exact physical entities. To me it’s just a source of knowledge that can put together the various research findings medicine in a coherent picture. I’m not bothered by the reference to fire, water, earth elements as I don’t take it literally. At the end of the day, Ayurveda makes sense to me in practice, and is not in conflict with modern scientific understanding of disease processes and cures/treatments.
