Caffeine: The Trojan Horse of Recovery

Ralph E. Carson, PhD, RD

The purported health benefits of caffeinated beverages are a mixed bag especially to the individuals who are recovering from or vulnerable to addictions. Though the scientific literature sights benefits to caffeine and even coffee drinking, this may not be the case for recovering addicts. Caffeine has somewhat of a ‘Trojan Horse’ phenomenon by appearing first to be a gift that benefits one’s health, but in the long run this perceived benefit serves only to disguise the fact that caffeine can actually reap havoc during the recovery process.

Its complicated chemical and metabolic nature make it one of the easiest substances to get hooked on as there are numerous neurochemical pathways with which it interacts. Since the process of recovery is to bring the brains chemistry into balance, the disruptive contribution of caffeine only making this more challenging if not impossible.

Then there is the condition that to heal we need to get appropriate sleep and sleep is minimize in those whom consume caffeine on a regular basis. With over 60% of the population reporting episodes of insomnia, those struggling with addictions report a much higher incidence. Sleep is the time the brain heals. Therefore, not only is it important that one gets enough sleep, but the quality of that sleep is a key to long-term recovery.

Ralph Carson, R.D. B.S., B.H.S., Ph.D., is a nationally recognized clinical nutritionist and exercise physiologist. Dr. Carson is a frequently requested speaker on a variety of nutritional topics for medical groups, pharmaceutical companies, universities, athletic training camps and corporations. He has a successful clinical practice as well as being a faculty member of the University of Alabama at Huntsville for over 20 years. Dr. Carson is also a nutritional advisor to numerous university athletic departments including the University of Tennessee National Basketball Champion Lady Volunteers. Dr. Carson received his B.S. from Duke University, his B.H.S. in pathology (Cum Laude) from Duke University Medical School, and his Ph.D. in nutrition (Phi Kappa Phi) from Auburn University. Dr. Carson currently manages Oprah Winfrey’s web page on eating disorders and is the consultant for Pine Grove’s eating disorder program, The Women’s Center.

Visit http://www.pinegrovetreatment.com/ or call 1-888-574-HOPE (4673) for more information.