Caffeine

Daughter Francesca says I'm an amoeba. "A what?" I ask. I remember vaguely what an amoeba is, but biology was a long time ago. "Remind me. " "A single-celled organism, immediately affected by a stimulus. " She actually said that sentence. I don't know exactly what she's talking about, as she went to Harvard University, though I get the drift. I'm a happy drunk, and it doesn't take much to get me happy. A half-glass of wine, and I'm off and running. A margarita, and I might remarry.

Bombarding us daily in the media are headlines about our heart health: e.g., decaffeinated coffee can raise cholesterol; oat bran may not lower cholesterol after all; snow shoveling is OK for some heart patients; even moderate amounts of alcohol can enlarge the heart; sodium may not be the cause of hypertension. To what degree should we heed the advice or warnings implied in these articles about research studies, many of which seem to contradict other studies recently published.

By Lanny Morgnanesi   I've become free of a drink that controlled too much of my day and punished me with physical pain if I ignored it.   It's fun to joke about coffee. But I'm not joking. I'm the type of person who gets incredible headaches from caffeine withdrawal. If I was running a little late in the morning, unable to make or purchase coffee, I'd arrive at work wondering when and how I would get my coffee. If I decided to wait until after a morning meeting, and the meeting ran long or something else came up, I'd missed my chance, and a monster within me would put a clamp on my brain.

NEW YORK - Specialty-store owners have a lot to think about when they shop to stock. How many size 2's, 8's, or 16's should they buy? How do they blend funky colors with fledgling designers, while maintaining the store's personality? And when do they buy what may, or may not, be the next fashion craze? (Think skinny cargos or Silly Bandz. Who'd a thunk it?) Buyers for eco-friendly boutiques have to do all that. But they're also looking for pieces with a low carbon footprint, a win-some-lose-some challenge that demands consideration of a constantly evolving manufacturing landscape.

At work, you have a coffee mug that you use during your coffee break. At home, you own a coffee set that you sometimes place on the coffee table. You've been to the neighborhood coffee shop to grab a cup of coffee and perhaps some coffeecake with a friend. So face it, true-blue American, coffee is an integral part of your life. But even if you turn your nose up at coffee, chances are you probably include tea, soft drinks, cocoa or chocolate in your diet. Coffee and the rest of these products contain caffeine, part of the methylxanthine chemical family.

Dear Polly: I am trying to stay away from caffeine, and friends have suggested that I avoid drinking hot cocoa and other chocolate drinks. Is this true? How much caffeine is in chocolate? - Amanda Dear Amanda: It is true that cocoa and chocolate products contain some caffeine; however, the amount they contain is quite low compared to other beverages such as coffee, tea and cola drinks. Whether this small amount can affect an individual depends upon how sensitive you are to caffeine.

Q. What nuts contain caffeine? Joyce Williams Laureldale, Pa. A. The nuts that we are most familiar with in North America, such as peanuts, walnuts, hazelnuts, almonds, etc., contain no caffeine. Although there are more than 63 species of plants growing in all parts of the world which contain caffeine in their leaves, seeds or fruit, most of us have only come in contact with three of them - cacao beans, coffee beans and tea leaves. One nut that is popular in certain parts of the world, particularly Africa, is the kola nut, which is chewed because of its stimulating properties.

President Bush was showing signs of a comeback yesterday, regaining some of the weight he had lost and enjoying a cup of real coffee for the first time in more than two weeks. After a complete checkup at the White House in the morning, Bush pronounced himself "A-OK," and his doctors backed his assessment, saying they were "very happy with his progress. " "I feel good. I got a clean bill of health this morning. Had all the consultants down," he told reporters during a photo session in the Oval Office.

It was 11 a.m. and already the wait was three deep at Perk's Place. "Love Train" by the O'Jays was the song of the moment on Oldies 98, and the Human Percolator himself was lip-syncing and doing a little bounce step while clipping 9-year-old Patrick Leach's hair. "They say, 'Didn't you used to be Billy Harner?' " said the Human Percolator with a hearty laugh. "Then they say, 'I saw you in 19-whatever.' And I say, 'I remember you. I saw you there, too.' It makes them laugh. It makes them feel better.

Q: I have a question about white chocolate. Do you know if it contains caffeine? And is it the caffeine in coffee and tea that acts as a diuretic? A: Caffeine, as well as being a stimulant, is also a diuretic; it stimulates the kidneys to excrete fluid. Ordinarily, the amount of caffeine in coffee and tea (and some soft drinks) does not cause any particular health problems; however, people who consume large quantities of the beverages (more than four cups a day) are likely to experience jitteriness and an enhanced diuretic response.