So, is caffeine really bad?

Well...I guess we will have to wait (a lot) and see. Perhaps when a strong study will emerge critiquing its effects and the Americans will stop drink it, the rest of the world will follow. Until then...drink on people. I myself, am a coffee lover, meaning I drink it because I like its taste rather than need it to wake-up in the morning. My blood pressure is 10-10 as it is, so if I use it often I just push it higher and become agitated. However, I guess that for people with really low pressure is both a blessing and a tasteful delight. Trimethylxanthine has an immediate effect on the body, releasing dopamine in the brain, triggering feelings of pleasure and reward, just like food, sex, and many other drugs. Thus, caffeine is a psychoactive drug just like cocaine and methamphetamine, can be addictive and even fatal in large doses. On the other hand, especially in Europe I would call it a social phenomenon. I used to go out all the time (mornings, afternoons) to share a cup of coffee and a conversation with friends. In this way, you end up having 4-5 coffees everyday, depending on how many social encounters you have. Combine that with smoking (again taking social dimensions in this context) and you get some heavy stuff. Nowadays, I limit myself to just the ordinary morning cup and perhaps in the long long I will try to replace it with either some green tea or decaff one ... see what happens.:) Cheers.