Coffee: to drink or not to drink?

Contents

• My story

• The truth about "energy" from coffee

• Perspective from traditional medicine

• How to have natural "vitality"?

If you clicked on this article, hello, this article is for you! What is shared in this article comes from my personal experience and the experiences of others that I have gathered. Let me know if you have had similar experiences!

1. My Story

My story begins about 4-5 months ago. That was a time when I seemed completely exhausted. I had to take care of my mother, who was being treated for a condition similar to a herniated disc, while simultaneously keeping an eye on three young nieces and nephews, and managing my studies. The pressure weighed heavily on me every single day.

After my mother finished her treatment and returned to our hometown, I continued the relentless cycle of taking care of the two kids. One day, because I was so tired, I skipped breakfast and "slept in." By noon, I just ate a quick, sketchy meal to get it over with, but then I drank two packets of coffee at once. At that moment, for some reason, my body intensely craved coffee.

And then... That evening, I experienced a severe "drop in Qi" (vital energy). That feeling is completely different from hypoglycemia or low blood pressure. At the time, I had just finished eating rice about 30 minutes prior, so a drop in blood sugar was impossible. The feeling of dropping Qi was absolutely terrifying; my body felt entirely empty, without a single ounce of strength left. I had to use all the knowledge and experience I had accumulated to "give first aid" to myself to get through that dreadful moment.

But that was not the end. Just three days later, the exact same scenario repeated itself. This time, I was determined to find the root cause. I called for help from my "capable assistant," ChatGPT, honestly detailing everything I had eaten and drunk over the past few days. Surprisingly, ChatGPT gave an assessment that perfectly matched my own premonition: The main culprit was the coffee.

A while passed, and I decided to quit coffee completely. Even so, I didn't dig too deeply into the mechanics of it. That is, until last month, when I accidentally scrolled through some short videos (reels) by Mr. Ta Duc Chinh and Ms. Janus, and the old, "horrifying" memories came rushing back. They analyzed the actual impact of coffee on the body very deeply, especially from the perspective of energy and Eastern medicine. My curiosity was piqued, and I began digging into various sources to find the real answer to the question: Is coffee ultimately a "miracle drug" or a "poison"?

2. The Truth About "Energy" from Coffee

Mr. Ta Duc Chinh said a very profound sentence in his video: "Caffeine does not create energy; it merely locks away your feeling of fatigue."

Imagine our body as a smartphone. When you are active and consuming energy (ATP), the body produces a substance called Adenosine. Adenosine acts like a low battery signal. It attaches to the "locks" (receptors) in the brain, sending the message: "Battery is low, need to plug in the charger (sleep) immediately!"

So, what does coffee do? The Caffeine molecule has a shape very similar to Adenosine. When you drink coffee, Caffeine quickly takes its place, plugging into those locks first and blocking the brain from receiving the "low battery" signal. You feel alert and excited, seemingly fully recharged with energy.

But in reality, your body is still exhausted. You are using an "energy credit card," borrowing tomorrow's strength to spend today. When the effects of Caffeine wear off, the accumulated Adenosine rushes in, making you doubly tired. That is why many people fall into a vicious cycle: The more tired they are, the more coffee they drink, and the more they drink, the more tired they become.

3. Perspective from Traditional Medicine

Ms. Janus, a natural health expert, offered a profoundly insightful perspective deeply rooted in the philosophy of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). She explained that the explosive alertness and excitement coffee brings is not naturally generated energy. Instead, it is a risky "borrowing," forcing the body to pay the price with the "Qi" (Chi) of vital internal organs, especially the Heart (Tâm) and Liver (Can).

In Eastern medicine, the Heart governs the blood vessels and houses the spirit. When you drink coffee, its strong stimulating nature forces the Heart Yang (the active energy of the heart) to flare up. It forces the heart to beat faster and stronger, pushing blood circulation to a high speed to maintain mental alertness. Similarly, the Liver governs the smooth flow of Qi, managing blood and emotions. Caffeine activates the nervous system's "fight-or-flight" response, forcing the Liver to overwork to cope with this fake state of stress.

Forcing the Heart and Liver to work at full capacity is like pressing the gas pedal of a car to the floor. If you already have a vigorous body and an abundant "gas tank" of Qi and Blood, occasionally drinking a cup of coffee might just be a gentle press of the pedal; the body has more than enough capacity to compensate without causing obvious harm.

However, what happens if you are in a state of exhaustion, completely drained like I was in the story above? At that time, after a series of sleepless nights caring for my sick mother and young grandchildren, skipping meals, and suffering severe sleep deprivation, my reserve energy level (Righteous Qi) had hit rock bottom. The Qi of my Liver and Heart was already depleted. Forcing two packets of coffee into my body at that time was no different from cruelly whipping an exhausted horse. Out of pain and stimulation, that horse reared up and ran desperately for a short distance. But to muster the strength for that brief sprint, the body was forced to completely drain the last drops of Kidney Essence (Thận Tinh)—the core energy source and the deepest "capital" of life itself.

And when the effect of the stimulant (the whip lashes) faded, that horse collapsed completely. The immediate consequence was the terrifying "Qi drop" that I experienced. That was not ordinary fatigue that could be fixed with a good meal; it was a chillingly empty feeling from the inside. When the entire Qi and blood system had been squeezed dry, the body simply went on strike and completely lost its ability to function. That is a costly warning from the body when we intentionally use "fake energy" to mask true exhaustion.

4. How to Have Natural "Vitality"?

We need to understand that the body does not need coffee to be alert. True alertness comes from the body resting sufficiently, receiving balanced nutrition, and having smooth circulation of Qi and blood.

Instead of relying on Caffeine, try:

• Getting enough sleep: This is the most natural and effective way to recharge.

• Listening to your body: When you feel tired, allow yourself to rest, even if it is just closing your eyes for 10-15 minutes to relax, rather than trying to force yourself awake with coffee.

• Increasing body temperature: You can do this by soaking your feet in warm water, doing gentle exercises, or drinking warm herbal teas to promote Qi and blood circulation.

Conclusion

Coffee can be a wonderful drink if you enjoy it for pleasure, with a healthy body and at a moderate frequency. But do not turn it into a "crutch" to force a tired body to keep walking. When you are sleepy, it means you have overworked. Put away all your tasks and enjoy sleeping in your bed. Love and listen to your body more, and you will find an endless source of energy from within yourself. In next month's article, I will share my personal experience on how to regain lost Righteous Qi, hoping you can find your own path through my journey.