quitting coffee

A Harvard review claims coffee is safe in moderation (http://www.health.harvard.edu/press_releases/coffee_health_risk.htm)

Andrew Weil's Anti-inflammatory Food Pyramid includes no mention of coffee, but encourages 2-4 cups of tea per day.
(http://www.drweil.com/drw/u/PAG00361/anti-inflammatory-food-pyramid.html)

What's a devoted Andrew Weil follower to do? (...who's had at least 10 ounces of coffee per day since age 15).

There are benefits and drawbacks of coffee consumption:

On the plus side...
coffee drinking is associated with:
increased endurance performance
decreased risk of gallstones and colon cancer
reduced risk of Parkinsons disease
reduced incidence of type 2 diabetes
improved cognitive function

On the other hand...
caffeine is an addictive stimulant: I rely on coffee when I'm tired, ignoring my internal cues of the good nutrition it probably truly needs
inhibits calcium absorption
contributes to dehydration if consumed in excess
Coffee may cause cardiovascular complications such as irregular heartbeat and increased blood pressure
I drink my coffee with cream, increasing my saturated fat intake
I am a coffee snob...which means coffee is an expensive habit
contributes to bad breath

Now, let's take a look at tea (especially green tea)!

Benefits include...
similar disease-fighting and performance-enhancing effects to coffee (decreased risk of some cancers, increased immune response, increased cognitive function, increased energy expenditure)
anecdotal evidence shows tea lowers stress hormones in the body
As opposed to coffee, tea may benefit the cardiovascular system
I have a teapot in my office so I can drink it for much cheaper than coffee
I don't need cream or sugar for tea...lowering my saturated fat intake
contains compounds that may fight off bacteria that causes bad breath

Drawbacks include...
Tea also incudes caffeine, but typically less so than my "coffee snob" coffee
contributes to dehydration if consumed in excess
inhibits calcium absorption

When I weigh my benefits and drawbacks, I see that it is in my best interest to lower, if not eliminate my coffee intake. I plan to replace coffee with green tea (which appears to be associated with the greatest health benefits) at least 5 days out of 7 each week, starting today. We'll see how this goes. I may turn in to a monster for a few days (as anyone does who eliminates an addictive substance from their life!), but for me, the long term health benefits and reduced chemical dependence will be well worth it.