The Buzz on Caffeine
Caffeine is our most popular and least harmful addictive drug. It is the stimulant in coffee, tea, chocolate, and soft drinks. Some painkillers, cold medications, weight loss supplements, and drugs have added caffeine to promote mental alertness.
After a few minutes of being digested, caffeine is absorbed from the small instestine into the bloodstream and transported to all the body's organs. It stimulates the central nervous system, speeds the heart rate, increases the flow of urine and the production of digestive acids, and relaxes smooth muscles, such as those that control the airways and the blood vessels.
How Caffeine Harms
May cause insominia: Caffeine ingested late at night can cause insomnia (lack of sleep), anxiety, irritability, rapid heartbeat, tremors, and excessive urination.
Stomach irritation: Caffeine in excessive amounts can increase the production of stomach acid; people with GERD and ulcer patients should limit their caffeine consumption and intake.
Reduces calcium absorption: Caffeine may reduce calcium absorption, which can inrease the risk of osteoporosis, especially in older women. Adding milk to your coffee may offset this problem.
Can cause withdrawal symptoms: A sudden withdrawal from caffeine can cause irritability, headaches, and other symptoms that vary in severity from one person to the next.
May aggravate heart conditions: People with certain heart-valve diseases are often advised to limit caffeine altogether because it can trigger heart palpitations or other cardiac arrhythmias. Caffeine can also cause a temporary rise in blood pressure and speed up the heart rate.
How Caffeine Heals
Provides a boost of energy: Having a cup of coffee in the morning can help you to "get-going", and a coffee or tea break during the day can give you a boost when your energy lags.
Caffeine may reduce cancer: Women who drink more than three cups of coffee a day may lower their risk of developing cancer by 20%. Men who drink coffee may also cut their risk of developing prostate cancer.
Wards off depression: Consuming at least two cups of coffee daily can reduce women's chances of becoming depressed by 20%.
Enhances athletic performance: The stimulate found in coffee can enhance mental performance by increasing alertness and the ability to concentrate. Studies confirm that 250 mg of caffeine (about two cups of strong coffee) increases endurance. Presumably this is because caffeine increases your ability to burn fat for fuel.
May help to control diabetes: In Finland, a study of 14,000 people found that women who consumed three to four cups of coffee a day cut their risk of developing diabetes by 29%. For men, it was by 27%. Researchers are not sure why this is, but they believe that the antioxidants in coffee help deliver insulin.
Helps with migraines: In some people, coffee may trigger a migraine headache, but in others, drinking a few cups of coffee when a migraine hits might help to relieve the pain. In fact, caffeine is so effective in helping to shrink swollen blood vessels in the brain that it is one of the main ingredients in over-the-counter migraine medicines.
Who Should Limit Caffeine Consumption?
Migraine sufferers
Ulcer sufferers
Heart patients
Seniors with hypertension
Pregnant and nursing women
In conclusion, caffeine is a double-edged sword. It has both benefits and drawbacks. For most people, caffeine is safe and harmless. However, if you have ulcers, heart disease, hypertension, osteoporosis, or if your are pregnant or breastfeeding, you will want to limit or avoid caffeine consumption.
Sources
Berkoff, F. G., & Schwarcz, J. (2018a). Foods that harm, foods that heal: What to eat to beat disease and live longer. Reader’s Digest.
Gardner, A. (2011, November 22). Coffee may reduce women’s cancer risk. CNN. https://www.cnn.com/2011/11/22/health/coffee-reduces-cancer-risk/index.html
Safe, S., Kothari, J., Hailemariam, A., Upadhyay, S., Davidson, L. A., & Chapkin, R. S. (2023, January 31). Health benefits of coffee consumption for cancer and other diseases and mechanisms of action. International journal of molecular sciences. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9916720/