April 3, 2006
Is caffeine a part of your daily routine?
"Caffeine has many
metabolic effects. For example,
* It stimulates the central nervous system.
* It releases free fatty acids from adipose (fatty) tissue.
* It affects the kidneys, increasing urination, which can lead to
Caffeine is in coffee, tea, soft drinks, chocolate and some nuts.
Whether high caffeine intake increases the risk of coronary heart
disease is still under study. Many studies have been done to see
if there's a direct link between caffeine, coffee drinking and coronary
heart disease. The results are conflicting. This may be due to the
way the studies were done and confounding dietary factors. However,
moderate coffee drinking (1-2 cups per day) doesn't seem to be harmful."
The question remains: How
can one know how much caffeine is in 1-2 cups of coffee? And how
does this compare to the amount of caffeine a person is likely to
get from other sources?
"Caffeine is ingested
from many sources. In many instances people may be unaware of its
presence. A standard cup of coffee contains 70-180mg caffeine depending
on the strength and method of preparation. Instant coffee generally
contains less caffeine than coffee prepared from ground beans. Tea
contains 20-35mg per cup."
It is often difficult to
know exactly how much is in a particular beverage because so many
factors go into determining how much caffeine is in a drink that
is brewed. When caffeine is added to a drink (where it does not
occur naturally -- such as soda and energy drinks), it is easier
to for those who manufacture it to have an exact idea of how much
caffeine one can expect to find. Unfortunately, while someone may
know the exact caffeine content, it is usually not the consumer.
"[T]he Food and Drug
Administration has had a long-standing 'proposed' rule that soft
drinks limit their caffeine content to no more than 65 mg per 12-ounce
serving. But neither sodas nor energy drinks are required to put
their caffeine content on the label. In their tests, Goldberger
and his colleagues found that all 19 soft drinks they sampled contained
less than -- often far less than -- the recommended 65 mg of caffeine
per 12 ounces. Most of the energy drinks, however, boasted at least
that much caffeine in an 8-ounce serving. A serving of one of the
products had 141 mg of caffeine, or about twice the amount in a
double-shot espresso drink. Others typically contained 65 to 75
mg of caffeine per 8 ounces, whereas a regular Coke or Pepsi had
about 30 mg per 12 ounces. Labels on that product, and two of the
other energy drinks, did state that they are not recommended for
children and pregnant women.... But other groups
such as people with high blood pressure, heart rhythm abnormalities
or anxiety disorders
-- should limit their caffeine intake as well, and the majority
of the energy drinks in this study had no warning label of any kind,
Some may think that a warning
label seems a bit excessive. Others disagree. Some take caffeine
intentionally, while others find it hiding in various over-the-counter
products. Whatever the source, too much can be dangerous.
"A browse through
shelves of ingestable products sold to assist in fitness and sporting
performance will reveal that many products contain caffeine, some
in quite large quantities. For some the recommended daily dose includes
more than 500mg of caffeine. Caffeine may be present in these products
from the herbal preparation guarana, as well as being added as pure
caffeine. ... Those who take these preparations without reducing
their regular caffeine intake from other sources may risk developing
what has been termed 'caffeinism' which is caused by toxic levels
of caffeine. The symptoms include nausea, diarrhoea, indigestion,
irregular heartbeat and respiration, light-headedness, jitteriness
and frequent urination. These symptoms may also develop in those
not habitually exposed to caffeine who ingest a moderate dose."
Most people do not generally
think about "toxic levels of caffeine," however,
belongs to the group of medicines called central nervous system
(CNS) stimulants. It is used to help restore mental alertness when
unusual tiredness or weakness or drowsiness occurs. Caffeine's use
as an alertness aid should be only occasional. It is not intended
to replace sleep and should not be used regularly for this purpose.
... Caffeine powder and tablets are available without a prescription;
however, your health care professional may have special instructions
on its proper use. Citrated caffeine and caffeine and sodium benzoate
are to be administered only by or under the supervision of your
Some may take caffeine
to help them feel better, but few generally think of caffeine as
"Caffeine is also
used in combination with ergotamine (for treatment of migraine and
cluster headaches) or with certain pain relievers, such as aspirin
or aspirin and acetaminophen. When used in this way, caffeine may
increase the effectiveness of the other medicines. Caffeine is sometimes
used in combination with an antihistamine to overcome the drowsiness
caused by the antihistamine. Citrated caffeine is used to treat
breathing problems in premature babies. Caffeine may also be used
for other conditions as determined by your doctor."
Questions of the Week:
How do you know how much caffeine is okay for you? How does a person's
current health status affect how much caffeine that person can safely
ingest? How can you tell how much caffeine is in the products you
choose? In what ways can caffeine be good for some people? How can
a person tell when they have had too much?
Please email me with any ideas or suggestions.
Note: Due to increasing amounts of SPAM sent to this account, please include "QOW" in the subject line when sending me email.
I look forward to reading
what you have to say.
Health Community Coordinator
Access Excellence @ the National Health Museum