Is Caffeine Good Or Bad For Me?

Caffeine has long been the center of controversy. It can feel like scientists change their mind every other day but in reality there is just a whole lot of noise out there surrounding caffeine. So is caffeine good or bad for you? In this post I will share some of the reasons why caffeine is seen the way it is to help you make your own decision regarding its use.

Coffee vs. Caffeine

Quick overview. Coffee contains caffeine. Caffeine doesn't only come from coffee.

This is important to discuss because often the advice that we hear about caffeine is actually referring to coffee and vice-versa. There is a pretty big difference.

Look, I have been shamed plenty when it comes to my love for coffee. Maybe you have been to. I'm always hearing about how I need to cut down on drinking coffee and I've seen my share of people proudly boasting their lack of interest in coffee while holding an energy drink. So maybe you really just want to know if you can drink coffee guilt-free or if there are health risks that you are ignoring.

It makes sense because most of us don't choose to eat unhealthy things because they are unhealthy but rather because they're delicious so we just want to know if the risk is worthy.

If you are looking at coffee, you need to look at what is in the coffee, including the caffeine. If you are looking at caffeine then you have to look at where the caffeine is coming from. For example:

• Coffee

• Cola & other sodas

• Energy drinks & bars

• Chocolate

• Tea

• Pain-Relievers

In each of these types of products, caffeine is not the only ingredient and whether or not they are vilified is based on the context of how they are used. You may read an article about how bad energy drinks are and think that they are bad because they have caffeine when in reality the writer was referring to the high level of empty calories. You may hear that coffee is good for weight loss and go buy yourself a venti-mocha-frappe and then wonder why it didn't work?!?!

If you are trying to make a decision you need ask yourself what the reason is. Are you wondering if this is a healthy drink for weight-loss or for high-blood pressure? Some of the ingredients to pay attention to are:

• Sweeteners (if you can't have certain types like Aspartame or are avoiding HFCS)

• Dairy/Dairy Alternatives (if you are lactose-intolerant or have a milk allergy or a nut allergy)

• Carbohydrates (if you have diabetes and are watching your blood sugar levels or if you are trying to get more fiber)

• Other Stimulants (if you are taking meds or know you can't have other ingredients)

• Type of Coffee (decaf will have less caffeine and how a cup is processed will differ in caffeine and may have different micronutrients)

Understanding The News

When taking in information, first, make sure you actually read the full article and then take that information in context and relate it to your own knowledge. This goes for watching news as well because a lot of the time the information is being summarized and not placed into the very specific context that scientists studied.

A post that talks about the awesome benefits of caffeine on weight loss may not be helful if you have high-blood pressure. Unfortunately, not every blog post is geared towards every single person and can't include details about every condition or need. This is true of scientific journals and peer reviewed books and articles. A study that is researching the effects of caffeine on an athlete is not the best source of knowledge for a pregnant woman.

In general caffeine affects people differently if you are in one of these groups:

• Pregnant or breastfeeding

• Sleep or anxiety disorders

• Chronic headaches/ migraines

• Gastric issues like GERD or ulcers

• Heart issues or high-blood pressure

• Medications

• Kids and Teens

In any of these cases it is best to talk directly to your doctor about whether caffeine is good or bad and how much.

Benefits and Side-Effects

I was going to write just the benefits and side effects of caffeine as my post but then I looked up the sites to give you as sources and I thought, they do a better job, so instead I am just going to list a few sites here for you to go read if you want details about caffeine.

The basics to understand are:

• Caffeine is a drug. It is a chemical component found in food products and can be ingested with food or directly. It is natural but can also be made synthetically.

• Caffeine is a stimulant. This means that it is a substance that stimulates your body, brain,and central nervous system. This is why we get energy from coffee.

• Caffeine is addictive. It changes your brain's chemistry so that your body becomes dependent on it and leads you to eventually need more caffeine or suffer through withdrawals.

• Caffeine has a lot of positive effects depending on its use. It can help speed metabolism and help people lose weight if used alongside proper nutrition and exercise and can even improve exercise performance. It can help you feel more alert, focused, and even help with short-term memory. New studies are showing that caffeine consumptions might be linked to lower risk of Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, Depression, Heart Disease, and Type 2 Diabetes. This makes caffeine sound like a wonder drug!

• Caffeine also has negative effects! There are limits to how much caffeine a person should have so it is important to not go overboard. Some people are caffeine sensitive and can only have a small amount. People who are pregnant, have certain medical issues, or are taking certain medications may need to cut down or completely avoid caffeine. Some common effects of too much caffeine, even for regular users, include; jitteriness, anxiety, heart palpitations, insomnia, headaches, migraines, loss of appetite, and nausea. Here is a list of more side-effects!

I Want Some Anyway!

Let's say you don't care, you want your coffee or pop, how much should you have? Each drink is different and you can usually find out how much caffeine is in something by checking the nutrition facts. Here is a guideline of how much caffeine is in common drinks:

• "An 8-ounce cup of coffee: 95-200 mg

• A 12-ounce can of cola: 35-45 mg

• An 8-ounce energy drink: 70-100 mg

• An 8-ounce cup of tea: 14-60 mg"

• "Up to 400 milligrams (mg) of caffeine a day appears to be safe for most healthy adults."

The amount is different if you are in one the above mentioned groups so make sure to keep track of your intake.

For most people a cup of coffee a day is no big deal and the benefits can outweigh the consequences. Some people are not as lucky and I am very sorry for that!!!

I have found a happy balance at about 2 caffeinated drinks a day and I use them up with a cup of coffee and a diet cola. I know if I take too much I will be super anxious and jittery and get a headache and it can even be the start of a manic episode. I also know that cutting it off will lead to headaches and being soooooooo tired! Some days I can go without and some days require an extra shot of espresso.

In the end, it really is up to you whether caffeine is good or bad for you, the science isn't giving a clear yes or no for everyone and anyone who tries to shame you or scare you is probably only looking at the information from one side. Ask yourself if that is the side you should be looking at and decide for yourself.

I hope this post helps you make a more informed decision :) if this helped you please Like and Share :)

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Further Reading:

• Caffeine has its perks, but it can pose problems too. Find out how much is too much and if you need to curb your consumption.

• Are Coffee and Caffeine Addictive? A Critical Look

• Maternal caffeine intake during pregnancy and childhood growth and overweight: results from a large Norwegian prospective observational cohort study.

• Caffeine

• Health benefits and risks associated with caffeine

• Caffeine: cognitive and physical performance enhancer or psychoactive drug?

• 13 Health Benefits of Coffee, Based on Science

• Caffeine supplementation and peak anaerobic power output.

• Effect of taurine and potential interactions with caffeine on cardiovascular function.

• Current evidence for the use of coffee and caffeine to prevent age-related cognitive decline and Alzheimer's disease.

• Caffeine can decrease subjective energy depending on the vehicle with which it is consumed and when it is measured.

• Caffeine intake reduces incident atrial fibrillation at a population level.