Is Caffeine bad for me?
Caffeine comes from sources such as coffee beans, tea leaves, kola nuts and cacao pods. Kola nuts are used to flavor soft drinks and cacao pods are used in chocolate products. It’s also found in some medicines and energy drinks. When you drink caffeine, some of the affects you may feel are feeling awake, alert, urinating more and an increase in your blood pressure. Caffeine acts as a natural diuretic causing the body to get rid of the extra salt and water by urinating more. The recommended amount of caffeine is 400 mg a day, which is about 1-2 cups of coffee. If you have had too much caffeine you may get a headache, feel shaky and dizzy, dehydrated and have a rapid pulse.
So, is caffeine bad for you? Too much caffeine is bad for you. It can create a dependency when you feel you don’t get enough of it and can lead to osteoporosis (bone loss) if you drink more than 744 mg a day. If you do have cardiovascular disease or high blood pressure, it is best to talk with your doctor about the amount of caffeine you should drink in a day since it can affect blood pressure. If you are sensitive to caffeine, it’s also best to watch your intake.
There are benefits to caffeine such as it helps give you energy, it burns fat by boosting your metabolic rate, contains nutrients such as magnesium and potassium.
So, what is the take-away? Caffeine in moderation is key and know the signs if you are drinking too much of it in your diet.
Source:
13 Health Benefits of Coffee, Based on Science: https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/top-13-evidence-based-health-benefits-of-coffee#section7
Caffeine: MedlinePlus: https://medlineplus.gov/caffeine.html
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