By Staff Writer: Jerri Clewis
Caffeinated beverages are almost everywhere, and many people consume them in some form from the usual suspects of coffee and energy drinks to tea and even soda. In fact, caffeine has been a part of our diets for thousands of years, and it’s one of the most thoroughly researched food substances, according to the National Consumers League.
Caffeine is a chemical stimulant naturally found in coffee beans, tea leaves, cacao beans, guarana berries, and yerba mate leaves, but it can also be made synthetically for addition in drinks, food, tablets and supplements, the American Medical Association (AMA) Reports. The stimulant helps to boost alertness and energy levels while also improving endurance and speed, which can be useful for exercise.
Coffee and tea can also reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes as well as improve longevity, according to the same AMA report. It can also potentially help with depression by stimulating dopamine, a chemical in the brain that helps with pleasure motivation, and learning. Low dopamine levels can make a person feel tired, moody and unmotivated.
But it’s not all sunshine and rainbows for the brain on caffeine.
Too much caffeine can lead to headaches, jitteriness, and anxiety in some people, according to AMA. It can also increase respiratory rate, heart rate, and blood pressure. There is also a risk of withdrawal systems as soon as 12 hours after the last consumption of coffee in people who drink it regularly.
The U.S. Dietary Guidelines recommends up to 400 mg/day of caffeine as safe levels of consumption to reduce any risks associated with the stimulant, the National Consumers League reported in 2016. The number isn’t easy to reach because a person would need to drink around 16-8 fl. Oz. servings of green tea or around 11 servings of cola to get close to the daily limit, but that can quickly change with coffee or energy drinks.
Caffeine levels in coffee can vary wildly. A cup of homebrewed coffee can contain around 100 mg of caffeine, but commercial brewed coffee like a Starbucks grande dark roast can have about 260 mg. Dunkin’ medium coffee has about 200 mg. Then there are energy drinks, which can contain up to 300 mg in a single product. Just one can get a person close to the daily limit.
It’s always best to keep track of how much caffeine you consume each day while you enjoy the benefits of your favorite beverages!