Does caffeine do to your body | The State
The caffeine is what makes you morning coffee be a drink stimulating. Science has shown that caffeine has multiple health benefits, but may also have some negative effects on the body. Important factors are the amount consumed and the health status of the person.
Caffeine is found naturally in coffee, the tea leaves (Camellia sinensis), in cocoa and also in the cola nut, guarana seeds, yerba mate leaf, among other plants. There is also synthetic caffeine, which is added to some medicines, foods, and beverages. For example, pain relievers and energy drinks.
What Effects Caffeine Has On Your Body
1. Stimulating
Caffeine is a stimulant substance that helps create a better mood, higher levels of alertness and the ability to concentrate.
The caffeine stimulates the central nervous system, which can make you feel more awake and give you an energy boost, publishes the United States National Library of Medicine.
2. Promotes memory
A dose of 160 to 600 mg can improve mental alertness, speed reasoning and memory, publishes Medical News Today.
3. Lower risk of Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s
Caffeine can protect against Parkinson’s disease. The Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH) notes that animal studies show a protective effect of caffeine against brain deterioration. Other studies also show a strong association of people with higher caffeine intake and a lower risk of developing Parkinson’s disease.
Meta-analyzes also show that consuming caffeine throughout life may reduce the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease.
4. Improve performance
Healtline shares that caffeine can affect cells throughout the body, including muscle cells and the brain. Caffeine activates areas of the brain and nervous system to improve concentration and energy, while reducing fatigue. It can also affect the motor cortex, which is a part of the brain that indicates muscle activation.
5. It can promote the health of your heart
The caffeine stimulates the heart, increases blood flow and temporarily increases blood pressure, especially in people who do not usually consume caffeine. In moderate amounts, consuming caffeine can reduce the risk of heart disease, as published by Medical News Today.
The HSPH notes that no strong negative effects of caffeine on blood pressure have been found, even in people with hypertension.
6. May promote weight loss
In moderate coffee consumption (4 cups) increases metabolism of the drinker, which can burn more calories and causes a decrease in body fat.
7. Diuretic
Caffeine is a diuretic, it helps the body get rid of extra water and salt by urinating more.
8. May improve breathing
Caffeine has a similar action to the drug theophylline, which is sometimes prescribed to treat asthma. Both relax the smooth muscles in the lungs and open the bronchial tubes, which can improve breathing.
9. Lower risk of kidney stones
In analysis, caffeine intake is associated with a lower risk of kidney stone incidents.
Caffeine is believed to help stimulate contractions in the gallbladder and increase the secretion of cholecystokinin, a hormone that speeds up the digestion of fats.
10. Lower risk of diabetes
Caffeine can protect and preserve the function of beta cells in the pancreas, which are responsible for secreting insulin.
According to the HSPH, studies show that regular coffee intake is associated with a lower risk of type 2 diabetes, although the effect may be due to compounds in the coffee plant rather than the caffeine itself.
11. Lower risk of liver cancer
Harvard shares that caffeinated coffee intake is associated with a lower risk of liver cancer, fibrosis, and cirrhosis.
Risks
- Dependence. If you’ve been consuming caffeine on a regular basis and then suddenly stopped, you may be caffeine withdrawal. Symptoms can include: headaches, drowsiness, irritability, nausea, and trouble concentrating.
- Headache
- Stomach ache. Caffeine increases the release of acid in the stomach, which sometimes leads to an upset stomach or heartburn
- Drug interactions. It can cause the body to break down a medicine too quickly to make it less effective.
- It can cause a dangerously fast heartbeat and high blood pressure if taken with others stimulant medications.
- May interfere with calcium absorption in the body.
Excessive caffeine consumption
Excess caffeine consumption can cause: insomnia, nervousness, anxiety, accelerated heart rate, upset stomach, nausea, headache, and a feeling of sadness (dysphoria).
In pregnancy A high caffeine intake by the mother can result in reduced blood flow and oxygen levels, which increases the risk of miscarriage and low baby weight at birth.
Caffeine toxicity has been observed with intakes of 1.2 grams or more in one dose. Doses greater than 5g can be fatal, especially if people do not receive treatment in time. To get to the amount of 5 grams of caffeine you need 50 cups of coffee, but there are those who have exceeded those levels of caffeine in drugs, powders or pills.
For people with cardiovascular diseases the amounts that can cause toxicity are much lower.
How much caffeine is safe to consume?
For healthy adults, the FDA has mentioned 400 milligrams a day, which is four to five cups of coffee.
At pregnancy, caffeine intake is limited to no more than 200 mg a day.
According to Mayo Clinic an eight-ounce cup of coffee contains approximately 96 mg of caffeine, a cup of black tea 74 mg, a cup of green tea 28 mg and 8 ounces of cola 22 mg. A natural chocolate bar (50g) has approximately 25mg of caffeine.
Caffeine supplements contain about 200 mg per tablet or the amount in 2 cups of brewed coffee.
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