Wednesday, March 26, 2014

Caffeine: My Thoughts...

MY THOUGHTS
In my original post I mentioned my love or addiction for coffee. Friends, family, and even myself have always joked about my coffee consumption. I started this blog for a class assignment in which I've learn about all the different products that contain caffeine and the harmful effects of excessive caffeine consumption. With all the recent research I've done I felt I needed to re-evaluate my intake of caffeine products. The bottom line is... just as with anything (diet, exercise, etc..) moderation is the answer.

Please check back periodically as I will continue to bring new information about where caffeine is heading and any new discoveries on the effects on health.



Resource
Cartoon: The rules of caffeine. Michigan Daily. Retrieved March 26, 2014, from https://www.michigandaily.com/opinion/cartoon-rules-caffeine

BOOK RELEASE

Caffeinated: How Our Daily Habit Helps, Hurts, and Hooks Us
Earlier this week the New York Times announced the book "Caffeinated" by Murry Carpenter was released. The book takes you on a journey through the history of caffeine from coffee fields to tea lounges and finally factories that manufacture synthetic caffeine to get us hook. Through some humor and personal accounts Carpenter acknowledges caffeine's benefits, but also it's dangers. Read the article "Caffeinated, A History of Our Favorite Stimulant" to learn more about the book. I just ordered a copy!!




Resource:
Zuger, A. (2014, March 24). Caffeinated: A history of our favorite stimulant. New York Times. Retrieved from http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/03/24/caffeinated-a-history-of-our-favorite-stimulant/?_php=true&_type=blogs&_php=true&_type=blogs&_r=1

Thursday, March 20, 2014

How to Determine Your Daily Safe Dose of Caffeine

The following article gives an excellent visual of what consuming 400 mg, 200 mg, and 100 mg of caffeine looks like per day. I found this article to be very informative. I was surprised to see what exactly 400 mg of caffeine looks like. I couldn't imagine consuming 11.5 cans of coke for the same effect of 1 venti coffee, not to mention all the other chemicals and sugar. I also came to the conclusion that maybe I'm not actually a caffeine addict. I'm a healthy adult with no underlying health conditions and I've never had any side effects of consuming 300-400 mg of caffeine a day. I love coffee... the smell, the taste, the warmth, and the tradition of drinking coffee.

Caffeine Safe Limits: How to Determine Your Safe Daily Dose

how-much-caffeine
A safe caffeine limit is the amount of caffeine a person can consume without experiencing any negative caffeine overdose symptoms.
Unfortunately, it’s hard to assign an exact amount for everyone because people can have different sensitivities or reactions to caffeine based on age, medical history, and tolerance.
In this caffeine safe limit guide, we’ll attempt to break down what is generally considered a safe daily amount of caffeine for most major categories of people considering age, health history, and experience with caffeinated products.

Caffeine Amounts for Healthy Adults

For healthy adults with no medical issues, it is generally agreed upon that 300mg-400mg of caffeine can be consumed daily without any adverse effects.¹
This is equivalent to about:
adult-caffeine-safe-dose-comparison

Safe Limits for Children

Because children’s brains are continuing to develop and their bodies are still growing, limited caffeine is recommended.
A recent study from The University Children’s Hospital in Zurich, Switzerland showed the importance of sleep for a child’s developing brain. Caffeine can interfere with sleep, therefore, possibly hindering proper brain development.

Ages 12 and Under

Caffeine isn’t recommended for children under 12. Occasionally, some doctors may recommend caffeine for children diagnosed with ADHD, but generally there really is no reason for children under 12 to consume caffeine.
For children 4 or older an occasional caffeinated soda or chocolate treat will likely pose no concern and around 45mg per day¹ is recognized as a safe amount, but caffeine shouldn’t be a daily part of a child’s diet.

Ages 13-18

While greatly limiting caffeine to this age group would be ideal, because of the increasing demands placed on teenagers in regards to school, sports, and even work; caffeine consumption is becoming more common with this age group.
Developing teens should have no more than 100mg of caffeine daily² due to the importance of sleep, brain development, inexperience with caffeine, and possibly unknown medical conditions.
This is equivalent to about:
  • 1.3 Shots of espresso
  • 1.25 8 fl.oz. Red Bulls
  • .5 of a 5 Hour Energy Shot
  • .6 of a 16 fl.oz. can of Monster Energy Drink
  • .2 of a Starbucks Venti brewed coffee
  • 3 12 fl.oz. Cokes
caffeine-safe-limits-teens-comparison

Caffeine for Those with Health Concerns

Adults as well as children with either diagnosed or undiagnosed medical conditions can have adverse health implications with even small amounts of caffeine.

Heart Conditions

Because caffeine is a stimulant, it increases heart rate as well as blood pressure. Therefore, those with heart arrhythmias³, murmurs, and hypertension should limit their caffeine intake.
It’s important to note that caffeine hasn’t been proven to cause arrhythmias, heart disease or other heart related problems.¹
Those with pre-existing arrhythmias, murmurs, and hypertension should limit caffeine to no more than 200mg daily and are advised to consult their physician before consuming caffeine.

Type 2 Diabetes

The majority of the research shows that caffeine doesn’t increase the risk of someone developing type 2 diabetes, but actually decreases risk.¹
However, those already diagnosed with type 2 diabetes should limit caffeine consumption because it can impair glucose metabolism in diabetics.4
Those with type 2 diabetes should restrict their consumption to around 200mg daily or follow their doctor’s instructions concerning caffeine intake.

Pregnant or Nursing Women

We have covered pregnancy and caffeine extensively in our article located here.
In summary, we concluded that mothers consuming 200mg of caffeine or less a day results in very little risk for the developing fetus and nursing infant.
200mg of caffeine is equivalent to about:
  • 2.6 shots of espresso
  • 2.5 8 fl.oz. Red Bulls
  • One 5 Hour Energy Shot
  • .5 of a Starbucks Venti Brewed Coffee
  • 1.25 16 fl.oz. Monster energy drinks
  • 6 12 fl.oz. Cokes
caffeine-safe-doses-health-conditions

Those Ultra-Sensitive to Caffeine

For those ultra-sensitive to caffeine it is hard to determine an exact caffeine safe limit. Some people can have one cup of coffee (100mg-120mg) in the morning and still fail to get to sleep that evening. This is well after the caffeine’s effects should have worn off as it does for “normal” caffeine consumers.
If the ultra-sensitive choose to consume caffeine they should do so in small amounts until they find the amount that works, but doesn’t cause unwanted side-effects.
We suggest that these people start with 50mg of caffeine daily and then slightly increase or decrease their consumption from there.
This is equivalent to about:
  • 1.5 12 fl.oz. Cokes
  • 1 4 fl.oz. brewed coffee. (not Starbucks)
  • 1 8 fl.oz. strong black tea
Need help with caffeine levels? Check out our huge list of caffeine amounts.

A General Guide to Caffeine Consumption Only

Our caffeine safe limit amounts listed above are based on what the latest research tells us and should be used as a general guide, not the “gospel’.
There are just too many variations in the human population to determine a safe limit for caffeine use in ALL people.
Caffeine should be treated as any other drug and used with caution until a person understands how it interacts with his/her particular genetic make-up and health profile.
It’s also important to understand that a person’s safe limit of caffeine can change over time as a person’s health evolves over his/her lifetime.

How Much Caffeine Are Americans Consuming?

The Department of Nutritional Sciences from The Pennsylvania State University recently conducted a survey study and found that on average, those ages 50-64 consume the most caffeine daily.
The most shocking of part their data is the fact that 2 to 5 year olds consume on average 24mg of caffeine daily. This means that many would consume much more.
We populated their data into the graph below.
usa-caffeine-consumption
References:
Caffeine safe limits: How to determine your safe daily dose. Caffeine Informer. Retrieved March 20, 2014, from http://www.caffeineinformer.com/caffeine-safe-limits

Study: Moderate Caffeine Intake Doesn't Lead to Dehydration | Runner's World & Running Times

Study: Moderate Caffeine Intake Doesn't Lead to Dehydration | Runner's World & Running Times

Wednesday, March 19, 2014

Sprayable Energy

What is Sprayable Energy?
While searching the internet on caffeine I came across this product that caught my attention. The founders of the product claim that people will consider it as better alternative to drinking caffeine. Claiming it has no calories, no sugars, no harmful chemicals, no jitters or crash, and highly portable. But does it work?




Welcome to the End of Tired
The world's first topical caffeine seen on ABC News, CBS News, New York Times, Good Morning America, Tech Crunch, and Time is making quite an impression. Highly portable, quick sprays of energy to get you through the day. And because of it's portability you can carry them in a gym bag, purse, car, and even leave one in your desk, plus no need to heat up of refrigerate... try that with a cup of coffee or an energy drink. Caught your attention?

One dose equals 4 sprays on the neck and is equivalent to 1 cup of coffee. They do not recommend more than 24-25 sprays per day. The following video follows an ABC freelance videographer over a 16 hour time period using only Sprayable Energy and no other caffeine products. Watch the following video on their homepage to find out what he discovered: Sprayable Energy.


References

Sprayable energy. (2013). Youtube.  Retreived March 19, 2014, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KgSHTfSOOVw

Welcome to the end tired. (2013). Sprayable Energy. Retreived March 19, 2014, from http://sprayable.co/




Sunday, March 16, 2014

What Is Caffeine?


What Is Caffeine?

Caffeine is a chemical found in plants and stimulates the central nervous system, heart, muscles, and the centers that control blood pressure. The effects of caffeine can last in the body for 5 hours or more and the effects can be felt within 15 minutes of consumption.

Caffeine is most commonly found in beverages such as coffee, tea, sodas, and energy drinks. Caffeine is also found in other products including chocolate, pain and allergy medications, and No Doz (an over-the-counter medication to keep you awake).  

Though many believe moderate caffeine consumption is safe, excessive consumption could cause anxiety, headache, agitation, insomnia, nervousness and restlessness, stomach irritation, increased heart rate and respirations, chest pain, irregular heartbeats, and ringing in the ear.

The following is a list of products containing caffeine and the average amount of caffeine per serving.

Chocolate:
Average:
Cocoa beverage (6 oz)
4 mg
Chocolate flavored syrup (2 tbs)
5 mg
Chocolate milk (8 oz)
8 mg
Milk chocolate (1 oz)
7 mg
Semi-sweet chocolate (1 oz)
18 mg
Unsweetened chocolate (1 oz)
25 mg
Coffee:*
 
Brewed (6 oz)
100 mg
Instant (1 rounded tsp)
57 mg
Brewed decaffeinated (6 oz cup)
3 mg
Instant decaffeinated (1 rounded tsp)
2 mg
Cappuccino (4 oz)
100 mg
Espresso (2 oz)
100 mg
Latte (single)
50 mg
Mocha (single)
55 mg
Other Beverages (12-oz servings):
 
Coca-Cola, Diet Coke
46 mg
Dr. Pepper (regular & sugar-free)
40 mg
Mello Yello
52 mg
Mountain Dew
54 mg
Pepsi-Cola, Diet Pepsi
38 mg
Red Bull (8.2 oz)
80 mg
5-Hour Energy
138 mg
Monster Energy
160 mg
Tea (5-oz cup):
 
Brewed, green or black, U.S. brands (3 minutes)
40 mg
Brewed, imported brands
60 mg
Instant (1 tsp)
30 mg
Iced (8 oz)
25 mg
Decaffeinated
5 mg
Non-Prescription Drugs:**
 
Caffeine Tablets:
 
No-Doz
100 mg
Vivarin
200 mg
Pain Relievers (per tablet):
 
Anacin
32 mg
Excedrin
65 mg
Midol (maximum strength)
60 mg


References

Find a vitamin or supplement: Caffeine (n.d.). WebMD. Retrieved March 14, 2014 from http://www.webmd.com/vitamins-supplements/ingredientmono-979-CAFFEINE.aspx?activeIngredientId=979&activeIngredientName=CAFFEINE

 
M Student Life (n.d.). University of Michigan. Retrieved March 14, 2014 from http://www.uhs.umich.edu/caffeine

 






 



Wednesday, March 12, 2014

Quiz: Myths & Facts About Caffeine

What do you really know about caffeine?
Prior to feeding you tons of information, I thought it would be interesting to see what I already know about caffeine... To my surprise, I actually knew less about caffeine than I had originally thought. There were many answers that surprised me. I will discuss later in the week my quiz results and which answers surprised me the most. Let's see how you do.


Take the Quiz



Follow up to my original post...


As I mention, the quiz left me surprised with some of the correct answers. Though many of the questions I found to be common sense my score didn’t reflect that. I scored 11/17, which I basically failed. The following 5 really surprised me and I’d like to share them with you.




Number 1- Caffeine is addictive? Pretty much everything I’ve read has suggested caffeine is addictive, but the answer on this quiz said false. Suggesting that caffeine is not addictive if used in moderation. I felt uncomfortable with this answer, as they left out those who drink caffeine excessively, especially those who drink energy drinks and medications like No Doz.


Number 7- How long does the effects of caffeine last? The correct answer was longer than 5 hours and those sensitive to caffeine it may last longer. I didn’t realize how long it takes the body to metabolize caffeine. I do understand better why some people can’t drink caffeinated beverages after a certain hour, because it affects their sleep. Personally, I consumed 2-3 pots of coffee throughout the day and I often find it has the opposite effect on my body.


Number 10- Women are more sensitive to caffeine than men. The answer was false. I had no idea men were more sensitive to caffeine. I assumed men metabolized caffeine quicker than women, just as they do alcohol.


Number 14- Because of their diuretic effect (which causes increase in urine) caffeinated beverages are usually dehydrating. The answer is false. Wow, this was a huge surprise! The quiz suggested it has only a mild diuretic effect for those who don’t habitually drink caffeine. Further explaining it actually helps maintain hydration. I will further examine why this is false in a later post.


Number 17- The consumption of caffeine above a certain amount is banned by… The correct answer was the NCAA. Stating high doses of caffeine can enhance an athlete’s physical performance. Their purpose is not to forbid caffeine, but to avoid athlete’s usage of high-dose caffeine supplements. I commend the NCAA for implementing strict regulations to provide not only an even playing field for their athletes, but also seeing their health is more important than the game.


References

Quiz: Myths & facts about caffeine. (2014). WebMD. Retrieved on March 12, 2014, from
Untitled image of caffeine. Google Images. Retrieved March 12, 2014, from http://ancasterdatamanagement2009.wikispaces.com/file/view/caffeine_box.jpg/111528689/689x429/caffeine_box.jpg