Introduction
Approximately 85% of Americans consume at least one caffeinated beverage daily, as well as an average of 135 milligrams per person.
The U.S. population is approximately 336 million, that means about 286 million people consume caffeine regularly. This adds up to a staggering 38.6 billion milligrams of caffeine consumed in the U.S. every day!
That’s a lot of caffeine! It’s clear that America truly runs on this addictive stimulant.
In this article, we’ll explore just about everything you need to know about caffeine: what it is, why so many people rely on it, its potential benefits and risks, how much is too much, and the effects of overconsumption.
Lastly I’ll discuss how to enjoy caffeine wisely and responsibly to make the most of its benefits.
A Brief History of Caffeine
Caffeine, as a chemical compound, has existed since the beginning of time, naturally occurring in plants like tea leaves, cocoa beans, and coffee beans. However, the history of humanity’s discovery and use of caffeine is a bit more complex.
While it’s impossible to pinpoint the exact moment caffeine entered our diets, it’s likely that people have been consuming it in various forms since before recorded history.
The use of caffeine from tea dates back to around 1000 B.C. in China, where it was enjoyed for its stimulating and medicinal effects. Coffee, on the other hand, is believed to have originated in Ethiopia before gaining popularity in Turkey and Arabia.
By the end of the 15th century, coffee was introduced to Europe, and its popularity quickly spread throughout the 16th and 17th centuries.
In 1819, Friedlieb Ferdinand Runge, a German chemist, became the first to isolate caffeine from the coffee bean, marking a pivotal moment in the understanding and utilization of this stimulant.
Once caffeine was extracted and studied, its use expanded far beyond coffee, though coffee has remained the most popular way to enjoy it.
What Is Caffeine?
Definition: Caffeine is a natural occurring stimulant found in coffee, tea, chocolate and more. For those of you who like science, the technical name for caffeine is 1,3,7-trimethylxanthine. And its chemical structure is in the graph below.
Many people believe caffeine gives you “energy,” but that’s not quite true. Let me explain. Caffeine itself has zero calories, and calories are what provide energy to the body. So, technically speaking, caffeine doesn’t supply any energy at all. But don’t pick up your stones just yet—there’s more to discuss!
While caffeine doesn’t provide energy, it makes you feel energized by interacting with your brain. It works by binding to adenosine receptors(sleepy receptors), which are responsible for signaling tiredness.
By blocking these receptors, caffeine reduces the sensation of fatigue and keeps you alert. So some may argue that it does give you energy in a way!
According to the National Library of Medicine, caffeine does more than just block tiredness. Caffeine also stimulates your body in other ways:
- Helps improve breathing by increasing your body’s response to carbon dioxide and strengthening your breathing muscles.
- Boosts kidney function, increasing blood flow, filtration, and sodium excretion, which is why caffeine can make you urinate more.
- Stimulates the production of stomach acid and speeds up digestion by increasing movement in the digestive system.
In addition, caffeine increases the release of stress hormones like cortisol and adrenaline. These hormones help enhance focus and energy in moderate amounts but can have harmful effects if they are increased too much, hence anxiety and big crashes from caffeine over consumption.
In summary, caffeine is a stimulant. It doesn’t give you actual energy but instead stimulates your brain and body to create the “feeling” of being energized.
Now a quick look at what exactly has caffeine and how much? Note: this is not an extensive list but a list to give you an idea.
Dark Chocolate(1 ounce): 24mg
Soda(12oz): 40-55mg
Energy drinks(8oz):85 mg
Coffee (8oz): Brewed; 95mg
Espresso: 65mg(per shot)
Decaf Coffee(8oz): 4mg
Green Tea: 28mg
Black Tea: 47mg
Something to note is that there can be caffeine in foods you wouldn’t normally expect like certain ice creams, cereals, protein bars etc. So just be cautious and read labels if you’re trying to cut back or if you want to stay away from caffeine closer to bed time.
Benefits of Caffeine
Increased Alertness and Focus:
As we discussed earlier caffeine’s main role in the body is attaching to the adenosine receptors in your brain. This in turn will cause your brain to not feel as tired!
Caffeine will also increase adrenaline and cortisol making you feel alert. In turn one of the benefits of caffeine is being alert and focused.
Physical Performance:
Another benefit of moderate caffeine consumption is better physical performance. Just think about it, if the feeling of fatigue is lessened by caffeine then you’ll be more likely to push harder while doing physical activity.
Mood Booster:
It can also boost your overall mood! Caffeine consumption increases a well known hormone called dopamine which I like to think of as the happy hormone. It’s what makes you feel pleasure, motivation and happiness.
Potential Health Benefits:
It also has been shown to reduce the risks of Parkinson’s, cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, and improve longevity.
Risks of Caffeine
Although there are many benefits of caffeine there are also some risks we need to be aware of.
Dependency and Tolerance:
If you consume caffeine on a regular basis or you are going to start, it is good to be aware of tolerance and dependency. Tolerance is a person’s diminished response to a drug due to adaptation to it.
When you consistently have the same amount of caffeine your brain and body start to adapt to it. When this happens, to experience the same effects as the first time you had it, you have to increase the amount.
This can become very dangerous if you are solely drinking caffeine for the stimulating effects and you don’t plan on taking a break anytime soon.
Eventually you will become physically dependent on the drug and it will become hard and even painful to get off of it.
This is why you see many people drinking coffee all day long and shot gunning energy drinks before they start work or school. It goes from being a treat and a helpful tool to being a need.
Side Effects:
Overconsumption:
When you exceed safe limits there can be harmful effects such as restlessness, rapid heart rate, panic attacks, fainting, and in people with pre existing heart conditions potential heart attack.
Some less harmful, but still important to note side effects include, jitteriness and shaky hands, heightened anxiety and stress, and some even experience digestive issues.
Impact on Sleep:
Caffeine’s impact on sleep is definitely one to be noted. Adenosine is responsible for deep sleep. So when having caffeine especially closer to bed, your R.E.M. cycle will be out of sorts. Not only this but melatonin levels also are diminished in the presence of caffeine.
Caffeine can last in your bloodstream for up to 12 hours. While the half life of caffeine is around 4-6 hours it still can affect your brain for around 8-12 hours.
If you want to be extra careful not to have major effects on your sleep, it’s best to drink coffee no later than 12 hours before bed.
For example if you plan on going to bed at 11pm try not to drink coffee past 11am.
Vulnerable Groups:
People who want to take extra care when considering caffeine consumption are mainly;
- Pregnant women
- People with anxiety
- People with certain disorders such as adhd or arrhythmias.
- Children
How Much Is Too Much?
Daily Recommendations:
The FDA and Mayo Clinic recommend that healthy adults do not exceed 400 mg per day which in coffee terms is about 4-5 cups per day or around 6 shots of espresso.
With this in mind everyone is different and 400 mg might be way too much for you, so find out what will be most beneficial for you personally.
Some signs you may be having too much are if you are feeling anxiety, heart palpitations, headaches, or pretty much anything that’s abnormally uncomfortable.
For more in depth information on how much caffeine is in what, check out this website for reference, https://www.cspinet.org/caffeine-chart
Practical Tips for Healthy Caffeine Consumption
Moderation Is Key:
Moderation is key to maintaining a healthy caffeine intake. To have moderation you need self control. Another word for moderation is reasonableness. What is most reasonable for you?
Do you go crazy and have panic attacks when you have 4 shots instead of two, then don’t drink 4 shots!
Do you feel energized and otherwise totally healthy with 4 cups of coffee spread over your morning, then do that!
It may be reasonable not to have caffeine at all and that’s totally okay. Whatever is most reasonable, do that.
Timing Matters:
A very practical tip is making sure you don’t have caffeine later in the day. The worst thing is drinking coffee later in the day and waking up the next day feeling even more tired and brain foggy, and the only thing that will fix it is another cup.
You don’t want to get to a place where you “need” caffeine. The best thing to do is only drink caffeine in the mornings. Sorry late night pre workout gym bros, but you might have to save the pre for the morning workouts.
Alternatives:
If you’re one of those people who drinks coffee and teas and energy drinks because you like the taste and it’s not just all about the caffeine there are some other options for you.
Instead of getting 4 shots of regular coffee you can get half Caffeinated shots. Or instead of drinking black tea you could have herbal caffeine free tea.
Here is a list of alternatives to have an idea of what you might like.
- Decaf Coffee
- Herbal tea
- Kombucha
- Chicory coffee
- Dandelion coffee
- Caffeine free sodas
- Carbonated water
Conclusion
Caffeine is the most popular stimulant worldwide. Found mainly in coffee beans and tea leaves. It has been benefiting individuals and society for a very long time. There are many benefits and also many risks to consider but as long as you partake in moderation you should be able to enjoy your daily cup of joe guilt free.
Take some time to think over your caffeine habits and ask yourself if you’ve been moderate or if there needs to be some changes.
Feel free to leave a comment about some insights you may have gained from personal reflection or from this post.
Let me know if there is anything else maybe I didn’t cover or didn’t cover enough of that you’d like to know more about.
In my next post we will get into how Christians should view caffeine. Can Christians drink it? Is caffeine a sin like some suggest? What does God think about your caffeine addiction? Check out my next post to get some answers!
References
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- Mental Health Commission. (n.d.). Caffeine: The Facts. Retrieved from mhc.wa.gov.au
- Better Health Channel. (n.d.). Caffeine and your health. Retrieved from betterhealth.vic.gov.au
- Harvard Gazette. (2020, August). Author Michael Pollan discusses how caffeine changed the world. Retrieved from news.harvard.edu
- Centre for Addiction and Mental Health. (n.d.). Caffeine. Retrieved from camh.ca
- Center for Science in the Public Interest. (n.d.). Caffeine chart. Retrieved from cspinet.org
- ScienceDirect. (n.d.). Caffeine. Retrieved from sciencedirect.com
- American Medical Association. (n.d.). What doctors wish patients knew about the impact of caffeine. Retrieved from ama-assn.org
- National Center for Biotechnology Information. (n.d.). Caffeine. Retrieved from ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
- UpToDate. (n.d.). Benefits and risks of caffeine and caffeinated beverages. Retrieved from uptodate.com
- Worldometer. (n.d.). U.S. population statistics. Retrieved from worldometers.info
- Britannica. (n.d.). History of coffee. Retrieved from britannica.com
- ScienceDirect. (2024). Caffeine consumption trends and health implications. Retrieved from sciencedirect.com
- Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. (n.d.). Caffeine and health. Retrieved from hsph.harvard.edu
- Sleep Foundation. (n.d.). How long does it take for caffeine to wear off? Retrieved from sleepfoundation.org
- Mayo Clinic. (n.d.). Caffeine: How much is too much? Retrieved from https://www.mayoclinic.org.
- U.S. Food and Drug Administration. (2018). Spilling the beans: How much caffeine is too much? Retrieved from https://www.fda.gov.