To Wake Up With Or Without Caffeine?

Caffeine... something I never thought I would have much to say about, until a day at work this week, in which I had had 2.5 hours sleep the night before, made me think more about caffeine and its effects it has on the human body and our function. We all know that caffeine is a stimulant and is basically used to wake us up. So can there be more positives than this? or is it out weighed by negatives? Let's see!

WHAT IS CAFFEINE?

Caffeine is a natural stimulant and is one of the most commonly used drug in the world. Everyday, it is consumed worldwide to increase wakefulness, alleviate fatigue, and improve concentration and focus [1]. It is mostly found in tea, coffee and cacao (yes - chocolate!) plants. It works by stimulating the brain and central nervous system, helping you to stay alert and preventing the onset of tiredness [2].

POSITIVES

1) It Wakes You Up (!) - Caffeine blocks adenosine receptors (these receptors cause tiredness) in the brain to increase alertness, enhance attention and reduce perception of fatigue [3].

2) It's an Antioxidant - It has been suggested that caffeine can play an important role in protecting against conditions such as Alzheimer's disease, heart disease, stroke and some cancers due to coffee's rich source of powerful antioxidants [4]. Antioxidants are chemicals that fight free radicals in the body (these are elements found naturally in the body or in environmental toxins which play a part in causing cancer) - so the richer in antioxidants the food or drink, the better! However the researchers [5] that have proposed these results are still trying to decide whether antioxidants are always good for you so and what is the best food source to find them in.

3) It Boosts Metabolism - By drinking a cup of coffee containing 200 mg caffeine can increase your metabolic rate by 7% in the following 3 hours. So this means you burn more fat and speed up weight loss in the short term, which is the reason caffeine is added to weight loss supplements (not that I'm promoting supplements!! Just explaining the reasoning) [3]. There has been a few studies that show, regular caffeine intake result in burning an extra 79 calorie to 150 calories per day. [6]

NEGATIVES

1) It Can Cause Anxiety - Although caffeine works by blocking adenosine, at the same time is triggers the release of adrenaline which is the hormone associated with increased energy [7]. However, if caffeine is taken in higher doses these effects become a lot more pronounced which leads to anxiousness. This will vary from person to person with how the effects are pronounced in your body and your body's tolerance of caffeine [8].

2) It Can Cause Insomnia - Studies have found that a higher caffeine intake, increases the amount of time it takes to fall asleep which then decreases one's total sleeping time. It is important to remember that caffeine can take several hours to wear off, so think about the time of day when you are consuming highly caffeinated products [9]. One should aim for between 7-9 hours sleep a night.

3) It Can Lead to High Blood Pressure and Rapid Heart Rate (Atrial Fibrillation) - Caffeine can raise blood pressure and increase heart rate or rhythm when consumed in high doses or prior to exercise. High blood pressure can lead to more serious conditions such as a heart attack or stroke. However these effects may only be temporary so it is best to monitor your body's response [7].

4) It Can Lead To Addiction - Consistent consumption of caffeine may lead to physical or psychological dependency, especially in high doses [7]. One will be able to identify their addiction to caffeine when they experience withdrawal symptoms such as increased headaches, fatigue and other withdrawal symptoms [10].

MY EXPERIENCE AND CONCLUSION

There are quite obvious positives and negatives from caffeine intake. Personally I only drink 1 cup of caffeinated tea or coffee in the morning and then 2 green teas (yes they also have caffeine in them!) during the day and then a non caffeinated peppermint tea in the evening. Due to my low tolerance of caffeine, I have found that having an increased amount of caffeine in my body has caused me to feel sick and get 'shaky'.

From the pointers above and studies conducted, light to moderate caffeine intake has shown impressive health benefits, however very high dosages can lead to side effects and may even cause serious health issues. Although responses to caffeine can vary from person to person, in order to get the benefits of caffeine, you should monitor your sleep pattern, energy levels and how your body reacts without caffeine.

Lots of Love

Ruth xxx