Do you kick-start your day with a hot cup of coffee or tea to energize you? Have you ever wondered how these beverages make you feel fresh and active? Over 1 billion individuals in the world drink coffee every single day!
Well, we all know the caffeine content in coffee is what makes you start your day full of energy. However, there is more you need to know about this energy-boosting element.
Caffeine Overview: What It Is and How It Works?
Caffeine is a natural and active compound found in different plants, including tea, coffee, and cocoa. On average, a cup of coffee contains around 75-100 mg of caffeine, while its levels in cocoa and tea are lower. An individual can consume around 400 mg of caffeine every day. Breastfeeding and pregnant women should intake not more than 200 mg per day.
Caffeine has the ability to stimulate your central nervous system (CNS), muscles, heart, and bodily functions that control blood pressure. It can also increase blood pressure, especially if you don’t consume coffee very often. Plus, consuming caffeine hasn’t been shown to increase levels of dehydration, contrary to popular belief.
Benefits of Caffeine
Besides satisfying your tastebuds and boosting energy, there are many other health benefits of caffeine. Let’s have a look at some of them.
Improves Metabolism
Caffeine can boost metabolism by stimulating your central nervous system. Consuming 300 mg of this element every day can help you burn around 79 calories per day. Therefore it is the caffeine in coffee that helps increase your resting metabolic rate.
Helps in Post-Exercise Recovery
Intensive activities can burn off a high amount of glycogen. Caffeine helps in glycogen resynthesis, which leads to quicker and better recovery. Glycogen has been shown to be replenished more rapidly when athletes ingest both carbohydrate and caffeine following exercise.
Promotes Alertness
Coffee consumption can increase alertness and attention. Consuming 160 to 600 mg doses of caffeine can boost speed, reasoning, mental alertness, and memory.
Supports Brain Function
The element triggers adenosine receptors in your brain. Some research studies also show that coffee can slow the decline in mental health and enhance thinking skills.
Prevents Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s Disease
Studies show that caffeine consumption can lower the risk of developing Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s disease.
Boosts Memory
A research study by Johns Hopkins University shows that consuming caffeine after a learning session can improve long-term memory.
Side Effects of Caffeine
Caffeine is completely safe to consume orally (up to 400 mg) for healthy adults. However, it can cause some adverse effects if you consume it in high doses for a longer time. It can lead to nervousness, insomnia, stomach irritation, restlessness, increase respiration and heart rate, and much more.
Larger doses can also cause anxiety, agitation, headache, and chest pain. It can lead to irregular heartbeats and other severe conditions. So, it’s better to avoid any product that contains high and concentrated doses of caffeine. Also, monitoring your daily intake is crucial as taking pre-workout, tea, coffee and other energy drinks can all add up!
Take Away
It’s true that caffeine has side effects, but only if you consume it in a high amount. It is important to note that drinking coffee, tea, and other caffeinated beverages on a regular basis are a safe and completely healthy habit.
