Caffeine: Friend or Foe?

We're back from vacation and ready to continue with our blogs on ingredients we should try to eliminate or reduce. So far we've covered High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS), Trans Fats, and Artificial Colors and Flavors, which are all generally regarded as bad for your health. Today we cover caffeine which falls into a "healthy or not" gray area.

The following are potential risks of caffeine consumption:

• Cardiovascular problems: caffeine increase heart rate, elevates blood pressure, and can contribute to the development of heart disease by increasing cholesterol and the homocysteine, the biochemical which is linked to increased risk for heart attack. Caffeine is also linked to coronary vasospasms which cause 20% of all fatal heart attacks that kill otherwise perfectly healthy people
• stress: caffeine stimulates the excretion of stress hormones, which can produce increased levels of anxiety, irritability, muscular tension and pain, indgestion, insomnia and decreased immunity. Increased levels of stress can keep you from making healthy responses to normal daily stress
• emotional disturbances: anxiety and irritability are hallmark mood disturbances associated with caffeine consumption, as well as depression and attention disorders. Depression may occur as part of the letdown or withdrawal from caffeine. Caffeine also decreases the blood flow to the brain by as much as 30% and negatively affects memory and mental performance
• blood sugar swings: caffeine stimulates a temporary surge in blood sugar followed by an overproduction of insulin, which causes a blood sugar crash within hours. This rollercoaster causes weight gain since insulin's message to the body is to store excess sugar as fat. Diabetics and hypoglycemics especially stay away from caffeine
• gastrointestinal problems: many people experience a burning sensation in their stomach after drinking coffee (regular and decaf) because it increases the secretion of hydrochloric acid, which leads to an increased risk for ulcers. Additionally coffee reduces pressure on the valve between the esophagus and the stomach so that the highly acidic contents of the stomach pass up to the esophagus, which can lead to heartburn and gastro-esophageal reflux disease (GERD)
• nutritional deficiencies: caffeine inhibits the absorption of some nutrients in addition to causing the urinary excretion of calcium, magnesium, potassium, iron, trace minerals and all essential elements necessary for good health
• male health problems: In most cases, men can reduce their risk for urinary and prostate problems by making dietary changes, which include eliminating coffee and caffeine
• female health problems: Fibrocystic breast disease, PMS, osteoporosis, infertility problems, miscarriage, low birth weight, and menopausal problems such as hot flashes are all exacerbated by caffeine consumption. Women on birth control pills are particularly at risk since they tend to have a decreased ability to detoxify caffeine
• aging: Many people in their 40's and up find that they cannot tolerate the same level of caffeine consumption that they could in their 20's and 30's. Production of DHEA, melatonin and other vital hormones decline with age, but caffeine speeds up the process. Caffeine dehydrates the body and contributes to aging of the skin and kidneys. It has been shown to inhibit DNA repair and slow the ability of the liver to detoxify foreign toxins.
• adrenal exhaustion: caffeine consumption leads to eventual adrenal fatigue, which can leave you vulnerable to a variety of health disorders related to inflammation and fatigue. Find more about adrenal fatigue here.

Some of the benefits of caffeine are as follows (yes, some contradict the statements above):

• alertness: caffeine can make people feel more alert at doses as low as 100mg (the amount in an 8oz cup of ordinary brewed coffee)
• mood: people report a sense of improved well-being, happiness, energy, alertness and sociability at about 200mg
• concentration: studies suggest that caffeine can help you perform a variety of cognitive tasks, such as recognizing visual patterns, more quickly
• performance: research shows that if just 3-9 mg of caffeine per kg of weight is consumed one hour prior to exercise it increases endurance
• reduce muscle pain: caffeine may stimulate the release of b-endorphins and other stress hormones that depress the sensation of pain or discomfort
• treat headaches and increase effects of medications: caffeine constricts blood vessels and helps the body absorb medications more quickly which is why it is sometimes added to some pain meds (excedrin for example)
• prevent diabetes: coffee contains minerals and antioxidants which help prevent diabetes. Theories suggest that caffeine may stimulate muscles to burn fat and sugar more efficiently
• increase your antioxidants intake: antioxidants in caffeine help to stabilize free radicals and stop them from doing damage. If a free radical is formed in a cell and nothing is done, it can damage the DNA of a cell
• doge diseases: caffeine keeps the dopamine molecules active, preventing diseases such as Parkinson's and Alzheimer's disease. Harvard researches found when men drink 4 cups of caffeinated coffee a day are half as likely to develop Parkinson's disease as those who refrain from consuming caffeinated beverages
• bring relief to asthma: drinking a moderate amount of caffeine can be therapeutic for people with asthma. Caffeine in the form of coffee may be used to prevent an asthma attack in emergency cases, but is not intended to replace medication

Ultimately it is up to the individual consumer if the benefits outweigh the risks for themselves and to figure out their own tolerance to caffeine as not every one reacts the same to an equal amount of the drug. That's right! Caffeine is a drug; a mildly addictive stimulant so it's best to proceed with caution.

Next up: Artificial Sweeteners.