The Good. The Bad. The Misunderstood. 

Espresso. Latte. Black. Green. Carbonated. Chocolate covered. Any way you consume it, caffeine is the most widely used stimulant in the world.

Four out of five Americans drink coffee, consuming more than 400 million cups per day, leading the world in coffee consumption. Other sources of caffeine include tea leaves, and cocoa beans, as well as kola nuts.

Caffeine speeds up the central nervous system. The effects of caffeine in a beverage begin to reach all parts of the body within five minutes.

Caffeine increases your metabolism, causing an increase in:

• Body temperature and breathing rate
• Urination, fatty acid levels in the blood, gastric acid in the stomach
• Blood pressure
• Alertness

Different people react differently to caffeine. Some people can have a cup of coffee before going to bed while others will have a sleepless night if they have caffeine after mid-afternoon.

Not guilty 

In 1987, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration found no evidence that normal intake of caffeine produced health risks. The American Cancer Societyand the American Medical Association concur.

Consuming two or three cups of coffee a day does no harm in the average person.

Research shows that moderate coffee drinking doesn’t raise blood pressure or trigger abnormal heart rhythms. Studies of coffee and cancer have focused on three organs:

• Pancreas—The coffee-pancreatic link is a myth. Caffeine is one of the ingredients added to several chemo drugs to treat advanced pancreatic cancer in some clinical trials.
• Bladder—The National Cancer Institute reports no connection between coffee and bladder cancer.
• Colon—Caffeine in coffee and tea are not associated with increased incidence of colon/rectal cancer.

Fact or Fiction 

Caffeine and alcohol

Caffeine may make a drunk wide awake, but it won’t make him sober.

Caffeine as medicine

Caffeine is often found in over-the-counter drugs and cold remedies because it increases the power of aspirin and other painkillers.

Caffeine and dependence

Yes, you can have a caffeine habit, but it is not an addiction. Those with a caffeine habit may experience “caffeine withdrawal” 12 to 24 hours after the last dose of caffeine. Headaches, anxiety, fatigue, drowsiness, and depression may follow. It resolves within 24 to 48 hours.

Caffeine and weight loss

The use of caffeine in over-the-counter weight-loss aids has been banned because it has no long-term effect on weight.