Caffeine Myths and Facts - WebMD

Caffeine Myth No. 1: Caffeine Is Addictive MenuMedicalReferenceFeaturesVideoSlideshows&ImagesQuizzesExpertCommentaryNewsArchiveHomeNewsReferenceSlideshowsQuizzesBlogsVideosDietPlansA-ZPopularDietPlansHealthyWeightToolsandCalculatorsHealthyEating&NutritionBest&WorstChoicesAllGuideTopicsWeightLoss&ObesityFitness&ExerciseFood&RecipesFoodCalculatorBMICalculatorDiabetesCholesterolManagementMoreRelatedTopicsDiet&WeightManagementReferenceMenuReviewedbyGabrielaPichardo, MDonJune12,2021InthisArticleCaffeineMythNo.1:CaffeineIsAddictiveCaffeineMythNo.2:CaffeineIsLikelytoCauseInsomniaCaffeineMythNo.3:CaffeineIncreasestheRiskofOsteoporosis,HeartDisease,andCancerCaffeineMythNo.4:CaffeineIsHarmfulforWomenTryingtoGetPregnantCaffeineMythNo.5:CaffeineHasaDehydratingEffectCaffeineMythNo.6:CaffeineHarmsChildren,Who,Today,ConsumeEvenMoreThanAdultsCaffeineMythNo.7:CaffeineCanHelpYouSoberUpCaffeineMythNo.8:CaffeineHasNoHealthBenefitsCaffeinemythorcaffeinefact?It'snotalwayseasytoknow.Chancesareyouhavesomerealmisperceptionsaboutcaffeine.Forstarters,doyouknowthemostcommonsourcesofcaffeine?Well,maybetwoofthesourcesaren'ttoohardtoname--coffeeandtealeaves.Butdidyouknowkolanutsandcocoabeansarealsoincludedamongthemostcommoncaffeinesources?Anddoyouknowhowmuchcaffeinecontentcanvaryfromfoodtofood?Turnsoutit'squitealotactually,dependingonthetypeandservingsizeofafoodorbeverageandhowit'sprepared.Caffeinecontentcanrangefromasmuchas160milligramsinsomeenergydrinkstoaslittleas4milligramsina1-ounceservingofchocolate-flavoredsyrup.Evendecaffeinatedcoffeeisn'tcompletelyfreeofcaffeine.Caffeineisalsopresentinsomeover-the-counterpainrelievers,coldmedications,anddietpills.Theseproductscancontainaslittleas16milligramsorasmuchas200milligramsofcaffeine.Infact,caffeineitselfisamildpainkillerandincreasestheeffectivenessofotherpainrelievers.Wanttoknowmore?Readon.WebMDhasexaminedsomeofthemostcommonmythsaboutcaffeineandgatheredthefactstoshedsomelightonthosemyths.CaffeineMythNo.1:CaffeineIsAddictiveThisonehassometruthtoit,dependingonwhatyoumeanby"addictive."Caffeineisastimulanttothecentralnervoussystem,andregularuseofcaffeinedoescausemildphysicaldependence.Butcaffeinedoesn'tthreatenyourphysical,social,oreconomichealththewayaddictivedrugsdo.(Althoughafterseeingyourmonthlyspendingatthecoffeeshop,youmightdisagree!)Ifyoustoptakingcaffeineabruptly,youmayhavesymptomsforadayormore,especiallyifyouconsumetwoormorecupsofcoffeeaday.Symptomsofwithdrawalfromcaffeineinclude:headachefatigueanxietyirritabilitydepressedmooddifficultyconcentratingNodoubt,caffeinewithdrawalcanmakeforafewbaddays.However,caffeinedoesnotcausetheseverityofwithdrawalorharmfuldrug-seekingbehaviorsasstreetdrugsoralcohol.Forthisreason,expertsdonotconsidercaffeinedependencean addiction.CaffeineMythNo.2:CaffeineIsLikelytoCauseInsomniaYourbodyquicklyabsorbscaffeine.Butitalsogetsridofitquickly.Processedmainlythroughtheliver,somecaffeinedoesstickaroundinthebodyforseveralhours. Butformostpeople,acupofcoffeeortwointhemorningwon'tinterferewithsleepatnight.Consumingcaffeinelaterintheday,however,caninterferewithsleep.Ifyou'relikemostpeople,yoursleepwon'tbeaffectedifyoudon'tconsumecaffeineatleastsixhoursbeforegoingtobed.Yoursensitivitymayvary,though,dependingonyourmetabolismandtheamountofcaffeineyouregularlyget.Peoplewhoaremoresensitivemaynotonlyexperienceinsomniabutalsohavecaffeinesideeffectsofnervousnessandgastrointestinalupset.CaffeineMythNo.3:CaffeineIncreasestheRiskofOsteoporosis,HeartDisease,andCancerModerateamountsofdailycaffeine--about300milligrams,orthreecupsofcoffee--apparentlycausenoharminmosthealthyadults.Somepeoplearemorevulnerabletoitseffects,however.Thatincludessuchpeopleasthosewhohavehighbloodpressureorareolder.Herearethefacts:Osteoporosisandcaffeine.Athighlevels(morethan744milligrams/day),caffeinemayincreasecalciumandmagnesiumlossinurine.Butrecentstudiessuggestitdoesnotincreaseyourriskforboneloss,especiallyifyougetenoughcalcium.Youcanoffsetthecalciumlostfromdrinkingonecupofcoffeebyaddingjusttwotablespoonsofmilk.However,researchdoesshowlinksbetweencaffeineandhipfractureriskinolderadults.Olderadultsmaybemoresensitivetotheeffectsofcaffeineoncalciummetabolism.Ifyou'reanolderwoman,discusswithyourhealthcareproviderwhetheryoushouldlimityourdailycaffeineintaketo300milligramsorless.Cardiovasculardiseaseandcaffeine.Aslight,temporaryriseinheartrateandbloodpressureiscommoninthosewhoaresensitivetocaffeine.Butseverallargestudiesdonotlinkcaffeinetohighercholesterol,irregularheartbeats,oranincreasedriskofcardiovasculardisease.Ifyoualreadyhavehighbloodpressureorheartproblems,though,haveadiscussionwithyourdoctoraboutyourcaffeineintake.Youmaybemoresensitivetoitseffects.Also,moreresearchisneededtotellwhethercaffeineincreasestheriskforstrokeinpeoplewithhighbloodpressure.Cancerandcaffeine.Reviewsof13studiesinvolving20,000peoplerevealednorelationshipbetweencancerandcaffeine.Infact,caffeinemayevenhaveaprotectiveeffectagainstcertaincancers. CaffeineMythNo.4:CaffeineIsHarmfulforWomenTryingtoGetPregnantManystudiesshownolinksbetweenlowamountsofcaffeine(acupofcoffeeperday)andanyofthefollowing:troubleconceivingmiscarriagebirthdefectsprematurebirthlowbirthrateAtthesametime,forpregnantwomenorthoseattemptingpregnancy,theMarchofDimessuggestsfewerthan200milligramsofcaffeineperday.Thisisequaltoonelargecupofcoffeeperday. Thisrecommendationcomesbecause,inlimitedstudies,womenconsuminghigheramountsofcaffeinehadanincreasedriskformiscarriage.CaffeineMythNo.5:CaffeineHasaDehydratingEffectCaffeinecanmakeyouneedtourinate.However,thefluidyouconsumeincaffeinatedbeveragestendstooffsettheeffectsoffluidlosswhenyouurinate.Thebottomlineisthatalthoughcaffeinedoesactasamilddiuretic,studiesshowdrinkingcaffeinateddrinksinmoderationdoesn'tactuallycausedehydration.CaffeineMythNo.6:CaffeineHarmsChildren,Who,Today,ConsumeEvenMoreThanAdultsAsof2004,childrenages6to9consumedabout22milligramsofcaffeineperday.Thisiswellwithintherecommendedlimit.However,energydrinksthatcontainalotofcaffeinearebecomingincreasinglypopular,sothisnumbermaygoup.Somekidsaresensitivetocaffeine,developingtemporaryanxietyorirritability,witha"crash"afterwards.Also,mostcaffeinethatkidsdrinkisinsodas,energydrinks,orsweetenedteas,allofwhichhavehighsugarcontent.Theseemptycaloriesputkidsathigherriskforobesity.Evenifthecaffeineitselfisn'tharmful,caffeinateddrinksaregenerallynotgoodforkids.CaffeineMythNo.7:CaffeineCanHelpYouSoberUpActually,researchsuggeststhatpeopleonlythinkcaffeinehelpsthemsoberup.Forexample,peoplewhodrinkcaffeinealongwithalcoholthinkthey'reOKbehindthewheel.Butthetruthisreactiontimeandjudgmentarestillimpaired.Collegekidswhodrinkbothalcoholandcaffeineareactuallymorelikelytohavecaraccidents.CaffeineMythNo.8:CaffeineHasNoHealthBenefitsCaffeinehasfewprovenhealthbenefits.Butthelistofcaffeine'spotentialbenefitsisinteresting.Anyregularcoffeedrinkermaytellyouthatcaffeineimprovesalertness,concentration,energy,clear-headedness,andfeelingsofsociability.Youmightevenbethetypewhoneedsthatfirstcupo'Joeeachmorningbeforeyousayasingleword.Scientificstudiessupportthesesubjectivefindings.OneFrenchstudyevenshowedaslowerdeclineincognitiveabilityamongwomenwhoconsumedcaffeine.Otherpossiblebenefitsincludehelpingcertaintypesofheadachepain.Somepeople'sasthmaalsoappearstobenefitfromcaffeine.Theseresearchfindingsareintriguing,butstillneedtobeproven.Limitedevidencesuggestscaffeinemayalsoreducetheriskofthefollowing:Parkinson'sdiseaseliverdiseasecolorectalcancertype2diabetesdementiaDespiteitspotentialbenefits,don'tforgetthathighlevelsofcaffeinemayhaveadverseeffects.Morestudiesareneededtoconfirmbothitsbenefitsandpotentialrisks.10WorstSandwichesandBetterChoicesGuidetoEatingHealthyCarbsBecomingaVegetarian:FoodstoChooseFromWhyAmIAlwaysHungry?SurprisingReasonsYou'reGainingWeightDietTipsforKneeOsteoarthritisCan'tSleep?ItCouldBeWhatYou'reEatingWillThisGiveMeHeartburn?BrewingTroubleFoods,Drinks,andDrugsThatCanCauseIncontinenceQuestionsAboutFemaleUrinaryIncontinenceCaffeineMythsandFactsMythsandFactsAboutCaffeineCaffeineTopicsBoostYourMetabolism:10WaystoDoItBellyFat:Best&WorstFoodsWorstSandwiches:AvoidTheseDietWreckersBestDietTipsEver:22WaystoStayonTrackSlideshow9SeedsYouShouldBeEatingSlideshow9WaystoEatCleanSlideshowFoodsYouCan'tStopEating--ButShouldSlideshowLoseWeightWithoutDietingSlideshowWorstRestaurantMealsSlideshowSurprisingReasonsYou'reGainingWeightSlideshowWhatIsaGluten-FreeDiet?SlideshowTruthAboutSugarCravingsSlideshowFat-FightingFoodsSlideshow25Low-CalorieSnacksSlideshowHigh-ProteinDietsSlideshowLow-CarbSnacksDoHigh-ProteinDietsWork?Weight-LossDosandDon'tsBestandWorstJuices10WaystoControlYourEatingGuidetoBecomingVegetarianBestandWorstAppetizers 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