Dear addicted caffeine drinker,
Caffeine belongs to a group of stimulants called xanthines. Considering it's readily available and a reliable pick-me-up for many, caffeine is a very popular drug. After you take some in, its highest concentration in our system occurs within thirty to sixty minutes, and its effects usually last for four to six hours. Caffeine is mildly addictive, as you already know. Maybe you were tipped off to this because you've experienced some of the signs of withdrawal from a caffeine addiction:
* sleepiness
* feeling overtired (from not having had any caffeine to energize you)
* a terrible headache (when you abruptly stop having caffeine regularly)
And you're not the only caffeine-head out there. According to the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI), four out of five Americans have some caffeine on any given day, the average amount being about 200 milligrams a day (approximately equivalent to what's found in two 8-ounce cups of coffee, three to four 12-ounce cans of caffeinated soda, or four 8-ounce cups of tea). Since one 12-ounce serving of a diet cola beverage has about 45 milligrams of caffeine, and you're consuming three to four two-liter bottles of it a day, then you're getting anywhere from 675 - 900 milligrams of caffeine a day, which is way above how much the average American gulps. Given these stats, it's no wonder that you're concerned about caffeine's effects on your health.
But how much is too much caffeine? It depends on the person -- oftentimes, you'll know when you've had more than enough if it makes you feel:
* anxious
* excitable
* restless
* dizzy
* irritable
* unable to concentrate
* gastrointestinal (GI) aches
* headaches that don't seem to go away
* trouble with sleeping
These are among the most common of caffeine's effects on our bodies when taken in high doses (i.e., more than eight 8-ounce cups of coffee a day), but they can certainly occur from lesser amounts as well. Many are the result of caffeine speeding up metabolism.
As for caffeine's impact on health and disease, these relationships have been less clear in most cases. Researchers have looked at how different amounts of caffeine can affect one's risk for developing, among other things:
* Osteoporosis
* Birth defects
* Miscarriages
* Infertility
* Cancers
* High blood pressure
* Premenstrual syndrome (PMS)
* Ulcers and heartburn
* Fibrocystic breast disease
* Heart disease
Although controversial, too much caffeine could increase the possibility of osteoporosis later in life. Since caffeine is a diuretic, it can increase calcium loss in the urine. For every 150 milligrams of caffeine (found in approximately one 8-ounce cup of coffee or two to three 12-ounce cans of caffeinated soda), approximately five milligrams of calcium is excreted out in the urine. This loss can add up and could be detrimental for your bones, particularly if your diet is already insufficient in calcium. If you must have your caffeine, bone up on calcium by adding at least two tablespoons of milk to each cup of coffee, in addition to getting your recommended daily intake of calcium. (Read Calcium -- How much is enough? in Alice's Fitness and Nutrition archive for recommendations.)
Results have been inconclusive or inconsistent in definitively linking caffeine with the incidence of various cancers, fibrocystic breast disease, PMS, and birth defects. More research is needed, but current evidence suggests an increased risk for difficult conception, miscarriage, and delivery of low birthweight babies with certain amounts of caffeine intake. As a precaution, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has been recommending since 1981 that women eliminate or cut down on caffeine if they are pregnant or planning to become pregnant. As for the other possible relationships, something in coffee other than caffeine appears to be more likely to cause stomach irritation, worsen ulcers, raise blood pressure and blood cholesterol, speed up heart rate, and increase risk for developing heart disease.
Based on all of the above information, your health could benefit from less caffeine going into your body. You may want to consider gradually switching over to a diet cola beverage that's caffeine-free, or at least alternating between the two, and make sure to drink plenty of water everyday to help minimize withdrawal symptoms from caffeine. And don't forget about drinking enough low-fat or skim milk and juice, which provide the vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients your body needs that soda doesn't provide.
Also read Diet soda vs. water for a workout: And the winner is... in Alice's Fitness and Nutrition archive because sodas are high in phosphorus, which is another factor that could also increase your risk of developing osteoporosis in the future. For the caffeine contents of various foods and drinks, read Caffeine content.
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