Caffeine

Consumption

• Average caffeine consumption in the US is about 200 mg
• Equivalent to 2 cups of coffee a day
• 10% of the US population ingests more than 1000 mg per day
• About 5 cups of coffee

How Does Caffeine Work?

•  In your brain there is something called Adenosine and it only likes to hang out with certain receptors.
• When the Adenosine and these receptors attach, you get drowsy
• When caffeine is present, it attaches to the receptors so that Adenosine cannot
• When your pituitary gland notices the attachment it thinks there is an emergency, so it triggers your adrenal gland to produce adrenaline.
• In addition, caffeine bumps up your dopamine levels
• The result? A caffeine high!

What Does Caffeine Do to the Body?

• Caffeine acts as a stimulant on the central nervous system
• Increase heart rate
• Increase blood pressure
• More awake and energetic
• Diuretic, increase urine production
• Side effects of caffeine
• Upset stomach
• Muscle tremors
• Anxiety
• Jitters
• Inability to focus
• Irritability
• Insomnia
• Potential development of ulcers
• Gastrointestinal unrest and nervousness
• With higher doses, the risk of irregular heartbeats increases

Curbing Your Caffeine Habit

• Keep tabs and educate yourself
• Start paying attention to how much caffeine you're getting from food and beverages
• It may be more than you think (includes chocolate)
• Read labels carefully
• Cut back
• Do it gradually
• For example, drink one fewer can of soda or drink a smaller cup of coffee each day
• Avoid drinking caffeinated beverages late in the day
• Go decaf
• Most decaffeinated beverages look and taste the same as their caffeinated counterparts
• Shorten the brew time or go herbal
• When making tea, brew it for less time
• Check the bottle
• Some over-the-counter pain relievers contain caffeine (as much as 130 mg in some)