The Truth About Caffeine: Benefits and Risks
Caffeine is one of the world’s most popular stimulants, found in coffee, tea, soda, chocolate, and even some medicines. While it’s consumed by billions globally, understanding its effects is crucial for maintaining a healthy balance. Is caffeine good for you? Bad for you? Are you drinking too much? We’re going to dive into all of that here and I’ll leave you with some answers to these questions.
Caffeine is surprisingly one of the world’s most popular mood-altering drugs. Whether it be consumed via coffee, tea, soda, chocolate, or even in some medicines, caffeine is a highly sought after stimulant. In fact, billions of people worldwide drink coffee, soda, or some other form of caffeine every day.
Luckily for the masses, caffeine is considered safe for consumption and even has many touted health benefits, but this only applies to consumption in moderation. And while there are standards for moderation, caffeine interacts differently with each person’s physiology, so what is moderate for one person may be excessive for another.
Health Benefits of Caffeine
Moderate caffeine consumption is generally safe and can offer several health benefits. Studies suggest that coffee drinkers, particularly men, may have better body composition than non-drinkers. The benefits of caffeine include:
Enhanced fat burning
Increased energy levels
Improved cognitive function
Enhanced physical performance
May reduce risk of type 2 diabetes
May protect against Alzheimer’s and dementia (more reading)
May lower risk of Parkinson’s disease
Potential Risks of Excessive Caffeine Consumption
However, most of us have no idea if we are consuming too much because we never take a break from our beloved caffeine to feel the effects. It’s important to monitor your intake, as excessive consumption can lead to insomnia, high blood pressure, anxiety, indigestion, and low fertility.
Reducing Caffeine Intake: Benefits and Alternatives
Reducing caffeine can result in better sleep, mood, dental health, reduced anxiety, and improved digestion.
Of course, as with any stimulant, cutting back or quitting is often accompanied by an uneasy period as our bodies go through withdrawal. We may find ourselves feeling fatigued, irritable, depressed, and unfortunately, this is typically topped off with a headache. Thankfully, this is temporary, and there are many alternative ways to give us the boost we are missing from our beloved caffeine. If you do decide to take a break from caffeine how should you replace it?
Water should always be the number one drink to replace any beverage you remove from your diet. The added hydration will help you with your withdrawal symptoms, and being hydrated will give you a natural boost of energy anyway!
Here are some other ways to keep your energy up as you cut back or remove caffeine from your diet:
Ginkgo Biloba
Ginkgo is an herbal extract from the nut of the Ginkgo tree. It has been used for centuries in Chinese medicine to increase blood flow to the brain and body. Consumed as a tea, a tincture, or in capsule form, Ginkgo has been known to increase focus, wellbeing, and energy.
Ginseng
Ginseng is an extract derived from the ginseng root. Consumed as a tea, a tincture, or in capsule form, ginseng increases blood flow and has a stimulating effect, much like coffee.
Vitamin B12
Vitamin B12 is a great supplement for jump-starting your day. B12 is known to enhance energy and mental clarity. Taken as a pill or a tincture, B12 is best absorbed under the tongue.
Teeccino and Cafix
These natural caffeine substitutes are made from grains, figs, chicory, and beetroot designed to mimic the flavor of coffee, but without the caffeine.
Mushroom Coffee
I also love mushroom coffee. Four Sigmatic is the brand I use and they have a variety of flavors and different mushrooms. My personal favorites are the Mushroom coffee with Lions mane and Chaga and the mushroom Hot Cacao mix with Cordyceps and a hint of chili pepper. I am not an affiliate of Four Sigmatic, I just like their stuff.
Apple
Consider starting your day with an apple, or having one as a snack when you start to feel yourself lag. The fructose in an apple boosts metabolism into energy production.
Sparkling Water
For soda drinkers, a can of cold sparkling water can wake up the senses by mimicking the experience of drinking a soda, but without the added sugar and caffeine.
Personalized Caffeine Recommendations Based on Your Body Metrics
Understanding your own body’s response to caffeine is key. How your body responds to caffeine depends, in part, on your own body’s metabolization rate. Me? I’m a slow metabolizer. This means caffeine is a great supplement for me during the day. It can provide a nice even energy boost to help me through a workout or a day of writing newsletters. (Ha Ha)
It also means, however, that I should have my last cup a good eight hours before bedtime. Since I am a slow metabolizer, I do not get that energy crash, but it can also keep me from a good night of sleep, which is definitly going to outweigh any benefits that a morning cup-of-joe might provide.
If you would like to discover your caffeine metabolization rate ask us about the Fitness Genes kit. Our Fitness Genes Test can reveal whether you’re a slow or fast caffeine metabolizer, helping you tailor your intake for optimal performance and sleep quality.
Conclusion: Navigating Your Caffeine Consumption
Remember, as with any major change, it is important to stay open to the fact that reducing your caffeine intake is a transitory process and it is going to take a moment for your body to adjust. Stay patient and open to your body’s adjustments. For personalized advice based on your body metrics from DEXA scans, visit us at Body Science Coaching and DexaFit Seattle.
Be well,
Joel Yakowitz
