We are all probably guilty of being caffeine addicts! I know I rely on coffee and energy drinks to get through early mornings, long drives, late nites, mixed with alcohol, and I even use it to get through a workout on days when I have no energy left. Caffeine is considered a drug because it stimulates the Central Nervous system which elevates the mood and increases energy. Caffeine doesn't stay in the body but the effects can last up to six hours. The effects of caffeine and amount differ from person to person. I for example need a large amount of caffeine for it to have and effect on me. I can drink and entire cup of coffee at night and still fall asleep easy. On the other hand I used to drink N.O. explode which is a pre-workout drink that is packed full of caffeine and it would give me just enough energy to get through a two to three hour workout. After doing research on this pre-workout drink I stopped using it just because the mix of creatine and caffeine was not good on my already weak kidneys. The most common sources of caffeine for people of course are coffee, energy drinks (redbull being the drink of choice which along with Rockstar contains the most caffeine), chocolate milk, and for migraine sufferers Excedrin. Natural sources of caffeine include tea (black tea has the most caffeine), coffee bean, cocoa bean, Kola nut (Coca-cola), and Guarana. There are so many positive and negatives to using caffeine its hard to know which is true and which is false. I only follow legitimate sources and get my info straight from Nutritionists and yes there are both positive and negatives to using caffeine. Remember when we were little and we used to hear the saying drinking caffeine will stunt your growth? I do my mom used to tell me that all the time. That one is definitely false being that I grew to be the tallest one in my family. Actually I am not a huge coffee drinker and never really have been. The winter is when I drink the most coffee simply because it is cold. I can go days sometimes weeks without having a cup of coffee. Don't get me wrong I love the stuff and nothing is better than a stop at Starbucks but I honestly don't need caffeine to get through my mornings. My mom for example goes through two to three cups first thing in the morning and can't get through the day without it. I know this is the case for many people. Health benefits: caffeine is a metabolism booster which is why its found in most diet pills, it has been linked to the destruction of pre-cancerous cells in mice, protection from Alzheimer's disease in mice, and recent studies have shown that adding caffeine to Parkinson's medication has helped to reduce the symptoms and slow the process, coffee and tea contain antioxidants, and coffee has been linked to reducing kidney stones. On the other hand while caffeine has not been directly linked to dehydration it is a natural diuretic meaning it will make you pee a lot. When you urinate a lot you lose calcium which decreases your calcium in the body. It has this effect on me in a major way one cup of coffee and I spend half the morning in the bathroom. When your body loses that much water because you are constantly urinating when you do drink water your body will hold onto it and store it on the body (water weight) have you ever thought that the "spare tire" around your waist may just be due to water weight! New caffeine users have shown to have a slight increase in blood pressure just because their body is not used to the stimulant. If certain oils in the coffee bean are not filtered out it can cause an increase in cholestorol. While caffeine shows no significant health risks it should still be used in moderation because just like anything else you can always get to much. This also goes for pregnant women caffeine in moderation has shown no health risks to momma or baby. My own advice if you are going to have that extra cup or two or three of coffee just increase your water intake!
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