The Truth About Caffeine

Caffeine is a naturally occurring substance found in beans, coca beans, kola nuts and tea leaves. It is also added to energy drinks, pop and some medications. Caffeine excites the nervous system, giving us that caffeine buzz. Different people react to caffeine in different ways. Some people can experience the following symptoms when consuming a lot of caffeine:

o Trouble Sleeping

o Anxiety

o Rapid Hear Rate

o Headaches

o Nervousness

Health Canada recommends no more then 400 mg of caffeine per day for healthy adults and women who are not pregnant. How much caffeine is this? The amount of caffeine in foods varies; for example one 250 mL cup of coffee has about 80- 179 mgs, one 250 mL cup of black tea has about 50 mgs, a 355 mL can of diet coke has about 50 mgs and one 40g bar of dark chocolate has 27 mgs.

Consumption of caffeine greater than recommended amounts can lead to the above symptoms such as nervousness and anxiety, but can also have other effects on our health. High levels of caffeine are linked to cardiovascular effects such as increased cholesterol, heart rate and blood pressure, as well as effects on bone health such as bone density and fractures.

Caffeine excites the nervous system and can raise blood pressure. For a person who is hypertensive (has high blood pressure) caffeine can worsen this and make it difficult to reduce or control blood pressure. In regards to bone health caffeine can cause calcium loss from bones, reducing bone density, increasing risk for fractures. Caffeine is a diuretic; this means it causes increased urine production and calcium loss in the urine. Health Canada states people who do not consume more than the recommend amount of caffeine and have adequate amounts of calcium will not have adverse effects.

So if you like your coffee in the morning, tea after dinner or occasional chocolate treats, as long as you have them in moderate amounts, limiting intake to 400 mgs a day you can have these without any adverse effects. Like most foods if consumed in moderation with a well balanced diet based on Canada’s Food Guide caffeine can be a part of the diet.