Caffeine Myths

via sharecare.com

1. Caffeine may be found in coffee, tea, chocolate, cola drinks, sports drinks and some foods and medicines.
2.  Caffeine is a stimulant, a type of drug that increases brain activity, alertness, attention and energy. Caffeine also increases heart rate and blood pressure.
3. Symptoms of too much caffeine?--
   Rambling thoughts or speech
   Euphoria
   Feet tremors
   Overdosage is different for each individual and is usually based on age, weight and caffeiine tolerance. Other symptoms include nervousness, irritability, excitement, flushing of the face, muscle twitching, insomnia, headaches and heart palpatations.
4. If you have headaches, insomnia, heartburn or fatigue, you should try giving up caffeine, because caffeine aggravates these problems. "
5. A number of research studies have shown that while moderate amounts of caffeine improve alertness, reaction time and even memory, doses above 500 mg have the exact opposite effect—causing a decrease in performance and an increase in anxiety and tension.
6. Decaffeinated coffee has about as much caffeine as a cup of green tea, around 30 to 40 mg.
7. caffeine enhances the pain-relieving effects of aspirin or acetaminophen and for this reason it is added to some prescription headache medications.
8. One recent Harvard University study found that people who drink one to three cups of coffee daily are up to nine percent less likely to become diabetic. Other studies conducted elsewhere concluded that two cups of coffee daily decreases colon cancer risk by 20 percent and will also prevent gallstone development by 50 percent.
9. Lighter roasts are best because the cancer-fighting compounds in coffee are destroyed if you roast too long.
10. Coarsely ground beans are better for you because the beans are less exposed to the air. Grind them and use them immediately to get the antioxidant benefit.
11. Cold brewing—where you mix grounds with cold water, let sit overnight, and then filter and dilute with hot water when you're ready to drink—extracts more flavor from coffee and eliminates acids that irritate the stomach.
12.  Because caffeine stimulates your nervous system, cutting it out of your diet is much easier when you start by cutting it down.
13. Caffeine can be both good and bad. Many headache medications contain caffeine, which definitely makes these medications work better. Many patients find having a cup of coffee or other caffeine-containing beverage with their medication helps it work better. Unfortunately, too much caffeine can also cause headaches or make them worse.
14. A recent study found that women who drank at least four cups of caffeinated coffee a day had a 25 percent lower risk of developing uterine cancer, compared to those who had drank less than one daily cup of coffee. Plus, this pick-me-up has been shown to reduce the risk of a host of cancers including breast, kidney, liver, colon and prostate.
15. Moist, cool tea bags (the caffeinated ones) can rapidly reduce swelling and soothe puffy eyes. The tannins in the tea help reduce the swelling by reducing inflammation, while the caffeine draws water from the skin, deflating puffiness.
16. Caffeine is a stimulant and acts on the connection between the central nervous system and the enteric nervous system, which can contribute to abdominal cramping and diarrhea. It also can aggravate anxiety, which in turn can contribute to digestive tract symptoms.
17. Caffeine can irritate the bladder and aggravate overactive bladder symptoms.
18. Your child will crave more and more sugar and caffeine, which can have bad side effects—including poor sleep, mood swings, irritability, heart palpitations, jitteriness and headaches.
19. Caffeinated beverages work as a diuretic and can cause you to lose fluids too quickly. You should drink plenty of fluids to keep your urinary tract flushed on a regular basis.
20. Stop drinking caffeinated beverages about eight hours before bedtime. Due to caffeine's half-life (how long it takes for caffeine to lose half of its punch in your body), you'll need eight hours to let your body process all the caffeine so it won't infringe upon restful sleep. If you cannot go cold turkey on the caffeine in the afternoon, then switch to drinks with less caffeine, such as teas.