The rich flavors of coffee and the energy-boosting benefits are among the main reasons as to why so many of us enjoy drinking cups of coffee daily. However, there is a range of health benefits and potential downsides to consuming caffeine that a lot of coffee drinkers are unaware of.
To learn more about some key facts about caffeine that you should be aware of, check out the post below.
Caffeine Can Improve Your Workouts
Drinking coffee before working out can lead to improved performance in the gym. Studies that are published in the Journal of Nutrition, Health, and Aging have found that drinking cups of coffee before exercising can be useful in helping you to physically exert yourself more compared to the Bodyweight workouts where you don’t consume caffeine.
One of the biggest reasons as to why you can work out more intensely after consuming caffeine is because it can enhance your pain tolerance. This is an especially helpful benefit when it comes to lifting weights as you’re able to push through the pain barrier more compared to lifting weights and not consuming caffeine.
Caffeine Could Reduce the Risk of Skin Cancer
Researchers discovered that consuming higher doses of caffeine can lead to a decreased chance of developing melanoma, which is a form of skin cancer that is deadly. Some researchers have hypothesized that people who drink more coffee tend to be indoors more often and are exposed less to the sun compared to those who consume less caffeine.
However, another study suggests that people who consume more caffeine can decrease their chances of being affected by basal cell carcinoma. Therefore, the evidence points towards caffeine being a handy tool that you can use to minimize your risk of skin cancer.
High Doses of Caffeine Can Cause Side Effects
While you can experience some fantastic benefits from consuming caffeine, some potential downsides can be caused by higher intakes. Caffeine is considered to be a drug and can become harmful when being taken in higher amounts that exceed 500 mg per day.
The recommended dose of caffeine to avoid any side effects is 400 mg, which is approximately 3-4 cups of coffee a day. Consuming 500+ mg of caffeine can lead to stomach aches, heart palpitations, anxiousness, insomnia, and jitters. You can minimize these effects by eating, drinking water, and walking. (Source: coffeeverdict.com).
Caffeine Can Lead to a Healthier Heart
People who consume 4 cups of coffee every day can put themselves in a better position to avoid experiencing coronary artery disease and strokes. Studies have revealed that elderly people who are more likely to suffer from heart problems can refoodduce their risk by consuming caffeine regularly.
Caffeine can be an effective way to prevent cardiovascular cells from being damaged to ensure that they can help towards keeping your heart healthy.
Caffeine Can Enhance Your Memory
Caffeine has been associated with boosting your cognitive functions, including organizational skills, planning, and improved memory. Studies have discovered that consuming caffeine regularly can be an effective way to slow down the memory problems caused by Alzheimer’s and Dementia.
These memory benefits from consuming caffeine are the most effective among older adults whose memories are gradually declining. Having said that, consuming too much caffeine can lead to poor sleep which would be counterintuitive for enhancing your memory. Therefore, caffeine in moderation with 2-4 cups would be sufficient.
Caffeine Can Start Working Within Minutes
After you’ve finished drinking a cup of coffee, the caffeine typically takes anywhere between 30 and 60 minutes to get to peak levels. However, some studies have discovered that you may start to feel the effects of caffeine within as little as 15 minutes of consuming it.
People who consume caffeine regularly may not notice the alertness effects of caffeine kicking in as soon as people who don’t consume it as often.
Caffeine can last in your bloodstream for around 8-14 hours and it takes up to 5 hours for your body to mitigate the effects of caffeine by half. Therefore, it’s not recommended to consume caffeine within 6-8 hours of when you’re planning to sleep as it may still be in your system and keep you awake at night.
Women Feel the Effects of Caffeine More Than Men
It’s common for women to feel the stimulating effects of caffeine more compared to men. One of the reasons for this is because women are typically smaller than men and the doses of caffeine affect their bodies more extremely.
Caffeine Alters Brain Chemistry
Many of us cannot wait to start drinking a cup of coffee in the morning as soon as we wake up due to how it wakes us up and gets our brains turned on for the day. The reason caffeine makes us feel this way is that it alters our brain chemistry.
Caffeine binds itself to adenosine receptors in our brains which are proteins that can lead to fatigue. By consuming caffeine, these receptors are blocked and we’re able to feel more vitalized and energetic.
The amount of adrenaline released is boosted by consuming caffeine which leads to your airways expanding, more blood being pumped around, and an elevated heart rate. These are all factors that lead to you feeling more energy after drinking coffee or any other beverages containing caffeine.
Conclusion
Now that you know more about some of the positive and potentially negative effects that caffeine can have, you’ll be able to use it in a way that benefits you the most. Hopefully, we’ve provided you with some valuable insights into caffeine that you didn’t know before!
