Caffeine is a substance that is produced in the leaves and seeds of several plants, notably those that produce coffee and tea. This bitter substance is found in or added to many popular foods and beverages, particularly coffee, tea, chocolate, some soft drinks and many energy drinks. Some medications, pain relievers for example, also have caffeine added to them. In general, caffeine promotes alertness and gives you a feeling of increased energy.
Effects of Caffeine
High doses of caffeine can cause anxiety, dizziness, headaches and interfere with normal sleep. As a diuretic, caffeine also causes you to urinate more often. Caffeine may also cause your body to lose calcium gradually over time. This becomes a concern if you prefer to drink more caffeine-laden drinks instead of milk. Caffeine can also aggravate heart problems and can interact with certain medications and supplements, such as certain antibiotics, clozapine, lithium, ephedrine and medications for depression.
Caffeine and Blood Pressure
When you measure your blood pressure, what you are doing is measuring the interaction between the amount of blood your heart pumps and the amount of resistance to the flow of blood in your arteries. Having high blood pressure, or hypertension, means that your heart is pumping a great deal of blood, but your arteries are narrow. The caffeine in 2 to 3 cups of coffee is enough to raise your blood pressure, but some people develop a tolerance to the effects of caffeine as they regularly ingest it, so caffeine doesn't have a long-term effect on blood pressure.
Sources of Caffeine
Caffeine is present in many popular beverages and is added to many soft drinks and energy drinks. The average amount of caffeine in 5 oz. drip-brewed coffee is about 115 mg. A 12-oz. glass of iced tea contains about 70 mg caffeine while 1 oz. dark chocolate has about 20 mg. A 5-oz. cocoa beverage has about 4 mg caffeine while an 8-oz. chocolate milk beverage has about 5 mg. Soft drinks can contain anywhere from no caffeine at all to 72 mg, with the average at around 50 mgs. Energy drinks can contain anywhere from 80 mg caffeine to 160 mg; 80 mg is the most common. There is also caffeine in cold relief and headache medication; the caffeine ranges from 30 mg to 130 mg. You can also get caffeine in tablet form to help you keep alert. A tablet contains about 200 mg caffeine.
Recommended Dosage
About 200 to 300 mg caffeine a day -- about 2 to 4 cups of coffee -- is considered a moderate amount for most people. The amount of caffeine that best suits you actually depends on many factors, such as your sensitivity to caffeine if you don't take any regularly, your body mass, your age, your general health, the amount of stress you endure every day, mental health and even your gender. If you experience insomnia, nervousness, restlessness, irritability, nausea or other gastrointestinal problems, fast or irregular heartbeat, muscle tremors, headaches or anxiety or any combination of these, you need to consider gradually cutting down on your caffeine consumption.
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