Caffeine Intake And Elevated Triglycerides

Heart attack and stroke cause half a million deaths annually in the U.S. alone, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Several factors contribute to heart disease, which can lead to heart attack or stroke. One of these factors is caffeine overconsumption, which affects blood triglycerides.

Defining Triglycerides

Specialized chemical compounds in the blood are called "esters," which are created by the joining of glycerol to lipids -- essentially "blood fat" -- to further create a three-part chemical compound known as triglycerides. These fatty acid compounds cannot pass freely through fat the way other compounds can, so they collect on arterial walls. While some collection is ordinary and no cause for alarm, elevated triglycerides lead to atherosclerosis, which in time increases a person's risk of stroke and heart attack.

Caffeine Effects

Keeping triglycerides down to a manageable level can be done through sound nutrition, including limiting alcohol and fatty foods. Caffeine is another culprit associated with elevated triglyceride count. Too much caffeine speeds up production of fatty acids, which in turn bond chemically to naturally occurring glycerol to overproduce triglycerides. The more caffeine is consumed, the more the body will produce triglycerides.

Caffeinated Sources

Caffeine is a naturally occurring biochemical compound found in coffee, black teas, colas, chocolate and many energy-boosting sports drinks. The effect caffeine has -- excitability, nervousness, the jitters -- depends largely on a person's level of tolerance to the drug, although tolerance level plays no part in triglyceride production. Studies have shown that moderate caffeine consumption -- for example, less than five cups of coffee -- has minimal triglyceride effect in most healthy people.

Regulating Triglycerides

Patients with heart conditions or who have a family history of heart disease are advised to limit caffeine consumption, or if prescribed by a physician, eliminate it. Decaf coffee or herbal teas contain trace amounts of caffeine that shouldn't affect triglyceride levels, and can be substituted for regular coffee or black tea. However, sodas and high-caffeine sports drinks should be avoided; some brands have double the caffeine content, and contain a lot of refined sugar.

Suggested Findings

Turkish scientists and physiologists tested Olympic athletes to determine the degree of triglyceride elevation when the athletes drank certain amounts of caffeine. The 2005 study concluded that as little as 5 mg of caffeine -- barely a sip from a standard cup -- had a moderate impact on triglyceride levels. Athletes who drank a placebo experienced no triglyceride elevation.