Is Caffeine really as bad as they say? A Doctor Answers

Well hello Mighty Family! This Dr. Eric Debunks blog post is reviewing something near and dear to my heart, and it's one of the most commonly consumed drugs in the world: caffeine.

We have many caffeine lovers in our Mighty family, so I hope you find this article on caffeine intake informative and exciting. Okay, the first question we all want to know is: is caffeine bad for you?

Understanding Caffeine Intake

To answer that question, me must first determine how much caffeine is considered normal and safe. Surprisingly, about 85% of adults in the United States consume caffeine daily. The average caffeine intake is about 135 mg a day, which is about a 12-ounce cup of coffee.

I know not everyone here is a coffee drinker, so I want to provide some further context on other caffeine ingestion. A cup of black tea is about 47 mg of caffeine, a cup of green tea is about 30 mg of caffeine, a bottle of Coke will be about 32 mg of caffeine, and all the energy drinks we should be staying away from can be up to 200 mg of caffeine.

Is the typical adult drinking too many cups of coffee a day?

With that said, research studies have shown that safe caffeine consumption includes up to three to five standard cups of caffeine, or even up to 400 milligrams of caffeine daily. Not only is that caffeine intake safe, but it also has been shown to reduce the risk for multiple chronic diseases.

To hit that limit of 400 mg of caffeine, you must consume quite a bit of caffeinated beverages. So oddly enough, most healthy adults' caffeine consumption each day is safe and, in fact, good for them.

Health Benefits of Consuming Caffeine

Now let's take a big picture look at some of some of the health benefits and effects of caffeine, especially coffee:

Caffeine increases mental alertness and helps with concentration.
Caffeine consumption can affect the central nervous system by improving our moods and reducing depression.
Lifelong caffeine consumption has also been shown to prevent cognitive decline and decrease the risk of strokes, Parkinson's disease, and Alzheimer's.
You may have noticed that caffeinated coffee increases colonic motor activity. This can help with your bowel movements.
Coffee drinking decreases the risk of kidney stones and gallstones.
In cohort studies of habitual coffee consumption, caffeine was consistently shown to be associated with reduced type two diabetes risk in a dose-dependent relationship.
And lastly, overall coffee consumption of two to five standard cups of coffee per day has been associated with reduced mortality in cohort studies across the world.
So if I were to summarize all this, I would say coffee consumption or daily caffeine intake has numerous health benefits. It's overall very safe.

Is there any truth to the buzz about caffeine?

Let's review the research to get to the bottom of some common rumors about caffeine intake.

Is coffee addicting?

I want to reassure you all that caffeine is not an addictive drug. The reason is that it does not cause activity in the reward centers in our brains which are responsible for causing addiction.

Does caffeine withdrawal cause headaches?

There are some truths to withdrawal symptoms, although the exact mechanism for their cause is unknown. However, withdrawal headaches rarely last more than 48 hours and typically end by the seventh day of caffeine cessation. So, caffeine intake is not known to directly cause headaches.

There have been good studies showing that people suffering from tension headaches or even migraines may actually benefit from caffeine intake with their over-the-counter pain relievers because it has a synergistic effect. And this is why you see so many pain relievers with caffeine on the market, like Excedrin.

For our members that do get migraines frequently and are coffee drinkers, the recommendation is to stay consistent with the amount of caffeine you regularly consume, as changes in caffeine intake can be a potential trigger.

Does caffeine cause acid reflux and stomach ulcers?

Well, there's some truth to this one as well. Caffeine is known to stimulate gastric acid secretion and relax the sphincter, or the door between our esophagus and our stomachs. In combination, these can exacerbate those acid reflux problems or potentially worsen symptoms of gastritis for those with gastric or intestinal ulcers.

In terms of caffeine directly causing ulcers and acid reflux, a meta-analysis study enrolling more than 1000 healthy adults detected no significant association between coffee intake and acid-related diseases. So all to say, it would be beneficial to cut down the caffeine in your diet for those with acid reflux problems or gastritis-related pains.

How much caffeine intake is safe?

Adults should never exceed 300 mg/day of caffeine. It equals roughly four 8-ounce cups of coffee or 10 cola bottles. It's recommended that teenagers drinking caffeinated beverages should reduce their intake to 100 mg per day.

Negative Health Effects of Caffeine

I know I mentioned some of the great health benefits of consuming caffeine so far, but I do recognize that caffeine is not for everyone. So, I want to take a moment to highlight situations where caffeine intake may not be for the best.

Who may experience adverse side effects from caffeine?

For those with a low caffeine tolerance, it may lead to mild anxiety or raise existing anxiety levels.
Anyone struggling with sleeping or who has insomnia should stay away from caffeine. Limiting the stimulant effects of caffeine can help with getting better night's rest.
Pregnant women should generally try to avoid caffeine as it has been shown to result in low birth weight, premature infants, and an increased risk of pregnancy loss.

Are some caffeinated beverages better than others?

I want to emphasize that not all caffeinated drinks are equal.

The health benefits of caffeine are tainted the second we add the sugars and the artificial creamers to our coffee. For example, one of the most commonly ordered drinks at Starbucks is an iced white chocolate mocha. And I want to run through some of its nutritional facts with you because I think it's important to understand what we're putting into our bodies.

Nutritional breakdown of an iced white chocolate mocha from Starbucks

Calories: A 16 oz cup of coffee is about 420 calories For some context, a burger that you may eat for lunch is about 300 to 500 calories. As you can see, this drink is quite calorically dense.
Carbohydrates: It has about 49 grams of carbohydrates, or about the equivalent of three slices of white bread.
Sugar: More concerning is the amount of sugar in this drink. It has 47 grams of sugar, or 12 teaspoons of sugar.
Caffeine: This drink contains 150 milligrams of caffeine.

So as you can see, this one drink alone has so many grams of sugar, so many grams of carbohydrates, and is so calorically dense that the health benefits we would gain from the caffeine are indeed negated.

Takeaway on health benefits and potential adverse effects of caffeine

My takeaway from my research debunking these various topics is that I will continue to enjoy my morning black coffee, guilt-free, and maybe with a splash of milk because that never hurts.

All right, Mighty Family. I look forward to connecting with you all again soon. And for those not part of our Mighty Family just yet, check us out at mightyhealth.com for more. We're striving every day to be the modern holistic home for healthy aging. Thank you so much.