The Caffeine Craze

There is much debate about whether caffeine harms us or not. How much is okay to consume? How does it affect your body? While each individual is different, there are some general guidelines and effects of caffeine that are good to know.

Overall, caffeine puts added stress on the body because it depletes it of necessary nutrients. When you consume drinks with caffeine in them, the caffeine flushes B vitamins, Vitamin C, Magnesium and electrolytes (Potassium) out of your system. These are all essential nutrients that you want to keep in your body.

In order to more fully understand what happens to your body when these essential nutrients are flushed out by caffeine, I’ll go into a little more detail here:

B-Complex: These vitamins are involved in many functions in the body. One main reason you need B vitamins is to digest carbohydrates, so the lack of B’s can cause fatigue and low energy.

Vitamin C: This vitamin is water soluble and is used up more readily when we are stressed. It is VERY important for recovery and building your immune system.

Magnesium: If you are a coffee drinker, you are most likely deficient in magnesium. If your magnesium levels are unbalanced, calcium deposits on your heart muscle can occur. This results in possible heart disease (athlersclerosis and arteriosclerosis). Many people don’t understand just how important magnesium is to the body. I have seen clients decrease or get rid of heart issues just by adding a magnesium supplement and decreasing or avoiding caffeine intake.

Potassium: Losing potassium hurts us metabolically. Our ancestors typically ate 16 times more Potassium than sodium. We have now reversed that trend due to the extremely high amounts of sodium in much of the food we consume today.

So how much caffeine is okay to consume?

When it comes to coffee, for the average person, 2 cups of coffee per day is probably fine. I don’t see any major risk. I do believe organic coffee is better for you than non-organic, and filtered coffee is less stressful on the body than non-filtered (espresso).

Millions of Americans consume energy drinks now as well, and these often contain excessive amounts of caffeine as the primary boosting ingredient. In large quantities, caffeine is dangerous because it raises your blood pressure. Studies have shown that teenagers especially are consuming caffeine from energy drinks in extreme quantities, and health professionals are very concerned about the effects of these drinks which are not well tested or regulated by the FDA.

Caffeine does not have any nutritional value, and drinking excess amounts of it in coffee or energy drinks tends to limit and replace healthier alternatives that are better for you such as green tea, milk or water. Caffeine has been proven by health professionals to have strong negative effects on the body, especially when taken in high doses, the most common being: increased anxiety, panic attacks, increased blood pressure, increased gastric acid, bowel irritability and insomnia.

Many people do not realize that they become caffeine dependent because they have been drinking it so long. If you do attempt to cut back on drinking a high amount of caffeine, be prepared that you may have withdrawal symptoms, such as mood alterations or headaches.

If I choose to keep consuming caffeine in moderation, what can I do to reduce its negative effects?

• Reduce the amount of caffeine if possible – find alternatives like Greens, B-packets, & electrolyte packets that will boost your energy in healthier ways

• Drink Green Tea instead of coffee or energy drinks when possible

• Drink more water to buffer the effects of caffeine

• Take a good B-complex and Vitamin C daily

• Take Magnesium every evening to help you relax before bed

• Decrease your sodium intake – eat more fresh wholesome food, including foods high in potassium; supplement with electrolyte packets if you can’t eat enough food that is high in potassium

• Eat Balanced – protein, raw fats and complex carbs together for every meal

• Find a support group if you feel your caffeine consumption is out of control

• Pay attention to your body – listen to what it’s telling you and take action accordingly