Let’s be real, we all cherish our beloved coffee, tea and soda. We often indulge in these things on a daily basis (some of us even have multiple servings of each daily), but we rarely stop and consider what each of them is made up of and how that can affect our bodies. What’s the truth behind our daily caffeine intake?
Caffeine occurs naturally in plants like coffee, tea and cacao. Caffeine is structurally similar to adenosine, which is the neurotransmitter that tells us we’re tired. The more adenosine in our nervous system the more fatigued we feel. It will actually bond to our adenosine receptors that trick our bodies into feeling energetic.
It’s hard to tell how much caffeine you are actually consuming because there is no standard cup of coffee or tea. A six-ounce cup of coffee may have 70 milligrams of caffeine and a Starbucks ‘Grande’ has 560 milligrams, which is as much as seven cans of Red Bull. Women on birth control metabolize caffeine twice as slowly which means they get double the jolt from the same cup of coffee. The effects of caffeine also depend on an individual’s personality. For instance, extroverts typically get more cognitive enhancement from it than introverts do.
There is no evidence that enjoying coffee has any long-term health consequences. It is still a drug but a socially acceptable one. However, caffeine from modern sodas and energy drinks is not extracted from coffee or tea but is chemically synthesized in overseas labs.
About 1/16 of a teaspoon is a solid caffeine dose for a regular coffee drinking and a quarter teaspoon will lead to unpleasantness. That can mean a racing heart, sweating and heightened anxiety. A tablespoon of it could kill you but don’t worry, that’s the equivalent of 50 cups of coffee or 200 cups of tea.
Are any of these facts about caffeine and its effects surprising to you? How much caffeine do you drink on a daily basis?
