A Cup of Java for the Road?
When you’ve had too much to drink after the office party, what you need is a sober driver or a taxi cab to get you home. A cup of coffee will make you more alert and may keep you from falling asleep at the wheel, but it will not improve your motor coordination nor your ability to drive a motor vehicle. [SOURCE: NDARC, “Caffeine Fact Sheet]
Caffeine Doesn’t Make Heart Flutter
Caffeine toxicity caused by intentional over-dosing can bring on abnormal heart rhythms including atrial fibrillation, and patients with heart arrhythmias are often advised to avoid caffeinated beverages. Recent data from 47,949 subjects in the Danish Diet, Cancer, and Health study, however, found no association between daily consumption of caffeine and the risk of atrial fibrillation or flutter.
[SOURCE: Lars Frost and Peter Vestergaard, “Caffeine and Risk of Atrial Fibrillation or Flutter: The Danish Diet, Cancer, and Health Study,” American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, March, 2005; “Caffeine and Atrial Fibrillation, “Nutrition Research Newsletter, April, 2005]
Caffeine–High or Low Octane?
The average American consumes about 200 milligrams of caffeine (the equivalent of about two cups of coffee) a day from various sources–coffee, tea, cocoa, colas, energy drinks, chocolate and over-the-counter medications. Caffeine concentration varies, even between different strains of coffee bean. Arabica beans, grown mostly in Latin America, have about one percent caffeine; robusta beans, grown mainly in Africa and Indonesia, have about twice that much.
Estimated caffeine content from various sources:
· Espresso coffee, brewed, 8 ounce cup: 502 mg
· Coffee, brewed, 8 ounce cup: 85 mg
· Coffee, instant, 8 ounce cup: 62 mg
· Coffee, brewed, decaffeinated, 8 ounce cup: 3 mg
· Coffee, instant, decaffeinated, 8 ounce cup: 2 mg
· Tea, brewed, 8 ounce cup: 47 mg
· Hot chocolate, 8 ounce cup: 5 mg
· Cola, 12 ounce can: 37 mg
· Energy drink, 12 ounce glass: 80 mg
· Milk Chocolate bar, 1.55 ounces: 9 mg
· Semi-sweet dark chocolate, 1 ounce: 20 mg
[SOURCE: Karen Eich Drummond, “How Caffeine Affects the Body in Food and Drugs,” 2006; USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference, July 16, 2003]
Coffee: The Unfiltered Truth
In the market for a new coffee pot? You may want to consider a drip model. Coffee contains antioxidants, many of which have significant health benefits. Other constituents, such as the lipids cafestol and kahweol, may not be so beneficial. These constituents, which have been shown to raise blood cholesterol, are present in high concentrations in boiled coffee but are mostly eliminated by coffee filters. [SOURCE: “Caffeine,” Biological Sciences Review, November, 2001]
Cramming for Exams? Rest Is Best
Most university students know what it’s like to “pull an all-nighter.” But is caffeine the best companion for exam preparation? Caffeine, though it increases general alertness, does not improve mental performance. Recent studies have confirmed that rest is a more reliable study partner. Sleep is necessary for memory consolidation; sleep deprivation can significantly impair performance either at work or on exams. According to Matthew P. Walker, “Adequate sleep before and after a training session [is] essential for learning, whether the task [is] tennis or algebra.” [SOURCE: Matthew P. Walker, “Sleep To Remember: The Brain Needs Sleep Before and After Learning New Things, Regardless of the Type of Memory,” American Scientist, July-August, 2006]
Will Caffeine Raise Your BP?
Though caffeine consumption is known to raise blood pressure, it’s unclear whether it plays a role in the development of hypertension. Recent studies found no association between increased caffeine consumption (through coffee and tea) and the risk of hypertension in women. While no increased risk was detected in habitual drinkers of coffee and tea, a significant association was shown with consumption of cola beverages, including sugared and diet versions. [SOURCE: David Slawson, “Effect of Caffeine Intake on Risk of Hypertension,” American Family Physician, March 15, 2000]
