Goodies

I recently read an article saying that people who consume 450mg or more of caffeine every day have increased odds of death, and a bunch of other bad health concerns. I wasn’t too worried, but that all changed last night. I walked in to my local Starbucks and before ordering my regular Vanilla Latte, I checked the caffeine content. 150mg. That seemed okay, until I noticed that a Venti cup of regular brewed coffee at Starbucks is 450mg. I usually drink two cups of coffee a day at that size! That doesn’t count the 45mg for every 12oz. of Diet Coke I drink, and most cups at fast food restaurants hold twice that amount.

So I changed my order for the evening and got a Tall Decaf Skinny Vanilla Latte, which weighs in around 15mg of caffeine and actually seemed to taste better.

That article about limiting caffeine to 450mg was something I read online a while back, and I did some additional quick research on the subject that you can read below.

Stay healthy!

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Diet Coke is considered moderate in caffeine, at 45mg. Diet Coke is the number 2 selling soft drink, right behind regular Coke with 34mg of caffeine. (Source: Caffeine Informer.) Find the caffeine content of many popular drinks in the Caffeine Database.

10 Things You Might Not Know About Caffeine

• Decaf isn’t the same as caffeine free.
• Caffeine starts working in just minutes.
• But it doesn’t affect everyone the same way.
• Energy drinks often don’t have more caffeine than coffee.
• Dark roast coffees actually have less caffeine than lighter roasts.
• Caffeine can be found naturally in more than 60 plants.
• Not all coffee has the same amount of caffeine.
• The average American consumes about 200 mg of caffeine a day.
• But we’re far from being the country that consumes the most.
• You can find caffeine in more than just drinks.

Find the full article on The Huffington Post.

15 Harmful Effects of Caffeine

1. More than 4 cups of coffee linked to early death.
2. Caffeine consumption may raise blood pressure in those already suffering from hypertension.
3. Caffeine linked to gout attacks.
4. Caffeine could cause incontinence.
5. Caffeine may cause insomnia.
6. Caffeine can cause indigestion.
7. Caffeine can cause headaches.
8. Caffeine could reduce fertility in women.
9. Caffeine may not be healthy for type 2 diabetics.
10. Caffeine Overdose.
11. Caffeine Allergies.
12. Caffeine causes more forceful heart contractions.
13. Worse Menopause Symptoms.
14. Caffeine consumption can lead to increased anxiety, depression and the need for anxiety medication.
15. Caffeine increases the amount of sugary beverages consumed by people.

More about the harmful effects of caffeine is here.

Top 10 Energy Drink Side Effects

1. Palpitations / tachycardia
2. Tremor / shaking
3. Agitation / restlessness
4. Gastrointestinal upset
5. Chest pain / ischaemia
6. Dizziness / syncope
7. Paraesthesia (tingling or numbing of the skin)
8. Insomnia
9. Respiratory distress
10. Headache

More information about each of these top 10 can be found here.

Common Caffeine Side Effects

• diarrhea
• dizziness
• fast heartbeat
• hyperglycemia, including blurred vision, drowsiness, dry mouth, flushed dry skin, fruit-like breath odor, increased
• urination, ketones in urine, loss of appetite, nausea, stomachache, tiredness, troubled breathing, unusual thirst, or
• vomiting (in newborn babies)
• hypoglycemia, including anxious feeling, blurred vision, cold sweats, confusion, cool pale skin, drowsiness, excessive
• hunger, fast heartbeat, nausea, nervousness, restless sleep, shakiness, or unusual tiredness or weakness (in newborn
• babies)
• irritability, nervousness, or severe jitters (in newborn babies)
• nausea (severe)
• tremors
• trouble in sleeping
• vomiting

See the full list here.