What do you know about caffeine? It is possible that a significant portion of your knowledge about this matter is incorrect. What is caffeine and what myths have developed around it?

For example, did you know the main sources of caffeine? Most people will tell you that it - coffee and tea leaves. But not everyone knows that the fruits of cola (which is made from Coca-Cola, Pepsi and other drinks), and cocoa beans also contain high amounts of caffeine? Caffeine is also found in some non-prescription pain medications in cough medicines and diet pills. In a single dose of such preparations may contain from 16 to 200 mg caffeine. This material has a weak analgesic effect and enhances the efficacy of other analgesics. Not all lovers of coffee or cola aware of this fact; At the same time, there are many misconceptions regarding caffeine.

Myth №1. Caffeine is addictive

This statement may be a grain of truth, but it is important to consider what exactly you mean by the word addiction. Caffeine stimulates the central nervous system, and its regular use can cause mild physical dependence. However, caffeine does not threaten the physical and psychological health of the person, as well as its social and economic well-being - as opposed to drugs, which lead to severe physical and psychological dependence.

If you abruptly stop using caffeine for a few days you can present symptoms such as headache, fatigue, anxiety, irritability, depression and attention problems. However, you will not have such a severe withdrawal syndrome, which occurs in people who stop using drugs or alcohol. For this reason, most experts do not consider it a habit to use a serious caffeine addiction.

Myth №2. Caffeine can cause insomnia

The body quickly absorbs the caffeine, and no less quickly it displays. It is processed, in large part, by the liver, and the half-life in a relatively short - about five to seven hours. After 8-10 hours from the body is derived 75% of the caffeine. So if you drink one or two cups of coffee in the morning and at night are suffering from insomnia, this is not exactly blame caffeine. Coffee in the afternoon, and even a couple of hours before bedtime for most people also do not interfere with sleep. Insomnia may occur only in individuals with hypersensitivity to caffeine. They caffeine can cause other side effects, such as nervousness and temporary disruption of the gastrointestinal tract.

Myth №3. Caffeine increases the risk of osteoporosis, heart disease and cancer

According to date data, the consumption of moderate doses of the substance - 300 mg of caffeine, or three cups of coffee a day does not cause serious harm to healthy adults. However, some people more than others exposed to caffeine - for example, patients with hypertension and the elderly. Here are a few facts:

• Osteoporosis and caffeine. Drinking large amounts of caffeine (more than 744 mg a day) can lead to an accelerated withdrawal from the body of calcium and magnesium. Many experts believe that it is possible to compensate for the loss of calcium, adding a little milk in coffee. However, older people it will bring little benefit. They abuse anyway caffeine may increase the risk of fracture, so is better to reduce the dose of caffeine to 300 mg per day.
• Cardiovascular disease and caffeine. In humans, particularly sensitive to caffeine, a substance may cause a slight temporary increase in blood pressure and increased heart rate. At the same time, studies do not allow caffeine bind with the development of any cardiovascular disease. However, those who have been diagnosed with certain heart disease, or have problems with blood pressure, should talk to your doctor about what doses of caffeine are safe for the patient.
• Cancer and caffeine. Analysis of the results of thirteen studies, which were attended by about 20,000 people, have not shown any link between caffeine and cancer. It is currently believed that caffeine may even protect against certain types of human cancers.

Myth №4. Caffeine is bad for women who want to become pregnant

At the moment, scientists have no data indicating that caffeine can cause problems with conception Conception - as the emerging life , Lead to birth defects, or cause miscarriage. At the same time, experts recommend that pregnant women and those planning to become pregnant How to Get Pregnant: Recommendations to help   in the near future, use no more than 200 mg of caffeine a day. This is due to the fact that the consumption of large amounts of caffeine may increase the likelihood of miscarriage.

Myth №5. Caffeine dehydrates the body

In fact, caffeine has diuretic action, but does not lead to the loss of a large amount of moisture. In addition, coffee is always possible to drink a glass of water - then you can not exactly afraid of dehydration.

Myth №6. Caffeine is dangerous for children, who today consume it in large quantities than adults

According to approximate data, children aged between 6 and 9 years of daily use, on average, 22 milligrams of caffeine - is considerably less than the maximum allowable level. By itself, caffeine for children is no more dangerous than adults, the recommended dose for children just a little less. Fear of doctors is the growing popularity of energy drinks among children and adolescents. They contain not only high doses of caffeine, but also a large amount of sugar. Abuse of such beverages in sensitive children cause anxiety and irritability, and promotes problems such as excess weight and obesity, and, but that's another topic.

Myth №7. Caffeine helps to sober up

Drink coffee to sober up, totally useless. Drinking coffee with alcohol, then to sit behind the wheel, is extremely dangerous - despite the presence of caffeine in the body, alcohol will still slow down the rate of reaction and reduce the concentration. Sober only after the alcohol is naturally processed in the body, and caffeine is not conducive to this.

Myth №8. Caffeine does not benefit health

In fact, caffeine helps with certain types of headaches, and, according to some sources, improves the condition of people with asthma. In addition, there is evidence indicating that regular consumption of caffeine reduces the risk of disorders such as Parkinson's disease, colon cancer, type 2 diabetes Type II diabetes: what you should not do if you do not want to worsen its healthy , Dementia, and liver disease.

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