Caffeine has lately been getting a little bit of a bad reputation and with good reason. People who are branded as “heavy” coffee drinkers often tend to be skittish, nervous and act a little erratic before they get their daily dose of coffee. Once they have their “buzz” they’re ready to go. Several studies have also linked overconsumption of caffeine to increased risk of osteoporosis. In this particular study 80 ,000 people who drank too much coffee or highly caffeinated drinks were found to be more at risk of osteoporosis than people who drank coffee or other highly caffeinated drinks at a minimum.
Insomnia is also another problem linked to too much intake of caffeine. Though it is common knowledge that drinking caffeinated drinks before bedtime lead to difficulty in sleeping, one study has purported another claim. In a recent study sponsored by the National Institutes of Health it showed that even a large amount of caffeine taken in the morning creates consistent stress throughout the day which can carry on even through bedtime. Basically that cup of coffee you drank that morning is going to pose a problem to you even up to the time you’ll be sleeping.
Another misconception about the use of caffeine is that is helps in concentration. Though this is true at the first few times since caffeine is a stimulant in the long run it can actually worsen your concentration skills and not just that. You’re logical reasoning, complex numerical problems, fine motor coordination and accurate timing become muddled thus your overall performance in work and school is badly affected. And the usual scenario is in order to counteract those effects you drink more coffee believing that the caffeine isn’t enough. Thus you consume more caffeine than necessary.
One more troubling detail with the consumption of caffeine in coffee or other beverages is that most people believe that taking an aspirin with a cup of coffee helps in hastening the effects of the aspirin. It is true that taking aspirin with coffee can temporarily increase the potency of aspirin by as much as 40%, recent studies have shown that, with higher doses of caffeine, the aspirin actually loses its effectiveness.
There a lot of beverages today that are loaded with caffeine and all of them are within easy reach of our budget and means. If you need a quick cup of coffee to boost your day all you have to do is cross the street and there you go, there’s a coffee shop waiting for you. Better yet all you have to check is the office pantry where there’s sure to be a hot pot of coffee or a mini fridge stocked with energy drinks to the hilt. But you may want to try another drink where you can get your daily fix of caffeine minus the health hazards.
Why don’t you try tea instead?
The caffeine in tea is relatively minimal. In fact in order to get the same amount of caffeine in a single cup of coffee you need to consume three cups of tea. By switching to tea alone you can dramatically reduce your daily caffeine intake and instead you get to increase your daily dose of antioxidants that battle free radicals and other ailments.
The caffeine in tea also works differently because to its interaction with a component of tea known as tannin, which has a calming effect on the nervous system. This causes the caffeine to be absorbed much more slowly, thereby avoiding the caffeine “shock” and induces a calm and relaxed but focused state of mind. This means you won’t be a jittery mess like you usually would be when you’re drinking coffee.
So give tea’s good caffeine a try. It just might change your life.
