Caffeine
Written by Dr Dan Rutherford, GP
There has been a huge global increase in the consumption of caffeine to such an extent that the claim can now be made that it is one of the worlds most widely used drugs. It is found in coffee, tea, cola-based drinks and chocolate.
Caffeine is mildly addictive and linked to a number of health problems if drunk in excess. It can inhibit the absorption of vitamins and minerals and increase their excretion from the body. This removes vital nutrients from the body and impacts on their critical role in the body's metabolism.
Caffeine overstimulates the central nervous system thereby increasing heart rate and blood pressure. In addition it has an impact on the body's energy levels; following the initial energy surge your levels fall due to the lowering of blood sugar.
It can also irritate your stomach and cause headaches and the well-publicised insomnia. Caffeine has also been associated with a decrease in bone mineral density, increasing the risk of osteoporosis in women.
Many people believe that if they drink espresso they will reduce their caffeine consumption. However, due to the small volume, the actual caffeine content per millilitre is much higher than a regular brew. The highest caffeine content is found in percolated, drip coffee as the coffee grounds remain in contact with the water for a longer time.
If you drink more than four cups of caffeine-based drinks a day then you should consider reducing your intake and substituting caffeine with herbal or fruit teas, many of which have the added benefit of being antioxidants.
Caffeine - putting advice into action
Reducing the amount of caffeine you consume can be a difficult task. We therefore recommend that you do this gradually and adopt the following advice which will help you:
if you cut out caffeine from your diet entirely, you may suffer from withdrawal headaches. These may develop after about 18 hours. Drink plenty of plain water and eat high-fibre biscuits or a slice of fruity malt cake to help regulate your blood sugar levels.
these headaches and low energy levels may last for a couple of days but the benefits will be worth it.
alternatively, we recommend that you reduce your intake by half-a-cup cup a day over a seven-day period building up to a level where you are consuming less than five caffeine containing drinks a week.
once you have reached this level of consumption it will be easier to take the decision to remove caffeine from your diet altogether.
during this process always make sure you have a substitute drink available such as fruit or herbal teas and drink plenty of water.
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