The Benefits of Caffeine for Health and the Risks to Watch Out for

25 Nov 2022

The health benefits of caffeine include increasing concentration, losing weight, reducing the risk of Parkinson's and Alzheimer's, and overcoming depression. Do not consume coffee more than 400 mg per day to get the benefits.

Every day, millions of people consume caffeine, not only from coffee, but from various other sources of caffeine, such as tea, soft drinks, and even chocolate. Caffeine can provide various benefits for the body, from increasing concentration and focus, to eliminating drowsiness. However, if consumed in excess, caffeine can also be harmful to the body.

The health benefits of caffeine

The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has declared caffeine as a drug, apart from food ingredients (additives).

If it is considered a drug, what are the health benefits of caffeine, which is very popular with the world community?

1. Improve memory

A study asked respondents to consume 200 milligrams (mg) of caffeine, after studying and looking at a number of pictures. The next day, they were asked which pictures these were, and were able to remember them.

This is evidence that the benefits of caffeine can improve long-term memory. In addition, a study from Johns Hopkins University, United States, also recommends consuming caffeine after studying. This is done to improve long term memory.

2. Lose weight

Another benefit of caffeine is losing weight, because caffeine can indeed suppress appetite and reduce the desire to eat, although it is temporary.

In addition, caffeine is also believed to stimulate the emergence of a heat production process (thermogenesis), which has the potential to suppress appetite, burn fat to increase metabolism. However, further research still needs to be done to prove this mechanism.

These benefits can be obtained if you consume black coffee without sugar. If you consume coffee that contains a lot of milk and sugar, it can actually trigger weight gain.

3. Improve sports performance

Have you seen people sipping coffee or tea, before lifting weights at the gym? It's not without reason that they drink coffee before sports.

The European Food Safety Agency (The European Food Safety Agency) recognizes that caffeine can improve performance and endurance capacity. Physical performance when exercising also increases. This is why many people like to drink coffee before exercising.

However, research that proves the benefits of caffeine to improve sports performance is only limited to athletes and professionals in related fields. Research on the general public still needs to be done.

4. Reducing the risk of Parkinson's and Alzheimer's disease

The benefits of caffeine for brain health have been proven in a study which found that consuming caffeine regularly, in the long term, can reduce the risk of developing Alzheimer's disease. Not only that, several studies also report that people who consume caffeine in greater quantities are not at risk of developing Parkinson's disease.

5. Prevent skin cancer

Animal studies have shown that caffeine applied to the skin can prevent ultra violet (UV) rays from causing skin cancer. Other studies also mention, consuming 3 cups of caffeinated coffee every day, can reduce the risk of basal cell carcinoma (a type of skin cancer) by 21% in women, and 10% in men.

6. Overcoming depression

The benefits of caffeine can also be felt by our mental health. In one study, researchers studied the lifestyles of about 50,000 women who did not suffer from depressive mental disorders. These researchers then conducted research on tens of thousands of women, for 10 years.

Respondents who drank 2-3 cups of caffeinated coffee experienced a 15% reduced risk of developing depressive mental disorders, compared to participants who only consumed one cup of caffeinated coffee, in one week.

Because, the stimulant effect of caffeine can release dopamine and serotonin, which makes a person feel happy and happy.

7. Increase alertness

About 75 mg of caffeine, is believed to increase your alertness and attention to the surrounding environment. In addition, 160-600 mg of caffeine, is believed to increase mental alertness and memory abilities.

Recommended consumption of caffeine per day

According to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), healthy adults can consume 400 milligrams of caffeine a day as an amount that is still safe to consume. This is equivalent to about four or five 240 ml cups of coffee.

However, each person's sensitivity to the effects of caffeine and their metabolic rate vary widely. Someone with certain conditions can have a tendency to be more sensitive to the effects of caffeine.

Therefore, if you are pregnant or have other health conditions, you should consult your doctor about the appropriate safe limits for consuming caffeine.

The FDA has not established a safe level for children, but the American Academy of Pediatrics has banned the use of caffeine and other types of stimulants for children and adolescents.

Side effects and risks of consuming caffeine

Even though it has many benefits, there are some risks of caffeine side effects that you need to be aware of, especially if consumed in excess, such as the following:

1. Causes insomnia

Consuming caffeine too close to bedtime (within 6 hours of bedtime) can trigger sleep disturbances and reduce total sleep time by more than 1 hour.

Sleep deprivation is cumulative, and even small drops each night can add up and interfere with daytime alertness and performance.

Sleep disturbances can also be experienced by babies if breastfeeding mothers consume large amounts of caffeine because this caffeine can be absorbed into breast milk.

This can cause babies to become restless and have trouble sleeping when they receive large amounts of caffeine.

2. It exacerbates depressive symptoms

Consuming too much caffeine is thought to exacerbate symptoms of anxiety disorders and depression. Even so, until now it is not known if caffeine causes depression or vice versa depression makes someone drink more caffeine.

3. Increased blood sugar

There is some evidence that caffeine can interfere with insulin action and cause a slight increase in blood sugar levels, especially after a meal.

4. Lower fertility

Research shows that caffeine consumption can reduce muscle activity in the fallopian tubes through which the egg passes from the ovary to the uterus. This can reduce a woman's chances of getting pregnant by about 27%.

5. Increase the risk of pregnancy disorders

The effect of drinking coffee for women on this one needs to be watched out for. Consuming more than 300 mg of caffeine a day or the equivalent of three cups of coffee can have side effects for pregnancy, including miscarriage, stunted fetal growth, and abnormal fetal heart rhythms.

In addition, if both parents consumed more than two cups of caffeinated beverages a day in the weeks before pregnancy, the chances of miscarriage are greater.

It is recommended that pregnant women limit their caffeine intake to no more than 200 mg per day during pregnancy.

6. Increase gout attacks

Consuming large amounts of caffeinated beverages throughout the day has been linked to an increased risk of recurrent gout attacks. It's best to avoid caffeinated drinks if you are at risk for gout attacks.

7. Unable to hold back urination

Consuming 329 mg of caffeine or the equivalent of three cups of coffee or more, can make you 70% more at risk of having bladder problems and not being able to hold back your urine.

8. Other side effects

Consuming more than 400 mg of caffeine a day can cause a variety of other side effects, including:

• Restless and shaking
• Fast or irregular heartbeat
• High blood pressure
• Headache
• Nervousness or anxiety
• Dizzy
• Dependency
• Dehydration
• Irritability
• Heartburn
• Abdominal pain, diarrhea and nausea
• Tremors

Source: https://www.sehatq.com/artikel/untung-kafein