Caffeine: How Much is Too Much?

Wired on caffeine?

It’s happening to more and more people because the popular and legal stimulant drug is available in so many tasty forms. Super-charged coffee. Super-sized cola. Giant energy drinks. Infused teas. Pills.

Caffeine stimulates the central nervous system and speeds up blood flow, which can cause a boost of energy and alertness, albeit temporary. It can also be an analgesic for pain.

A love of caffeine, or at least its effects, is nothing new despite the rows of new products in just about any store that sells sodas or groceries. Nearly 5,000 year ago, the Chinese discovered the wonders of drinking tea. Historians believe coffee beans were used as money and consumed as food in Africa and turned into coffee 1,400 years ago.

Caffeinated soft drinks have been around more than a century. Some years you hear it’s bad for you; other years you hear it’s OK, at least in moderation.

Apparently, caffeine is one of the most studied ingredients in our food supply but that hasn’t settled things. Debate swirls around the stimulant. How much is too much? Is a small amount OK? Is it OK for kids?

“You have to use good sense,” said Dale Belham, clinical dietitian at Hancock Medical Center in Bay St. Louis, Miss. “It’s all about balance. Don’t deprive yourself but don’t do it in excess.

“A little caffeine in your diet should be fine if you are a healthy adult. You know that if you are drinking coffee all day long, or drinking two or three liters of cola a day, that’s too much. It’s all about balance.

“When it comes to energy drinks and super-charged coffee, I think a lot of people are looking for something that’s not there. Caffeine is just temporary. You will get energy by eating healthy and exercising and maintaining your weight.”

Spoken like a true nutritionist. So what if you need the boost to see you through a project, or to jump-start you in the morning?

“Coffee is the most popular `food’ consumed at breakfast in the U.S.,” said Angel Cuevas, registered dietitian at Mississippi’s Memorial Hospital at Gulfport.

“Most of the research suggests 200 to 300 milligrams of caffeine a day is OK, unless there are certain health problems. That’s about two to three cups of coffee a day, with plain brew being about 135 milligrams a cup. In comparison, a Classic Coke has about 34 milligrams.”

Then there are the energy drinks. Red Bull has 80 milligrams, which is less than a cup of coffee, and the biggie Full Throttle has about 144 milligrams, according to Cuevas’ research. Most energy drinks are so sugar-charged that another rush comes from that. On the caffeine whopper side are drinks like Starbucks’ Coffee Grande, which has about 259 milligrams, the daily recommended limit.

“Everyone’s caffeine sensitivity is a little different, depending on weight, physical condition and genetics,” Cuevas said. “If you have any kind of heart rhythm problems or heart disease, caffeine is not a good idea. It boosts blood pressure, though the rise is temporary. For kids, there hasn’t been enough research to test the long-term effects so you should really limit it with them. Pregnant women are often advised to stay away from it.

“Research, talk to the health experts, be aware of your own body and the effects of caffeine on it.”

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(c) 2007, The Sun Herald (Biloxi, Miss.).

Visit The Sun Herald Online at http://www.sunherald.com/

Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services.

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