The Health Benefits Hidden In Your Morning Cup of Joe
What is caffeine?
Caffeine is a natural stimulant most commonly found in tea, coffee, and cacao plants. It works by stimulating the brain and central nervous system, helping you stay alert and prevent the onset of tiredness. Historians track the first brewed tea as far back as 2737 B.C.
Coffee was reportedly discovered many years later by an Ethiopian shepherd who noticed the extra energy it gave his goats. Caffeinated soft drinks hit the market in the late 1800s and energy drinks soon followed. Nowadays, 80% of the world’s population consumes a caffeinated product each day, and this number goes up to 90% for adults in North America.
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How does it work?
Once consumed, caffeine is quickly absorbed from the gut into the bloodstream. From there, it travels to the liver and is broken down into compounds that can affect the function of various organs, with caffeine mainly having the highest effect on the brain.
It functions by blocking the effects of adenosine, which is a neurotransmitter that relaxes the brain and makes you feel tired. Normally, adenosine levels build up over the day, making you increasingly more tired and causing you to want to go to sleep. Caffeine helps you stay awake by connecting to adenosine receptors in the brain without activating them. This blocks the effects of adenosine, leading to reduced tiredness.
It may also increase blood adrenaline levels and increase brain activity of the neurotransmitters dopamine and norepinephrine. This combination further stimulates the brain and promotes a state of arousal, alertness, and focus. Because it affects your brain, caffeine is often referred to as a psychoactive drug.
Additionally, caffeine tends to exert its effects quickly. For instance, the amount found in single cup of coffee can take as little as 20 minutes to reach the bloodstream and about 1 hour to reach full effectiveness
Foods & drinks that contain caffeine
Caffeine is naturally found in the seeds, nuts, or leaves of certain plants, and are then harvested and processed to produce caffeinated foods and beverages. The following are some of the amounts of caffeine expected per 8-ounce serving sizes of some popular beverages:
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Espresso: 240–720 mg
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Coffee: 102–200 mg
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Yerba mate: 65–130 mg
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Energy drinks: 50–160 mg
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Brewed tea: 40–120 mg
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Soft drinks: 20–40 mg
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Decaffeinated coffee: 3–12 mg
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Cocoa beverage: 2–7 mg
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Chocolate milk: 2–7 mg
Some foods, like chocolate for example, also contain caffeine. Just 1 ounce of milk chocolate contains 1–15 mg, whereas 1 ounce of dark chocolate has 5–35 mg. You can also find caffeine in some prescription or over-the-counter drugs like cold, allergy, and pain medications. It’s also a common ingredient in weight loss supplements.
Recommended dosages
A considerably safe dosage of caffeine is around a daily intake of 400 mg, which amounts to 2–4 cups of coffee per day. It’s also recommended to limit the amount of caffeine you consume at one time to about 200 mg per dose. The average cup of coffee typically contains a little less than 100 mg of caffeine.
The hidden benefits in your cup of coffee
Coffee is actually pretty good for you, and when it’s consumed in moderation with minimal amounts of sugars and creamers, can be a healthy addition to an otherwise healthy and balanced diet. In addition, each cup includes the following array of health benefits:
It gives your brain a jolt of energy
The caffeine in coffee increases the stimulant norepinephrine and the laser-focus chemical dopamine in your brain. Not only that but the caffeine in coffee works for helping you feel more alert and ready to tackle your to-do list.
Coffee is rich in essential nutrients
While there is a considerable amount of nutrients in coffee, the following are some of the more important ones:
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Vitamin B5 which is good for making red blood cells
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Manganese which is good for bone development and metabolism
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Potassium which is good for lower blood pressure
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Magnesium which is good for energy production and sleep
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Niacin which helps convert said vitamins into useable energy
It's packed with antioxidants
Antioxidants can help reduce inflammation and mortality risk. In a typical Western diet, most people are getting more antioxidants from coffee than from fruits and vegetables combined. But that doesn’t mean you should replace your fruits and vegetables with coffee anytime soon.
Due to its potent antioxidant and caffeine content, coffee may help combat chronic illness, including cancer. There's a strong link between caffeine preventing breast cancer in women who are genetically susceptible to it, and there's also strong evidence of coffee being connected to better cognitive function and mental stimulation.
It's a great pre-workout beverage
Coffee can also help to boost physical performance because it stimulates your nervous system and signals fat cells to break down body fat. It also increases epinephrine, also known as adrenaline, which may help you run faster. But because coffee can help your digestive system stay regular and even facilitate bowel movements, just remember to plan ahead.
Coffee may help with seasonal allergies
Caffeine helps with sleepiness, but it can also help with congestion. Allergies can cause you to have inflammation and congestion within your blood vessels. Then you get inflammation in your nose because it is blocked up from the allergic reaction. And the same thing happens in your head. You might be feeling the congestion in your sinuses, in your head, and that can make you feel tired and fatigued.
Additionally, caffeine is especially helpful when taken with other allergy medicines, especially the kind that make you drowsy. The anti-inflammatory effects are why they say coffee can help with a lot of other medical problems, too, that are driven by inflammation.
Side effects and risks
My favorite morning ritual is having a leisurely cup of coffee is the morning. But about 3 years ago, my nervous system started reacting to caffeine. I would have an almost panic response where my body would release epinephrine and create a cascade that would cause lots of strange and sometimes scary symptoms.
Moreover, while caffeine consumption is generally considered safe, it does have some risks and side effects to it. It is also habit forming. The following are a few side effects linked to an excessive intake of caffeine:
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Anxiety
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Restlessness
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Tremors
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Irregular heartbeat
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Trouble sleeping
Too much caffeine may also promote headaches, migraine, and high blood pressure in some individuals. Caffeine can also interact with some medications. I tried a few different things before I realized my caffeine habit of 25 years had caught up to me and I decided to explore other options.
Caffeine alternatives
Though there are health benefits within a cup of coffee, the high amount of caffeine can cause nervousness and agitation, which can leave you feeling quite jittery. Some have even told me that coffee caused digestive distress and headaches.
So here are a few recommendations for alternatives that you can switch your morning cup of coffee out for. Remember some of these options have a little bit of caffeine and do have other properties that may interact with individual lifestyle and diet.
Matcha Tea
Matcha is a type of green tea made by steaming, drying and grinding the leaves of the Camellia sinensis plant into a fine powder. Unlike brewable green tea, with matcha tea you consume the whole leaf. For this reason, you’re getting a much more concentrated source of antioxidants, and many of the proposed benefits of matcha are attributed to EGCG. Some even suggest that regular green tea consumption may reduce your risk of high blood pressure. Green tea has also been associated with reduced weight and body fat, as well as a lower risk of type 2 diabetes. Matcha has a fresh flavor, which some describe as earthy, however it does contain a bit of caffeine.
To prepare:
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Sift 1–2 teaspoons of matcha powder into a ceramic bowl using a fine mesh strainer.
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Add hot, but not boiling, water — the water temperature should be around 160–170°F (71–77°C).
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Stir slowly until the powder is dissolved, then whisk back and forth. A traditional bamboo tea whisk, called a chasen, works best.
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The tea is ready once a light froth forms. You can also try adding 1 cup (237 ml) of steamed milk or a non-dairy alternative for a creamy matcha tea latte.
Because you consume the whole leaf, matcha is typically higher in caffeine than regular brewed green tea and sometimes higher than coffee. The amount in each serving can vary widely, with a range of 35–250 mg per cup.
Yerba Mate
Yerba mate is a naturally caffeinated herbal tea made from the dried leaves of the South American holly tree, llex paraguriensis. If you’re looking for a coffee substitute but don’t want to part with your morning caffeine, yerba mate is a good choice. One cup (237 ml) contains roughly 78 mg of caffeine, which is similar to the caffeine content in an average cup of coffee. Yerba mate is also loaded with beneficial plant compounds that act as antioxidants.
Yerba mate may even be higher in antioxidants than green tea. Additionally, it contains several minerals and vitamins, including riboflavin, thiamine, phosphorus, iron, calcium and vitamins C and E. It has an acquired taste, which can be described as bitter or smokey. In the traditional method, yerba mate is prepared in a yerba mate gourd and consumed through a metal straw, adding water as you drink it.
To make drinking yerba mate easier, you can also steep the leaves using a tea ball or purchase yerba mate tea bags. In these cases, just steep the leaves in hot water for 3–5 minutes and enjoy. Despite the purported health benefits of yerba mate, you should drink it in moderation.
Chicory Coffee
Like coffee beans, chicory root can be roasted, ground and brewed. It tastes very similar to coffee but is actually caffeine-free. It is also a rich source of inulin. This soluble fiber may aid in digestion and support a healthy gut by promoting the growth of beneficial bacteria. So coffee lovers who frequently experience IBS symptoms might want to give this one a try. Keep in mind though that chicory root may cause digestive symptoms in some people.
In addition, chicory coffee can stimulate your gallbladder to produce more bile, which may be beneficial for fat digestion. Chicory root can be found pre-ground and roasted, so it’s easy to prepare. Simply brew it like regular coffee grounds — in a filter coffee maker, French press or espresso machine. Use 2 tablespoons of grounds for every 6 ounces (180 ml) of water, or adjust this ratio based on your preferences. Although inulin is great for your health, it may have side effects such as bloating and gas.
Additional caffeine alternatives
In addition to the previously listed caffeine alternative, there are a variety of other alternatives that are worth considering as well. Some even have less caffeine than those listed above, and may spark your interest more than others. The following are some additional caffeine alternatives that should be considered:
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Green tea - which is also high in antioxidants
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Ginesing Tea
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Reishi / Mushroom Coffee / Tea - One of my all-time favorites is Four Sigmatic
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Golden milk - which is a caffeine-free alternative that may have anti-inflammatory effects
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Chai tea
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Apple cider vinegar- which is a caffeine-free alternative that may have beneficial effects on blood sugar levels
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Extra tips related to caffeine
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Consuming 3 cups of coffee a day for as few as 3 weeks may increase the amount and activity of beneficial gut bacteria.
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The risk of developing type 2 diabetes drops for every 200 mg of caffeine consumed.
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A caffeine intake of 200 mg per dose, and up to 400 mg per day, is generally considered safe. Pregnant women should limit their daily intake to 200 mg or less.
