Thursday, February 7, 2008

Coffee and Caffeine

Coffee and Caffeine

Coffee contains caffeine... a mild stimulant to the central nervous system.

The caffeine in coffee occurs naturally; it’s not added to coffee (as it is, for example, added to many soft drinks.) Coffee – with its stimulating constituent, caffeine – is the most popular mood-altering substance on the planet, and has been for more than 300 years.

Caffeine promotes wakefulness by interfering with adenosine, a chemical in the body that acts as something of an natural sleep-promoting drug. In addition to its wakeful properties, caffeine – in moderate amounts – has been shown to enhance mood and increase alertness.

In moderate amounts, caffeine has been shown to decrease pain, alleviate asthma symptoms and migraine headaches, even to combat jet lag. The key, of course, is the phrase we seem to be repeating quite a lot… moderation.

What’s moderate? The medical community today generally agrees that 3 or 4 cups of coffee a day should be considered moderate consumption. What’s moderate for you, however, is largely a matter of how you respond to caffeine. If you have questions or concerns about your own consumption of caffeine, please talk to your doctor.

Relative Caffeine Content

Product

Serving Size

Caffeine

Brewed Coffee

6 oz.

100-150mg

Espresso

1.5 oz.

80-120mg

Brewed Decaf Coffee

6 oz.

3mg

Iced Tea

12 oz.

70mg

Hot Tea

6 oz.

60mg

Cola

12 oz.

30-55mg

Chocolate Bar

2 oz.

30-50mg

No comments:

Google