This document discusses caffeine consumption and provides information about the amount of caffeine in various foods and drinks. It notes that the general consensus is to stay below 400mg of caffeine per day. However, it can be difficult to track total caffeine intake, as many foods and drinks contain caffeine but do not list the amounts. While caffeine has some potential health benefits, there are also risks from consuming too much, such as anxiety, sleep issues, and caffeine dependence or addiction. The document advises moderating caffeine intake and paying attention to individual tolerance levels.

1. GUTTERCREDITTK
How Big
Is The
Rush?
The general
consensus is to stay
below 400mg of
caffeine per day.
Sounds simple
enough, until you
consider that coffee
is probably only one
part of your daily
caffeine equation
200ml of brewed
filter coffee
80mg
355ml McDonalds
coffee
109mg
200ml cup of
instant coffee
50mg
240ml of brewed
black tea
35mg
180ml of green tea
19mg
340ml can
of Coca-Cola
34mg
250ml Red Bull
80mg
330ml can
of Nestea ice tea
24mg
One adult dose
of Regmaker
150mg
36g Zang
caffeinated chocolate
100mg
100g of dark chocolate
43mg
10ml Bioplus
180mg
32g GU Sports Gel
20mg
116 W O M E N ’ S H E A LT H / June 2015 / WomensHealthSA.co.za

2. T H AT FA M I L I A R B U Z Z
you get from your staple skinny latte can be
potentially dangerous, but that doesn’t mean
that everyone needs to kick the habit. Know how to
strike the right balance to make caffeine work for you
SPECI
A
L
REPORT
ALL
WIRED UPB Y L A U R A B E I L A N D N I C O L E T T E L O U W
June 2015 / W O M E N ’ S H E A LT H 117

3. 118 W O M E N ’ S H E A LT H / June 2015 / WomensHealthSA.co.za
Caffeine lovers now have more
options than ever to get their
buzz on. There are the obvious
sources, such as energy drinks
– now a R120-billion business
worldwide. But caffeine is also
found in tea, including ice tea,
some fizzy cooldrinks, cocoa-
based products, slimming
products and medication.
If these are how you score
your hits, labels can make it
easier to track your caffeine
consumption. For example,
in 2011, draft amendments
were published in the South
African Government Gazette
proposing stricter labelling
requirements for “highly
caffeinated energy drinks”,
such as Red Bull, Monster
Energy Drink and PowerPlay.
Regular coffee drinkers, on
the other hand, may be over
their caffeine limit, but could
becompletelyoblivioustothe
fact. And, with many food,
drink and pharmaceutical
companies adding caffeine
to theirproducts,non-coffee-
consumers may be even
more unaware of their intake,
resulting in side effects such
as irritability, headaches and
restlessnessbeingbrushedoff.
But is it really such
a concern in the first place?
Experts remain divided.
“There are a number
of conflicting studies on
the positive and negative
consequences of caffeine,”
says Demitri Constantinou,
adjunct professor of Sports
and Exercise Medicine at
Wits University and director
for the Centre for Exercise
Science and Sports Medicine.
“There is some evidence
of the health benefits
and there are differences
in individual responses.
There is a level of tolerance,
so some of the effects may
subside overtime.Theproblems
mostlyrelatetothesideeffects,
such as sleep disturbances,
abdominalcramps,heartburn,
diarrhoea, palpitations,
anxiety, hand tremors
and excessive sweating.”
No wonder we’re confused.
BEHIND
THE JOLT
One of the oldest drugs in
human history and found
in dozens of plants, beans
and seeds, caffeine works
by blocking a sleep-inducing
chemical called adenosine
(see “Your Body On Caffeine”).
Inthepast,mostpeoplewould
get their regular caffeine
dose from a cup of coffee
and it was easy to stay under
the recommended limit of
400mg for adult consumption.
Today, however, with caffeine
not always listed on food and
drink labels, consumption is
harder to track. And, despite
decades of research, no one
really knows the lifelong
consequences of ingesting
too much. After all, studying
a drug that the majority of
people already consume is
a challenge.Plus,pro-caffeine
findings may not take into
account the negative effects of
fatigue and tiredness resulting
from caffeine’s effect on sleep
quality, adds Constantinou.
That said, scientists have
gleaned some insights.
CLOUDED
BENEFITS
Caffeine can reputedly affect
an athlete’s mental alertness
and physical performance, says
Constantinou. “This is based
on the physiological effect of
central-nervous stimulation
and some potential effect
on metabolism.” Moderate
to heavy coffee intake may
also decrease your risk for
diabetes, inflammatory
diseases, Parkinson’s and
dementia and improve
memory function. Plus,
coffee drinkers live slightly
longer than non-drinkers,
according to a 2012 study.
Yet, every pro-caffeine
statistic is followed up by
an anti-caffeine statistic (see
“Mixed Messages”). In 2013,
a study concluded that coffee
drinkers may have shorter
life spans and that caffeine
can also disrupt sleep,
further leading to a list of
problems, such as weight gain,
weakened immunity and poor
concentration. New research
has also found that it has the
ability to leave people wanting
more, driving them towards
sugary drinks. Caffeine may be
natural, but it’s also an overused
JITTER-FREE
THE SNOOZE
Remember adenosine?
Caffeine only temporarily
blocks the sleep-inducing
chemical. A short nap,
however, can melt
adenosine away. Your
levels of the stuff sink as
you doze, leaving your
brain more alert – and
potentially, more powerful
– after waking.
THE SUN SESH
It’s time to see the light!
When morning sun hits
your eyes, it tells your body
to wake up and it helps set
your internal clock for the
day. You don’t have to
stare at the sky; just
expose yourself to natural
light, even when it’s cloudy
outside. A splash of cold
water to the face doesn’t
hurt either!
1
2
3
THE MOVE
Built-up adenosine
messages your heart and
blood vessels to slow
down. The result: curtailed
oxygen flow and you
feeling sluggish. Briskly
walking around the block
or the office, or even
pacing during your next
phone call, can get your
blood pumping again.
Not crazy about caffeine, but in desperate need of extra oomph?
Any of these drug-free, science-backed
methods could lend you a natural lift in 20 minutes or less
IN THIS INNOVATIVE DAY AND AGE,
A SOY CAPPUCCINO OR VANILLA
LATTE OR PLAIN, STRAIGHT-UP
ESPRESSO SEEMS A LITTLE BIT,
WELL, REDUNDANT.
ENERGY

4. June 2015 / W O M E N ’ S H E A LT H 119
LISASHIN(COFFEE);RUSSELLSMITH(CHOCOLATE)
LIFE SPAN
PRO
In a 2012 study,
people who drank
at least three cups
of coffee per day
were 10 percent
less likely to die.
CON
A 2013 study
found that those
who drank more
than 28 cups
per week had
a shorter life span.
Thousands of studies have measured caffeine’s effects on the body
and mind. A brief sampling of the conflicting research:
BRAIN
PRO
In a 2014 study,
people who
ingested caffeine
after learning new
info remembered
it better later on.
CON
A 2013 study
found that
caffeine tolerance
could cancel out
any cognitive
enhancements.
MOOD
PRO
In 2014, a study
found that
caffeine drinkers
had a lower risk
for depression.
CON
Other 2014
research linked
caffeine intake to
increased anxiety.
EXERCISE
PRO
In 2013,
researchers found
that caffeine
improved athletic
performance
among cyclists.
CON
That same year,
a review article
showed caffeine
could impair
blood flow
during exercise.
FERTILITY
PRO
A 2013 study
found that
caffeine intake
led to more,
and stronger,
sperm cells.
CON
According to
research in 2012,
heavy coffee
drinkers had
much lower IVF
success rates.
DISEASE
PRO
Moderate to high
coffee intake was
found to lower
people’s risk for
type-2 diabetes,
according to
a 2013 study.
CON
Another 2013
study linked high
coffee intake to
an increased risk
for metabolic
syndrome.
MIXED MESSAGES
// Once caffeine
hits your bloodstream,
it’s shuttled straight to
the liver, which breaks
it into tiny molecules.
// Those then course
through your veins,
binding to cells,
stealing the spots
of the sleep-inducing
chemical adenosine.
// With less adenosine
to temper it, your
brain is in overdrive.
Mentally, you’re more
alert. Production of
feel-good dopamine
ramps up.
// Your blood vessels
have sprung into action:
as they constrict, your
heart beats faster,
pumping extra oxygen
to your organs.
// Your body reaches
peak caffeine levels
15 to 45 minutes
after ingestion. The
outcome, however,
lasts much longer.
Depending on your
genes and what
medication you
take, you could be
wired for the next
five to six hours.
// Sounds great,
right? Unless you’ve
gone over your
personal limit. Caffeine
overkill can cancel out
too much adenosine,
overstimulating
your brain.
// Even if you
don’t go overboard,
take note: brain
cells respond
to the repeated
blocking of adenosine
by producing more
and more of the
stuff, which will
hit you harder once
your buzz wears off.
Your Body On Caffeine /How the superdrug takes you from tired to wired... and back
stimulant that leads regular
users to crave their daily “fix”.
Then there’s the issue
of full-on addiction, where
individuals still indulge in
the stuff despite known health
concerns (for example, during
pregnancy). Excessive amounts
have been known to interfere
with your heartbeat, while Dr
Shaquir Salduker at Netcare St
Augustine’s Hospital in Durban
explains that vulnerable caffeine
users can elevate their anxiety
levels and precipitate panic
attacks. “Most people don’t
realise the potency of caffeine
asastimulant,orthedegreeto
which it can produce physical
and mental dependence.”
He points out that caffeine
intoxication and withdrawal
present in the same way as
other stimulantssuchascocaine
and ecstasy. Indeed, studies
show that nearly 50 percent of
caffeine consumers admit they
have trouble abstaining, even
if they suffer from headaches
and insomnia because of an
occasional overload.
MAKE IT
WORK FOR YOU
So, how much is safe or
even helpful? Use caffeine
the same way you would use
medication: only when you
need it most and not in large
amountsevery day.“Caffeine
is a naturally occurring
compound, but this doesn’t
meanweneedit,”saysdietician
NathalieMat.Becausecaffeine
metabolism varies widely in
people, it’s best to stay as far
belowthedailylimitof400mg
as possible, which is roughly
four cups of coffee, depending
on the brew (see “How Big Is
The Rush?”, p116). Mat points
out that this is not an amount
to aim for, but rather a ceiling
you should aim to stay under.
That said, effects can vary
widely among individuals. You
may need to do a little research
to ID your own limit – if, say,
you have a coffee, some dark
chocolate and a Coke, and you
feel overstimulated, you know
to cut back next time. If not,
your tolerance is likely a bit
higher – but that’s no reason
to pushtheboundaries.Aswith
any stimulant, the more you
consume,themoreyou’llneed
to get the same fix next time.
And be mindful of how you
indulge.“Caffeinehasaneffect
which gives the perception
of excess energy,” explains
Constantinou. “If one then
takescaffeineaway,thateffect
is also eliminated and there is
a suddenperceptionoftiredness,
also known as a caffeine crash.”
Ideally, wait until about
10am for your java jolt and – it
practically goes without saying
– skipcaffeinewithinsixhoursof
bedtime. As with anything else,
awareness and moderation are
key. Read labels and if you feel
jittery or your caffeine crashes
areintense,it’stimetocutback.