9 myths about caffeine, in which shame to believe

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1. Caffeine is addictive

Let's just say it's not quite true. For coffee - delicious, aromatic, invigorating - you can really get used to. However, addiction is addiction can not be called.

Caffeine in any way does not threaten your physical, emotional and social health, as do the drugs, even the most light and kind of legal cigarettes or alcohol.

If you decide to give up coffee, most likely, your body will not even feel it. Only in some cases (for example, if you are used to consume two or more cups per day) may be unpleasant symptoms:

• headache;
• feeling tired;
• increased anxiety;
• irritability;
• bad mood;
• difficulty concentrating.

But these symptoms are not very pronounced and it is unlikely to last longer than one or two days. For this reason, experts do not believeCaffeine Use Disorder: A Comprehensive Review and Research Agenda love for serious caffeine addiction, overcome which would require professional treatment.

2. Caffeine is found only in coffee

This stimulant found in many foods and beverages, in addition to coffee products. This is a partial list:

• tea - and black, and green, and Puer, and mate;
• cocoa;
• energy drinks;
• carbonated beverages brown;
• coffee ice cream;
• coffee yogurt;
• decaffeinated coffeeCaffeine consumption;
• chocolate (except for white);
• certain medications.

Each of these products contains its own dose of caffeine - somewhere more, somewhere less. To find out exactly how much, look, for example, here.

3. Caffeine can cause insomnia

If you drink coffee in the morning, it is excluded. Caffeine is excreted from the body fairly quickly: after 8-10 hours in the blood will be less than 25% of the original dose received by you, and it's too small to cause sleep disorders.

As for coffee, drunk in the afternoon, an important role is played by the beverage strength. For example, contained in the 30 gram cup of espressoNational Nutrient Database for Standard Reference Legacy Release about 60 mg of caffeine - less than the usual cup of black tea, which many people are drinking at dinner and then not experience any problems with falling asleep.

But in the middle (170 ml) mug robusta can be up to 200 mg of caffeine so that the risk of not falling asleep while drinking a beverage in the evening, increased.

Also, much depends on individual sensitivity to caffeine. Most people a cup of coffee, drunk in six or earlier hours to sleep, insomnia is not threatened. However, some of the peculiarities of metabolism respond to heightened caffeine. If you have empirically found that refers to the number of people you really should limit consumption of coffee drinks.

4. Caffeine increases blood pressure

Not necessarily. This again is a matter of personal characteristics. There are people whose body actually reacts to caffeine increase blood pressure. But there are also those for whom coffee does not have such an effect. Determine to which category you belong, can only empirically.

Experts authoritative medical institution Mayo Clinic recommend10 ways to control high blood pressure without medication to do so. Measure the pressure and lock the result. Drink a cup of coffee, and half an hour again use the tonometer.

If the readings increased by 5-10 points, your cardiovascular system reacts to caffeine. If not, increase the pressure after drinking coffee you can not be afraid.

5. Caffeine calcium leaches out of the body

Because of this, he is considered guilty in the development of osteoporosis. But then again, the situation is one of those "in two grandmother said."

In fact, if you eat a lot of caffeine (more than 744 mg per day, which is equivalent to about 12 cups of espresso standard), it can degrade the calcium absorption in the intestine. However, studies showEffects of caffeine on bone and the calcium economy.: Just add coffee 1-2 tablespoons of milk, and the negative effects of caffeine will be compensated.

However, older people with coffee should be careful: they have nevertheless been some connectionEffect of coffee intake on hip fracture: a meta-analysis of prospective cohort studies between caffeine consumption and risk of hip fracture. There is an assumption that older caffeine has a more potent effect on calcium metabolism.

So, if you're over 50, try to reduce the consumption of coffee to 300 ml per day.

6. Caffeine causes cancer

But this is definitely a myth. None of the numerous studies have establishedCoffee, tea, caffeine intake, and the risk of cancer in the PLCO cohort the relationship between caffeine intake and the development of any type of cancer. But there is good reason to believe that even the coffee reduces the risk of some cancers.

7. Caffeine causes dehydration

This myth has Layfhaker refutedBut repeat. Caffeine does have a slight diuretic effect, but it does not lead to further loss of fluid over the one that got into the body together with himself a drink.

There is only one exception: if you drink 2-3 cups of strong coffee in a row, a diuretic effect may become more pronounced. However, a frequent urge to the bathroom there is only those people who almost did not drink a drink before.

8. Caffeine helps to sober up

This misconception is so widespread that even the articles on how to quickly recover from the intoxication, one can often find the phrase: "Enjoy a cup of coffee."

Yes, coffee really helps to disguise fume. But in regard to the real sobering, drink even harmful. As a stimulant, caffeine invigorates and energizes. Because of this, the drunk person there is a false sense that he came to his senses and became almost sober. False!

Several years ago the American Psychological Association journal published a reportCaffeine Does not Reverse the Negative Cognitive Impact of Alcohol, Study Shows, Which is based on the test results of two groups of people. One of the subjects was under the influence of alcohol. The second - too, but alcohol was "polished" coffee.

The survey showed that the representatives of the second group together to report that they feel sober. However, tests on attentiveness, concentration, coordination and reaction time are handled no better than drunk volunteers from the first group.

9. Coffee - it's just self-indulgence, there is no benefit from it

Numerous studies have shown that drinking coffee every day is helpful. it prolongs life.

And no matter how much coffee and what quality you drink. Even if you do not measure strain at the instant drink or coffee without caffeine, no chance to die from some sores in the next ten years you will be significantly higher than in those who absolutely refuses currently in caffeine.

Of course, force yourself espresso or, say, a latte is not necessary. But if you like a couple of times a day to indulge in a cup of coffee, there is almost no reason to leave this pleasant habit.