Caffeine can sometimes get a bad reputation that’s not always based on reliable evidence. People often think about large amounts of caffeine and the bad effects it can have on your sleep and anxiety; this leads to the assumption that caffeine is bad for your body. However, this isn’t true; caffeine has several benefits when consumed in the right amounts. In this article, we take a look at these benefits and how much caffeine you should be consuming to avoid the potential adverse effects.
Improves your mood
There have been studies to show that consuming caffeine can have a positive effect on your mood. After consuming caffeine, people generally feel more awake and energetic, which leads to them feeling more productive. In addition, caffeine has been shown to increase the level of dopamine in the brain; this is the chemical for producing the feeling of happiness. When you have more dopamine, your mood is improved, and you generally feel better and happier.
Block drowsiness
Many people rely on caffeine first thing in the morning to help wake them up and get them ready for the day. This is likely down to the effect that caffeine has on the neurotransmitters that cause drowsiness. Caffeine blocks the neurotransmitter from working, making you feel less drowsy and more awake. If you struggle to wake up in the morning and constantly feel drowsy, a dose of caffeine might be useful for getting rid of that lingering drowsy feeling that makes you want to get back into bed.
Help with pain management
You may have noticed that many painkillers, such as paracetamol, are commonly combined with a small dose of caffeine. This is because caffeine has been shown to increase the effectiveness of painkillers. Caffeine has a blocking effect on the receptors that influence pain and, when combined with paracetamol, has been shown to increase its effectiveness by 5%-10%. This has led pharmaceutical companies to produce painkillers that have caffeine included in the formula. You might find this type of painkiller more effective than one without caffeine.
Improve exercise performance
Athletes that wish to improve their performance may look at different ways to do this; one way is to consume caffeine before an event or training session. Caffeine can also be consumed throughout an endurance event; athletes may choose to use a caffeine energy gel to boost their performance. The athletes that get the most benefit from caffeine are those that participate in endurance sports, high-intensity exercise and power sports. Caffeine helps athletes’ muscles work more effectively, allowing them to go further and faster. In addition, unlike many other performance enhancers, caffeine is not banned in sports by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), meaning if athletes want to be able to boost their performance and compete with others, they are permitted to use caffeine.
Reduced depression rates
There have been several studies on caffeine and how consumption can help prevent individuals from becoming depressed. These studies are conflicting, but many show that caffeine decreases a person’s risk of becoming depressed. However, these studies show that the effect changes depending on where the caffeine comes from; coffee is more effective as a preventative measure against depression.
The right levels of caffeine
It is important to note that although caffeine has many positive benefits, it can also have some negative effects when consumed in high doses. Too much caffeine can increase feelings of anxiety, result in poor-quality sleep and make people feel restless. For most adults, up to 400 milligrams is generally considered a safe amount per day; this is around four cups of brewed coffee. However, caffeine affects people differently and has less impact if your body becomes used to high doses. Always stick to what you feel comfortable with and try to avoid going over the recommended amount of caffeine.
Consuming caffeine has several benefits, including improving your mood, reducing drowsiness, improving pain management, improving exercise performance and reducing rates of depression. With this in mind, regular consumption of small levels of caffeine can positively impact your daily routine. However, you need to be careful not to consume too much caffeine, as large amounts can increase your risk of experiencing anxiety and result in poor-quality sleep.
TastyContent 