10 min read
Our morning caffeine routine helps us get out of bed, get our day started, and tackle whatever comes our way during the day. Sometimes the caffeine intake is a must to get through the day, whether it's a caffeinated beverage, an energy drink, or regular caffeinated coffee or tea. But a high amount of caffeine intake isn't always healthy.
Whether you prefer to get your caffeine kick from coffee, tea, matcha, or Marquis, it’s important to know how much caffeine is best for you. Here we will explain the pros and cons of caffeine and why it doesn’t always have to be unhealthy!
About Caffeine
Caffeine helps us feel alert and focused; that’s why many of us gravitate to it first thing in the morning. Caffeine is a natural plant compound that also happens to be a stimulant. Although it has it’s pros, caffeine can increase heart rate and blood pressure, potentially negatively impacting your health, which is why some people find it to be unhealthy.
It makes us alert due to caffeine’s function as an adenosine receptor antagonist (part of the central nervous system), which blocks feelings of sleep or lag. This effect can help in situations where you need to be alert (or mornings after a long night!). It is important to note that everyone’s response is unique and can depend on genetic variability and lifestyle factors.
Given this, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) states that 80 percent of U.S. adults use caffeine every day, with recent reports showing moderate consumption (around 400 milligrams of caffeine per day) appropriate serving for a healthy lifestyle. But reaching for your morning cup of caffeine does so much more than keeping you awake. It is a stimulant that affects the central nervous system and the body in beneficial ways (when appropriately consumed).
Negative Effects of Caffeine
In general, caffeine is not unhealthy for you if your lifestyle is balanced. Research shows that it can be appropriately metabolized, but it is based on an individual’s health and other factors, ranging from smoking status to alcohol consumption.
Addictive
Caffeine consumption can be hard to monitor if you’re always reaching for energy drinks. These drinks have high caffeine content in minimal liquid amounts, making them risky and addictive.
The type of caffeine that energy drinks use is also synthetic, meaning that it’s man-made and filled with processed chemicals. Synthetic caffeine and Taurine are two most popular caffeines that manufacturers use. If you’re wondering about the side effects, research is growing but the recorded side effects range from stomach pains, muscle twitching, insomnia and more. Let’s just say this isn’t something you would want to put in your body...
Caffeine withdrawal symptoms are also accompanied by a lack of caffeine consumption. You should limit your caffeine consumption if you have headaches without it, or find yourself with any other symptom that includes raised blood pressure, trouble sleeping, or frequent urination. If caffeine over-consumption continues for an extended period, it can lead to long-term health risks such as heart problems.
Raised Blood Pressure
Energy drinks, in particular, are notorious for being pumped full of sugar. Sugar activates the opiate receptors in our brain, linked to compulsive behavior, weight gain, addiction, and more.
The high amounts of sugar cause the “crash”. Specifically when the body has more sugar than it’s used to, it produces an excess of insulin to keep the body regulated. As a result, the blood glucose decreases, which is that feeling of a sugar crash, otherwise known as hypoglycemia.
Caffeine can cause a temporary but dramatic increase in your blood pressure. It’s essential to understand how much you are consuming, even if you don't have high blood pressure. Although research is growing on what causes the spike explicitly in blood pressure, always speak with your doctor for the right amount of caffeine if you experience high blood pressure already.
Caffeine Health Benefits
While overconsumption of caffeine can have a bad reputation, caffeine is shown to have certain health benefits when consumed at the right amounts for your body.
Fat-Burning
Caffeine can change the body’s preferred metabolic sequence from glycogen to fat by increasing the levels of active hormones, epinephrine, and norepinephrine, in your blood. These hormones, in turn, cause fatty acids to be released.
Cognitive Performance
Caffeine boosts energy and alertness. A recent study linked caffeine consumption to increased simple reaction time, choice reaction time, and verbal memory.
Exercise Recovery
When you go through a hard workout, the body burns off tons of glycogen. By drinking caffeine, it can promote resynthesis, which is essential for recovery. Athletes use carbohydrates and caffeine post-exercise to stimulate glycogen build-up.
The Difference with Marquis Caffeine
We get that we all need caffeine in our lives, but we don’t have to think of it as “unhealthy.” There are different types of caffeine that can be considered healthy or unhealthy. That’s why we use a unique blend of sustainable plant-based caffeine made from yerba mate, green coffee, and green tea. We use Organic Yerba Mate which is known to improve mental focus and lift energy gradually. Organic Green Coffee may induce weight loss, normalize blood sugar, and improve heart health. Finally, we include Organic Green Tea, because it can help enhance brain function, burn fat, and boost metabolism. Our unique blend provides a balanced lift to help you win each day, so say goodbye to the jitters from other caffeinated beverages.
Luckily Marquis has various fruit-forward flavors, including Super Berry, Citrus Yuzu, and Mango Ginger! We know that just because a drink looks “healthy,” it doesn’t mean it necessarily is. We believe in sustainable energy and ingredients first. We do this by using the highest quality and purest ingredients. Free from sugar, calories, and guilt.
Want to taste the difference? Try Marquis today!
Sources
https://www.coffeeandhealth.org/topic-overview/caffeine-and-metabolism/
