Online Resources

• www.eatright.org - The American Dietetic Association's web site featuring nutrition fact sheets, nutrition tips, recipes and more
• www.health.gov/dietaryguidelines - Newly updated governmental Dietary Guidelines
• www.5aday.com - Easy ways to make sure you get your fruits and veggies
• www.vrg.org - A great resource for vegetarians and vegans

Click here for more info about weight management

The Ups and Downs of Caffeine
May 2005

It is pretty common to rely on caffeine to get through midterms and early mornings. But do you know what it is in the coffee that gives you the morning kick? Do you know about caffeine's potentially negative effects? If not, maybe it's about time you know exactly what you're in for when standing in line at Starbucks….
What is caffeine?
Caffeine (C8H10N4O2) is the common name for trimethylxanthine, a chemical naturally produced by certain plants, such as the cacao plant, guarana, yerba mate, and tea trees. The caffeine in these plants acts as a natural pesticide, paralyzing and killing invasive insects. The chemical can be purified into a bitter white powder that's often added to colas and other soft drinks for flavor and stimulizing effects.
What does caffeine do?
Caffeine is an addictive substance. In humans, it stimulates the central nervous system, heart rate, and respiration. It can also have mood altering properties and act as a mild diuretic.
It is thought that caffeine is a stimulant via two mechanisms. Firstly, caffeine will often use the adenosine receptor sites in the brain, inhibiting adenosine function of slowing cellular activity. Secondly, caffeine triggers the release of the hormone epinephrine (adrenaline) which can increase heart rate, blood pressure, blood flow, neurotransmitter levels and circulating glucose. The American Heart Association recommends moderation when consuming caffeinated products.
How much caffeine is safe?
The impacts of average caffeine intake are short term; the chemical is quickly and completely removed from the brain after ingestion. Continued use of caffeine can lead to addiction; dependence brings a drop in blood pressure and headaches upon withdrawal. Too much ingested caffeine can result in intoxication, which presents symptoms of nervousness, excitement, increased urination, insomnia, flushed face, intestinal complaints and occasionally hallucinations. The lethal toxicity for adults is estimated to be between 13 and 19 grams; caffeine can be highly toxic in much smaller doses to household pets.
How much caffeine are you consuming?
The average American consumes about 300 mg of caffeine per day, approximately 75% of which comes from coffee. As little as 200 mg of caffeine, however, is enough to make some people nervous or anxious. Caffeine levels within certain product vary naturally, due to the plant origin and roasting or other processing involved. Caffeine content is not required to be included on product packaging. According to the Center for Science in the Public Interest, the following are some average and typical caffeine amounts of popular food and beverage items to help you assess and monitor your caffeine intake:

• It is only a myth that caffeine helps drunk people achieve sobriety.
• Caffeine increases the power of aspirin and other pain killers by about 40%. That's why products such as Excedrin and Aanacin include it as an ingredient.
• Caffeine speeds up reaction time and improves automatic processing skills. However, it can worsen performance on more complicated tasks.
• The research is unclear, but anecdotal evidence indicates that coffee increases symptoms of PMS and breast lumps.