Should You Skip the Caffeine?
Don’t ditch your coffee, tea, or chocolate just yet — a quick roundup of recent science on the benefits of caffeine.
I know, I know. Another article peddling the virtues and vices of caffeine. But for those who believe the motto from the picture, that “life begins after coffee” (or tea, or an energy drink, or however you choose to get some pep in your step), this four-minute roundup of recent caffeine research should be all the habit-enablement you need — with a bit of a reminder at the end, however, to bring your excitement back to earth. You’re welcome.
Caffeine and Depression
If you need a singular good reason to remain steady with your caffeine relationship, it may be this: a recent study, published in the journal Psychiatry Research, has found potential links between caffeine intake and reduced symptoms of depression.
The data was based on a questionnaire filled out between 2005 and 2006, with the results publicly available to the researchers. They selected over 4,500 responses from the questionnaire — anyone who included information on their state of depression and average dietary/caffeine consumption.
Once the researchers took outside factors into account, including disease history and sleep disorders, they compared individual depression scores with the amount of total caffeine each participant claimed to consume (including, but not limited to, coffee, tea, and chocolate). They found that those with lower levels of depression tended to indulge in higher levels of caffeine.
The study concluded that “caffeine’s psychostimulant properties appear to protect against depressive symptoms.” More research needs to be completed around these findings, but it’s an exciting possibility to consider — and may be a good reason to keep drinking that daily cup of caffeine.
Caffeine and Cancer Risk
BMJ, a peer-reviewed journal, published an “umbrella review” of coffee and health in late 2017. In this review, researchers found that increased coffee intakes can lead to a reduced mortality risk, including certain types of cancers. High consumption, which is classified in the article as three to five cups a day, lowered “risk of incident cancer.” This included melanoma, oral cancer, liver cancer, and prostate cancer.
For smokers, researchers did find “consistent harmful associations” between drinking coffee and lung cancer. However, when they took existing cancer risks for smokers into account and adjusted accordingly, they found that the association between coffee and lung cancer diminished. What does this mean? A deeper analysis needs to be completed before a proper answer can be given, but it’s possible that the risk of lung cancer is tied more to the act of smoking than to drinking coffee. It’s worth noting that researchers did not find the same coffee and lung cancer association in non-smokers.
Caffeine and … Sunscreen?
I know you don’t eat or drink sunscreen, but trust me, this is worth knowing.
Research published in Frontiers in Physiology this month found that caffeine mixed with regular sunscreen formula not only avoided skin irritation, it also “increased the photoprotective activity” of the sunscreen. Basically, the sunscreen that had caffeine added to it contained a “higher SPF value” than its counterpart.
While this research needs to be tested further to see if the same results are achieved, there may be other ways to benefit from caffeine even if you’re hoping to cut back on drinking it. Perhaps you can start with protecting your skin this summer from UV rays!
Caffeine and Mortality
Not all news is good news, however, and here’s the safety reminder to bring you down a couple notches before you run to put on another pot of coffee or kettle of tea.
According to this study in the journal Nutrients, caffeine in a pure form, like a powder or a tablet, has become a popular way of getting that morning kick. A normal dosage of this is fine — similar to drinking a couple cups of coffee — but higher doses have been known to cause “caffeine intoxication.”
This may sound fun, or at least intriguing, but it’s not like alcohol intoxication. Caffeine intoxication can cause “seizure and cardiac arrhythmias,” as well as scarier situations like death.
Intoxication happens due to how caffeine is absorbed into our body. Soon after we ingest coffee, tea, or energy drinks, caffeine molecules bind to our plasma proteins, raising our overall “caffeine plasma concentration” levels.
A typical cup of coffee translates into a dose between .5 and 2.5 mg, states a study in the Journal of Caffeine and Adenosine Research. The body can easily handle up to 8 mg at a time, but the half-life of this caffeine can last for hours. Pace yourself when consuming caffeine, and avoid doses over 80 mg. These levels, say researchers, are where caffeine can get dangerous, if not lethal.
Happy Caffeinating!
The moral of the story? Enjoy your caffeine; it has some great benefits, and new research is always exciting to break apart. Just be careful when exploring new ways to get that caffeine high —be sure to drink (and ingest) responsibly.
