Food for Thought: Caffeine

Wake up!
And smell
the
caffeine
Caffeine technically is a drug – but what does that mean for us? How much is healthy? We’ll break it down for you! Dept. of Health Promo0on and Preven0on | Prepared by Grace Goodwin, 2014 2 types
How it works
  Naturally occurring: coffee beans, tea leaves, and cocoa   Ar6ficially added: energy drinks, candy, and some medica0ons.   Makes your brain cells fire faster and increases adrenaline, giving you that awake, jiMery feeling  Reaches its peak aOer about 1 hour, remains in your system for 4 – 6 hours CAFFEINE
Dept. of Health Promo0on and Preven0on | Prepared by Grace Goodwin, 2014 CAFFEINE
What’s safe?
It depends on the person, but: 5 Hour Energy Shot 1.9 oz. (208 mg) Rockstar & Monster Energy Drinks 16 oz. (160 mg)   Some scien0sts think that about 200 – 300 mg is a healthy maximum •  about 2 cups* of coffee Coffee (most kinds) 8 oz. (95 -‐ 200 mg)   Most scien0sts agree that more 600 mg is too much •  about 4 – 5 cups* of coffee. Diet Coke 12 oz. (47 mg) *Keep in mind – a “cup” is 8 oz, and a grande at Starbucks is 16 oz Source: Center for Science in the Public Interest, http://
www.cspinet.org/new/cafchart.htm Black Tea 8 oz. (30 -‐ 80 mg) Hershey’s Kisses 9 pieces (9 mg) Dept. of Health Promo0on and Preven0on | Prepared by Grace Goodwin, 2014 You might be gekng too much caffeine if you have: o  JiMers and shakiness o  Difficulty sleeping o  Headaches or dizziness o  Faster or abnormal heartbeat o  Dehydra0on o  Dependence – when you go without it, you have withdrawal symptoms like headaches HERE’S WHAT’S IMPORTANT:
•  Caffeine is okay! Just don’t overdo it. 2 cups of coffee a day is fine – 5, 6, or 7 is probably too much. Listen to your body. •  Energy drinks = bad news, especially with alcohol. S0ck to natural caffeine sources (like tea and coffee) instead. Dept. of Health Promo0on and Preven0on | Prepared by Grace Goodwin, 2014

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