Caffeine is abundantly accessible in various forms, such as coffee, tea, and energy drinks. It is a fact that caffeine may increase energy levels or help someone concentrate, but if it is consumed in excessive amounts, it can have a negative effect on health.
What Is Caffeine?
Caffeine comes from natural sources. Coffee, cacao (the origin of chocolate), and tea all have the same ingredient within them. Synthetic ingredients are also included in some food and beverages.
Caffeine is classified as a stimulant drug. This has the effect of stimulating the central nervous system, thus making the person consuming it more attentive. A lot of individuals perceive that caffeine gives them an instantaneous boost of energy and can even put them in a better spirits.
Approximately four-fifths of individuals around the world consume caffeine-containing products each day. This includes roughly 73% of children. There has been a decrease in soda consumption among teenagers over the past ten years. Despite this, adolescents are still consuming great amounts of caffeine, reaching for coffee and energy drinks for their fix.
READ MORE: Caffeine Health Benefits
Side Effects
Research shows that small doses of caffeine can:
- Enhance your mood
- Make you more alert
- Help you process information faster
- Boost your awareness
- Help you focus
- Speed up your reaction time
Most of the research conducted has been geared towards adults rather than children. Studies do not universally demonstrate beneficial outcomes of caffeine consumption.
Caffeine intake can lead to unpleasant consequences for both teenagers and adults. Some people are more sensitive to caffeine than others. For those who are more highly responsive to caffeine, even small amounts can lead to undesirable consequences.
According to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM 5), the most common unwanted side effects of caffeine include:
- Insomnia
- Restlessness
- Nervousness
- Flushed face
- Diuresis (increased urination)
- Upset stomach
- Muscle twitching
- Rambling speech and thoughts
- Tachycardia or cardiac arrhythmia (irregular heart rhythms)
- Pacing, tapping toes, pulling at clothes, and other forms of psychomotor agitation
The effects of ingesting caffeine will become noticeable in a matter of minutes. This medication has a length of half of its original amount in the body after a period of five to six hours. Therefore, it takes five to six hours for the caffeine level in your blood to decrease by half after you have consumed it.
Recap
Caffeine is a psychotropic compound that activates the brain and nervous system. Drinking too much can make you nervous and restless. It can disturb slumber, cause jerking movements of the muscles, and potentially provoke the heart to beat in a peculiar way. Some people are more sensitive to caffeine than others.
READ MORE: 11 Side Effects Of Coffee Overconsumption Dangers
Health Consequences
Adolescence is a vital time for brain development. The brain has a high density of neural pathways (synapses) during adolescence, and they proceed to develop up to the late twenties.
Investigation indicates that consuming caffeine from an early age can hinder mental growth. It is because caffeine is capable of decreasing the effectiveness of the linking pathways that are in the process of being created and thus hindering their formation.
Caffeine triggers pleasure circuits in the brain’s reward system. Your brain experiences a rush of dopamine (a hormone associated with happiness) when you do something. This is the same method that can lead to becoming addicted to drugs.
Experts believe that the way caffeine affects the brain’s area related to pleasure and dependence may have an impact on what kind of food and drink a kid will choose as they grow older.
Here are a few other ways that caffeine can impact teens and adolescents:
Sleep
Caffeine takes a major toll on a teen’s sleep. For each 10mg of caffeine a 13-year-old male consumes, there is a decrease of 12% in his probability of getting 8.5 hours of rest. Teens who don’t get enough sleep can be impacted negatively in regards to their schooling, psychological well-being, and physical health.
Bones
Caffeine may also cause the body to lose calcium. Drinking excessive amounts of caffeine may result in the deterioration of bones with prolonged use. Drinking sugary drinks such as soda or energy drinks in lieu of milk can increase a teen’s likelihood of developing osteoporosis in the future.
Heart
Caffeine may worsen underlying health issues, like heart problems. It can also interact with certain medicines or supplements.
Recap
Consuming caffeine can have a detrimental impact on the development of a teenager’s body. This can impede their cognitive development and lead to a reduction in bone density. It can make existing health conditions of the teenager worse. This can likewise lead to the adolescent getting less of the rest they need, which then negatively impacts their general wellbeing.
Gender Differences
Researchers have discovered that the effects of caffeine are similar for boys and girls before they reach puberty. Once adolescence has ended, caffeine has differing impacts on males and females.
Generally, teenage boys have a more intense reaction to caffeine than teenage girls. Females exhibit a slower pulse rate in comparison to males when given caffeine. Girls are more liable to show a rise in diastolic blood pressure. The lower number in a blood pressure reading is referred to as the diastolic blood pressure. It is an abbreviation indicating the amount of pressure exerted by the arteries when the heart is in a state of relaxation between beats.
Caffeine Dependence in Teens
Many people report feeling “addicted” to caffeine. They might find it difficult to cease or to reduce their caffeine consumption. Despite encountering undesired consequences, some individuals still keep consuming it.
People who frequently consume caffeine may experience the effects of withdrawal when they no longer take it. Examiners have discovered that youngsters and adolescents may experience the ill effects of alienation when they have totally avoided caffeine.
Withdrawal symptoms vary in severity. Common withdrawal symptoms include:
- Headache
- Fatigue
- Sleepiness
- Trouble concentrating
- Difficulty completing tasks
- Irritability
- Depression
- Anxiety
- Flu-like symptoms (nausea/vomiting, muscles aches, hot and cold spells)
- Impaired psychomotor and cognitive performance
Common Sources
Here are some of the most common sources of caffeine:
- Peach Snapple: 42mg (16 ounces)
- Monster Energy Drink: 160mg (16 ounces)
- Starbucks Frappuccino: 115mg (9.5 ounces)
- Mountain Dew: 55mg (12 ounces)
- Instant coffee: 31mg (1 tsp)
- Brewed coffee: 95-200mg (8 ounces)
- Iced tea: 70mg (12 ounces)
It is widely recognized that caffeine can be found in both coffee and certain soda beverages. But there are also some less obvious caffeine sources that parents and teens should know of, such as:
- Dark chocolate: 18mg (1.45 ounces)
- Clif Bar Peanut Toffee Buzz: 50mg (2.4 ounces)
- Hot chocolate: 3-13mg (8 ounces)
- Dannon All-Natural coffee yogurt: 30mg (6 ounces)
- Vitamin Water Energy: 50mg (20 ounces)
Recap
Individuals who habitually consume caffeine may encounter symptoms of withdrawal once they cease to drink it. Caffeine is found in more than just coffee, tea, and energy beverages. It can be found in other types of food and beverages as well, such as protein bars and yogurt with various flavors. Read packages closely.
The Study
Background
Consuming coffee has been linked to a tremendous decrease in the odds of developing type 2 diabetes mellitus in studies that examine the situation over time in the U.S., Europe, and Asia. Insulin sensitivity and glucose tolerance were both surprisingly weakened when caffeine was consumed in the short term window of time. There is not much information available from research studies that have been carried out over a period of more than 24 hours regarding the impact of drinking coffee on blood sugar levels, and only its effects on fasting glucose and insulin levels is known. As well as caffeine, coffee contains a multitude of constituents, including chlorogenic acid, quinides, lignans, and trigonelline. Animal studies have displayed that these components in decaffeinated coffee can significantly enhance insulin sensitivity or blood sugar control.
Study Design
The research dietitian provided guidance to everyone involved in the investigation and asked them to avoid drinking coffee and the foods containing caffeine (except for what was given as part of the examination) and a list of caffeine-containing food and drinks that should be avoided was presented. After 14 days without any caffeine and having fasted for at least 12 hours, participants visited the clinical research center to complete their initial assessment. A physical examination was conducted and a sample of blood was taken prior to the administering of an oral glucose tolerance test.
At this appointment, members were separated into groups randomly by a statistician who was unaware of the process using a random list created with the PROC PLAN tool in SAS 9.1 (SAS Institute Inc., NC, US). The therapy distribution was identical for the three groups (caffeinated coffee, decaf coffee and zero coffee) in group sizes of six while accounting for gender. A list of randomly chosen substitutes was created and confirmed by the specialist of randomization. Those taking part, the scientists, and the laboratory personnel did not know which participants received caffeinated and decaffeinated coffee.
The research participants were asked to remain physically active and eat similarly during the period of the investigation, and also to document their three days of meals (a day from the weekend and two from the week) before arriving for each examination. Those surveyed came back for additional examinations four weeks later and again eight weeks after that. Subjects were checked for any changes in the doses of their medicine or wellness, for any adverse effects of coffee, and for how well they followed the intervention by using surveys. Patients were requested to take part in an additional visit at 6 weeks, from 12 to 2 pm, which did not involve fasting before a blood test to measure the level of caffeine in the bloodstream to see if they had been following the instructions.
Results
The mean age was 40 years old and the body mass index was 29.5 kg/m2. Compared to drinking no coffee, drinking caffeinated coffee raised the concentration of adiponectin by 1.4 μg/mL (with a range of confidence between 0.2 and 2.7) and increased interleukin-6 levels by 60% (with a confidence range between 8 and 138), while consuming decaffeinated coffee decreased the amount of fetuin-A by 20% (with a range of confidence between -35 and -1). No detectable contrasts were recognized in terms of glucose endurance, insulin sensitivity, and insulin emission between each of the treatment groups.
Conclusions
In this experiment that took place over an 8-week period, it was found that overweight individuals who drank caffeinated coffee had higher levels of adiponectin and IL-6 than those in the group that did not consume coffee. At the conclusion of the trial, decaffeinated coffee intake caused a decline in Fetuin-A amounts in comparison to those who had not consumed coffee. It was discovered that there was no considerable variation among the three treatment groupings in regard to CRP or metrics of sugar metabolism.
The findings we have regarding adiponectin mirror those of an observed study as well as a non-randomized test that pinpointed that greater coffee intake led to higher levels of adiponectin. The findings of our investigation into coffee’s effect on fetuin-A concentrations align with prior cross-sectional studies, which have found that regular coffee intake can be helpful for improving liver function. It is noteworthy that, despite not providing any considerable change to glucose tolerance, drinking coffee does appear to affect adiponectin levels, which have been clinically associated with better glucose tolerance in our study. We predict that the influence of coffee on glucose tolerance regulated by adiponectin concentrations was insignificant for a research study of the present sample size to recognize. It is possible that a sustained elevated level of adiponectin and a lowered concentration of fetuin-A associated with regular coffee drinking affects the risk of developing Type 2 Diabetes.
Studies conducted over a short time span have revealed a correlation between the consumption of caffeine from coffee and a decreased capacity for insulin and glucose processing. Caffeine can potentially reduce the body’s response to insulin by blocking the action of adenosine or crossing the blood-brain barrier to result in adrenaline production. Despite regular consumption of caffeine, one may become used to its results over time. Coffee also has plentiful amounts of other plant-based compounds such as chlorogenic acid and trigonelline which could be useful in promoting healthy glucose absorption. These compounds may help the body balance out the oxidative stress, gluconeogenesis, hormones in the gut, and bacteria in the digestive system. In a study conducted with healthy male participants, it was found that taking in chlorogenic acid and trigonelline from coffee quickly decreased glucose and insulin levels 15 minutes after a glucose tolerance exam. It appears that the negative impacts of coffee containing caffeine on insulin activity and blood sugar control are not sustained when 8 weeks of coffee consumption pass. In comparison to the results we found, a study that provided 70 grams of coffee grounds for a period of four weeks gave an increased level of insulin in fasting. It is likely that this result is due to the larger amount of caffeine that was included.
We replicated the results of a former experiment, discovering that drinking coffee had no influence on CRP levels. Studies using a cross-sectional design have shown either direct or inverse correlations between the amount of coffee that is drunk and CRP levels. The outcomes of our research revealed that those who ingested caffeinated coffee had increased IL-6 levels in comparison to those who did not drink coffee. These results were in agreement with the findings of a Greek cross-sectional study. Although this was true, a past study involving humans found that drinking a lot of coffee did not lead to an increase in interleukin-6 levels. Our investigation showed great differences in IL-6 levels, and the group drinking caffeinated coffee displayed less IL-6 at the start of the study. Further investigation is needed to ascertain the influence of coffee consumption on IL-6 levels, as the results of prior studies are inconclusive and there are restrictions in place.
An examination conducted afterwards showed that drinking caffeinated coffee caused a very small rise (1.2 mmHg) in systolic blood pressure that was not substantial, and neither caffeinated nor decaffeinated coffee influenced blood lipids in accordance with earlier studies. Taking decaf coffee was found to decrease diastolic blood pressure, something that wasn’t found in past tests and needs further investigation.
Data from group exams point towards the possibility that drinking coffee may diminish the danger of developing Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus. This research adds to what is already known on potential explanations for this connection by utilizing a randomized investigation with an 8-week program and determining fresh metabolic signs. It appears that increased amounts of adiponectin and fetuin-A in fat cells and the liver may be linked to favorable metabolic effects of long-term coffee drinking. Due to the widespread prevalence of coffee drinking, it would be beneficial to take a closer look at the impact of the beverage, as well as the elements that make it up, on the metabolic risk factors of people.
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