Thursday, August 27, 2009

Consumption of Cola drinks,Chocolate and Coffee be avoided??


Cola drinks,Chocolate and Coffee contain Caffeine.

Learn more from the following.................


Caffeine-where is it derived from ?
Caffeine can be derived from the coffee bean, from the tea leaf, from the guarana seed, and from the kola nut, as well as many other plant sources. There is, however, no such thing as a caffeine plant, nor a specific part of any plant that caffeine is found most in. Some plants have it mostly in their leaves, where it is used as a natural defence to paralyse insects, and some use it in the fruit and seeds, and therefore these portions of the plants are theones where the caffeine concentration will be the highest.
Caffeine is found naturally in coffee, tea, and chocolate. Colas and some other soft drinks contain it. Caffeine also comes in tablet and capsule forms and can be bought without a prescription. Some pain relievers, medicines for migraine headaches, and antihistamines also contain caffeine

About the Effects of Caffeine
Caffeine is everywhere in our society. It is in our most popular beverages, our medications, and even in our desserts. The vast majority of people consume caffeine in some form on a daily basis. Caffeine has effects both good and bad. In small quantities it is considered a safe stimulant. In large quantities it can make a person sick. Abuse of caffeine over long periods of time can lead to severe health problems and even death.
History
1. Caffeine was consumed by people in prehistoric times. They realized they became more alert when they chewed or ate certain beans and leaves. Later people realized they could get that alert feeling from caffeine much more quickly by brewing the beans and leaves in hot water. Ancient civilizations in China drank tea. Ancient civilizations of Persia and Egypt drank coffee. Ancient Mayans brewed cocoa. The use of caffeinated drinks spread throughout the world. In the early 20th century, Coca Cola became popular. This start the era of the caffeinated soft drink. Caffeine is now one of the most widely consumed drugs in the world.
Type
2. The most obvious way to consume caffeine is by drinking coffee. A 5-ounce cup of regular coffee has about 100 mg of caffeine. A cup of tea has about 50 mg of caffeine. A 12-ounce soft drink ranges from 34 mg in a Coca Cola to 55 mg in a Mountain Dew. Energy drinks advertise their caffeine content to young consumers who think more caffeine is better. An 8.2-ounce Red Bull has 80 mg of caffeine, while a 16-ounce Pro v has 160 mg. There is also caffeine in chocolate and cocoa, but it is small compared to other caffeinated drinks. Milk chocolate has 6 mg of caffeine in a 1-ounce bar, dark chocolate 20 mg and hot cocoa 4 mg for a 5-ounce cup. Many over-the-counter medications contain caffeine. A cold tablet has about 30 mg of caffeine, while an Excedrin Extra Strength has 65 mg. Caffeine tablets contain the strongest concentration of the drug. A Vivarin tablet contains 200 mg of caffeine.
The Facts
3. Caffeine is a stimulant. It affects the central nervous system making people who consume it more alert and energetic. It is also known to make people feel better and improve their mood. Caffeine increases blood flow in the brain, so it is often used to help people stay awake or concentrate. In small amounts, caffeine is considered harmless. In large amounts, it can cause irritability, nervousness and insomnia. Caffeine is not stored in the body but takes several hours to metabolize. People can feel caffeine's effects for up to 6 hours after consuming it.
Benefits
4. Moderate caffeine use of between 200 mg and 300 mg is considered safe. For a short time it can make people more productive and aware. Studies show that people can increase their physical and intellectual workload with the help of caffeine. Many athletes use caffeine to get more out of their workouts, while ordinary people use it to help them wake up in the morning. Caffeine is used in the treatment of certain breathing disorders and premature infants. People also like caffeine. The legal stimulant is used daily by about 90 percent of the adults in the United States.
Risk Factors
5. It does not take long to build a tolerance to caffeine. More and more of the drug is then needed to achieve the same amount of alertness. Caffeine addiction is common. People who consume large amounts of caffeine on a regular basis suffer withdrawal symptoms like headaches and irritability when they don't take caffeine. Some doctors argue that caffeine can increase a woman's chances of having a miscarriage. A chronic addiction to caffeine is called "caffeinism." This is manifested by a physical and psychological dependence on caffeine and severe physical problems ranging from heartbeat irregularities to difficulty breathing. Caffeine is associated with stomach ulcers and acid reflux disease. Deaths have even been associated with extreme caffeine use.

Does Coffee Increase Metabolic Rate?

Caffeine
1. The caffeine in coffee is a strong drug that carries many side effects. Caffeine is highly addictive and causes severe withdrawal symptoms when use is stopped. The body absorbs caffeine and routes it through the bloodstream very quickly. It remains in the body from three to seven hours. High concentrations of coffee can make the heart beat faster and it also constricts the veins surrounding the brain. Caffeine also works as a diuretic because of the speed at which it's processed through the liver.
Metabolism
2. As it travels throughout the body, caffeine increases metabolism by about 10 percent. Women metabolize caffeine about 25 percent faster than men. Metabolic rate remains highest during the first three hours following consumption of caffeine. Plasma, insulin and carbohydrate absorption remain level during this period, while fatty acid levels rise, resulting in increased fat oxidation. Caffeine has been used as a weight-loss mechanism because of this phenomenon, but must be tempered by the side effects. Studies show that humans can tolerate up to about eight grams of caffeine or five to six cups of coffee a day without any side effects. Toxic levels begin to create serious complications after more then 10 grams of caffeine.
Effects
Caffeine is a stimulant that increases heart rate and mental acuity. While the blood pumps faster, the metabolic rate increases. The central nervous system is primarily affected by caffeine consumption and causes the body to burn more calories . For many people, caffeine consumption interrupts sleep, causes nervousness and stomach problems. The acid from coffee can cause reflux and ulcers in the stomach if taken continuously on an empty stomach. Coffee drinking also has a thermogenic effect on the body because it takes more calories to burn and metabolize the ingredients than are inherent in the substance. Coffee in itself has no calories and therefore is a highly thermogenic product.


Caffeine - good or bad?
Caffeine is part of modern life. But are caffeine-rich drinks and foods harmful or not?
Until quite recently, most research studies on caffeine warned that caffeine intake was harmful and for years high levels of caffeine in the diets of sportsmen and women were banned by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA).
However, recently a number of studies have shown that caffeine in moderate doses may be beneficial to health. As a result, the WADA lifted its ban on caffeine as a performance-enhancing drug in sport in 2004.
What do we know at the moment about caffeine and its effects on health, sport and slimming?
What is caffeine?
Caffeine is a member of the family of chemicals that are called methyl xanthines. It is variously classified as a stimulant, an addictive substance, a performance-enhancing drug and a slimming aid.
Sources of caffeine
Caffeine is found in many drinks, foods and medications. Examples include coffee, tea, cola drinks, the new generation energy drinks such as Red Bull, chocolate, and many over-the-counter and prescription medications.
Most headache pills, pain pills, many cough remedies and most slimming pills also contain caffeine.
Caffeine content of foods and drinks

A recent edition of FoodInfo, the Newsletter of the International Food Information Service published in June of this year, featured the following table of the typical caffeine content of foods and beverages:
Food or Beverage -Typical caffeine content
1 mug of instant coffee 100mg
1 cup of brewed coffee 100mg
1 cup of instant coffee 75mg
1 cup of tea 50mg
1 can of cola less than 40mg
1 can of caffeine-containing "energy" drink 80mg
1 chocolate bar (50g) less than 50mg
1 typical headache tablet* 50mg
(Adapted from: "Focus on caffeine. FoodInfo, June 2006, p. 7) * Painkillers selected at random
Side effects of caffeine

1. Caffeine is a stimulant that can cause the following side effects:
rapid, irregular heartbeats and palpitations
restlessness, nervousness and irritability
tremors (the shakes)
headache
abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhoea
diuresis (increased urination)
2.Another negative effect of caffeine is its potential for addiction. We all know people who cannot function without their caffeine fix and many individuals are clearly addicted to tea, coffee, cola drinks and chocolate.
3.Caffeine also increases blood pressure, even in healthy individuals, but particularly in the elderly. Persons who already suffer from high blood pressure may find that ingesting large quantities of caffeine pushes their blood pressure up to unacceptable levels.
4.Excessive intakes of caffeine contribute to osteoporosis and may interact negatively with prescription medications.
5.Research indicates that women who ingest excessive quantities of caffeine, do not conceive as fast as women who drink moderate quantities of this stimulant.
The birth weight of babies born to pregnant women who drink or eat too much caffeine may be low, which exposes the newborn to a number of risks.
In addition, caffeine passes into breast milk and can transfer all the negative effects listed above to the infant. So, if your baby is irritable, restless or exhibits any of the other side effects of caffeine excess, this may be due to you, the mother, ingesting too much caffeine.
6.Positive effects of caffeine Recent research indicates that caffeine intake can reduce the risk of developing Parkinsons disease and possibly also liver cancer. There are indications that caffeine may decrease liver damage.
7.Another positive effect is that caffeine can increase the resting metabolic rate (RMR) in lean and obese people, which is why it is often included in slimming pills and products, including herbal diet pills .
8.Caffeine is known to enhance athletic performance, reduce fatigue and improve recovery in athletes .
Because of its stimulant properties, caffeine can also help people stay awake and be more alert in situations where they are required to concentrate.
How much caffeine should we have?

Experts agree that moderate intakes of caffeine should not be harmful to the general population.
The UK Food Standards Agency has, for example, recommended that the general population and pregnant women should not have more than 300mg of caffeine a day (e.g. four cups of instant coffee or six cups of regular tea). This is probably a reasonable recommendation which we can also apply in India.
Just keep in mind when you calculate your daily caffeine intake to include caffeine arising from any medications you may be taking, as having three headache pills would contribute 150 mg of caffeine to your intake.
Present knowledge indicates that moderation in caffeine consumption seems to be the sensible path to follow.

Note:

Details for this write up have been collected from various sources. Consumers are requested to read and decide for themselves whether consumption of Cola drinks ,Chocolate and Coffee should be totally avoided or their intake moderated depending on the condition.

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