Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Too Much Caffeine? Go Figure
(HealthScoutNews) -- Without realizing it, you could easily be consuming enough caffeine to be affecting your sleep or other aspects of your health. Why? Because consumption of a little of this, a little of that and a bit of something else containing this stimulant will put far more in your system, far faster, than you may realize.
In addition to coffee, tea and many soft drinks, caffeine also is contained in chocolate and many prescription and non-prescription drugs. Scientists say that a combined consumption of more than 250 mg of caffeine a day can increase your metabolism, raise your blood pressure and heart rate, and accelerate breathing. It also can offset the effects of sleep deprivation, according to the National Sleep Foundation. www.sleepfoundation.org
Because caffeine content levels vary greatly from one food or beverage to another, differences based on such things as the type of coffee bean, brands of coffee, the way coffee is brewed and the way caffeine is presented. This can be a highly valuable tool for those who want to avoid caffeine for health or dietary reasons.