Caffeine and Health
Hypertension: Be careful with caffeine before workouts.
Caffeine raises blood pressure temporarily. According to reports on the correlations between caffeine and
blood pressure, the intake of 200 to 250mg of caffeine, the equivalent of two to three cups of coffee, usually
heightens the systolic blood pressure by 3 to 14mm/Hg and the diastolic blood pressure by 4 to 13mm/Hg.
While it is not clear whether a long-term intake of caffeine may increase blood pressure and cause hyperten-
sion, it is known to raise the pressure temporarily.
So if you have hypertension,
avoid taking caffeine right before workouts.
Diabetes: Say no to caffeine after meal. Caffeine is well known to negatively affect blood sugar control. Taking
caffeine after eating sugar or carbohydrates tends to raise the blood sugar level more and keep it longer than
just having it on an empty stomach, as caffeine lowers the insulin sensitivity. While healthy people have no
problem taking caffeine after meal thanks to a well-functioning blood sugar control system, for diabetics who
take hypoglycemic agents having caffeine after meal may reduce the effectiveness of the medicine. So, if you
suffer from diabetes, please be careful not to have too much caffeine and particularly, avoid taking it after
meal.
After menopause: If you love coffee,
don’t forget calcium and vitamin D.
As caffeine is diuretic, it facilitates the loss of calcium through urine. According to research on coffee and cal-
cium metabolism, one cup of coffee causes a loss of about 4 to 6mg of calcium, which also accelerates a de-
crease in the bone density and raises the risk of hip joint fracture. Particularly for elderly women with the high
risks of osteoporosis and fracture, taking more than 300mg of caffeine per day is known to increase the risk of
bone loss. Although caffeine is not an evident cause of osteoporosis, it is necessary for the women who have
experienced menopause and thus, show higher risks of osteoporosis to limit a caffeine intake to less than
300mg per day and regularly take a proper amount of calcium and vitamin D to lower the risks of osteoporo-
sis. If you are a woman who enjoys a cup of coffee, don’t forget to have a dairy product or two per day and
work out for more than half an hour everyday under the sun.