Is caffeine good or bad? It’s not always easy to know. Here, Performance Dietician Jenaed Brodell separates fact from fiction to set the record straight on caffeine, so that you can kickstart your day in the healthiest way possible.
Chances are you have some real misconceptions about caffeine. Billions of people rely on caffeine every day to stay alert and improve concentration – yet so often, are made to feel guilty or fear the associated side-effects of their favourite fix.
“The internet can be full of misinformation — especially regarding health, nutrition, and wellness.” says Performance Dietician and founder of Nutrition and Co, Jenaed Brodell.
“One of the biggest misconceptions out there is that caffeine is bad for you—but this is fake news. Whenever I get a new client, one of the first things I say to them is, ‘Don’t worry, I’m not going to cut out your caffeine.’ In fact, there are numerous studies that show a controlled-caffeine intake can benefit your mind and body in multiple ways including increased alertness, energy, and mental performance.”
Now we’re all aware of the energising effects of caffeine, but how exactly does it work?
Classed as a nootropic, caffeine works by stimulating the brain and central nervous system to prevent tiredness and promote focus. It functions by blocking the effects of adenosine, which is a neurotransmitter (chemical) that relaxes the brain and makes you feel tired. In addition, a smart drug benefits is to help improve the mental performance of healthy people. This is used to boost memory, focus, creativity, and intelligence.
Normally, adenosine levels increase throughout the day, making you increasingly more tired and causing you to want to go to sleep. This is where a caffeine kick can help, says Jenaed:
“When caffeine is absorbed, it binds to adenosine receptors on the nerve cell without actually activating them. This not only keeps your brain from realising its tired but also triggers a rapid increase of excitatory chemicals in the brain such as adrenaline, our ‘fight or flight’ hormone, and dopamine, our ‘feel-good’ hormone. Essentially, instead of slowing down because of the adenosine’s effect, caffeine speeds up our nerve cells to help boost focus, alertness and mood.”
So why all the bad press?
“Like all good things, moderation is key when it comes to caffeine,” says Jenaed:
“Whilst excessive consumption may lead to side effects such as ‘extreme highs and lows’, so long as you monitor your consumption and stay within the recommended limits of 400mg of caffeine per day, you can enjoy the benefits without associated risks. Keep in mind, this includes all caffeine sources such as tea, coffee, chocolate and fizzy drinks.”
One way to control your caffeine intake more precisely and thereby minimise side effects, is to switch to a cleaner caffeine alternative such as a high-quality caffeine tablet, says Jenaed:
“Typically, the concentration of caffeine varies depending on the source. For example, a cup of coffee from your favourite Barista may contain anywhere between 100mg and 300mg of caffeine per serving, making it difficult to monitor your daily intake. As a result, people may wish to switch from coffee to an alternative high-quality source of caffeine, such as that found in a caffeine tablet.
“While both have their benefits, caffeine tablets could be safer than consuming coffee regularly. This is mainly because you can more accurately measure the amount of caffeine that you are consuming, removing the risk of overstimulation. By controlling your caffeine consumption, you can safely eliminate the side effects often experienced from drinking coffee such as unwanted highs or lows.”
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