Soft drinks, coffee, and tea aren’t the only sources of caffeine. The attention-boosting chemical is also found in chocolate drinks and candy, too. But the amounts can be pretty small.…
Tag: caffeine in food
Tea is in. The average American drinks some 155 cups a year. That makes tea the country’s fourth most popular beverage, after water, soft drinks, and coffee.
There is no doubt that tea is an invigorating drink – probably due to how much caffeine is in tea (about half the caffeine of coffee).
And the national waistline would be far better off if we replaced some of that soda with tea (provided we sipped it with little or no sugar).
More than 80 percent of American adults consume caffeine regularly. That’s no surprise, what with a coffee shop seemingly on every corner and in every supermarket, and tiny $3 bottles of 5-hour Energy popping up like mushrooms wherever there’s a checkout counter. It turns out, though, that there is also caffeine in ice cream and frozen yogurt.
How does caffeine work in the body?
Caffeine works mainly by temporarily binding to adenosine receptors in the brain. That prevents adenosine, which is a natural sedative produced by the brain, from occupying those receptors and making us feel drowsy. Adenosine levels build up during waking hours and then drop as we sleep.
People who don’t use caffeine regularly and who haven’t developed a dependence on it “usually become significantly more alert and better able to perform cognitive and motor tasks – such as paying attention during boring tasks or typing – if they’re given the right dose of caffeine,” says Laura Juliano, a professor of psychology at American University in Washington, D.C.
According to the International Continence Society (ICS), incontinence is the “involuntary loss of urine that is a social or hygienic problem and is objectively demonstrable.” Urinary incontinence is most commonly a result of bladder dysfunction, sphincter dysfunction, or a combination of both. An estimated 30 to 40 percent of middle-aged women and 50 percent of older women experience urinary leakage.
The problem is less common in men, but does increase with age. Even so, older men experience severe urinary incontinence at only about half the rate of women. Despite the prevalence of this health problem, it is still a “don’t ask, don’t tell” issue.
“In our study of nurses, less than 50 percent of the women who had incontinence reported it to their doctors,” says Mary Townsend, an epidemiologist at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston.
It is a sensitive issue, for sure, but what is the cause of urinary incontinence? Leaks are more common in women who are older, heavier, or smokers, and in those who have had more children, diabetes, or a hysterectomy.
Caffeine may help prevent kidney stones. Researchers tracked nearly 218,000 nurses and other health professionals for roughly eight years. Those who typically consumed around 350 milligrams of caffeine a day…
Hi-Ball Energy Sparkling Energy Water, MiO Energy, Neuro Sonic, Vitaminwater Energy. Some “energy” waters (or powders or drops) list green coffee extract or guarana extract on their labels, but any…
Companies aren’t required to list caffeine levels on labels, though some do. If they all did, here’s what you would see for some popular energy drinks. [CF] Rockstar Punched, all…
Look beyond traditional sources of caffeine like soft drinks, coffee, and teas, and you’ll find the stimulant in some waffles, gum, and jelly beans. Keep track of your caffeine consumption…
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) limits the caffeine content of cola and pepper soft drinks to no more than 71 milligrams (mg) per 12-ounce can. Drinking more than…