The Benefits of Caffeine

Everywhere you turn, people are giving up caffeine. While some people have a genuine allergy to the stuff, most people are doing it because of peer pressure. There are articles everywhere about how bad caffeine is for you. One of the first things a newly pregnant woman is told is to give up caffeine. Whenever someone decides to "get healthy" one of the first pieces of advice they get is to give up caffeine. Giving up caffeine is the first sign that someone is trying to get healthier. But the truth is that caffeine can have some benefits for your health as well. It's true! Here are some of the major benefits of caffeine.

Some researchers at Harvard have shown that men who drink around four cups of caffeinated coffee per day are far less likely to develop Parkinson's disease. They think that this happens because caffeine helps the dopamine molecules in the brain stay active. It could also be that because caffeine inhibits adenosine receptors, the brain may be less likely to develop amyloid-beta. This is the same brain plaque that is often associated with Alzheimer's disease. While there aren't any studies about whether caffeine will actually make you smarter (that we know of), being able to reduce the risk of Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases is pretty cool.

Most science says that caffeine raises the body's blood pressure. This means that you will be at higher risk for heart disease and even heart failure. There have been studies, however, that say the opposite. A study done by Brooklyn College a few years ago showed that men who drank multiple cups of coffee were less likely to develop heart problems. The basic school of thought is that, if you don't already have hypertension then caffeine won't make your problem worse. If you do suffer from heart problems, avoiding caffeine is the way to go.

There are some who think that caffeine can help when you work out. If you want a muscle fiber to contract, your body needs to release calcium. Adenosine can help regulate that activity. Caffeine blocks the adenosine receptors. While that sounds counterproductive the truth is that when the adenosine receptors are blocked, the brain sets off electrical impulses. Those impulses cause bursts of calcium release throughout your body. Since your muscles need calcium to work out, the extra calcium can help you make your workouts more effective.

Obviously, the key to getting caffeine to work for you is taking it in in moderation. While caffeine might help you stay healthy and prevent disease, that isn't an excuse to go hog wild with the stuff. The truth is that too much caffeine really is bad for you. When consumed in moderation, however, the stuff can really help you improve your health. Who doesn't want to prevent heart disease? Who doesn't want to prevent Parkinson's disease? Who doesn't want their exercise routines to be more effective? Caffeine can help with all of that-as long as you don't over do it.