For many of us, starting the day with coffee is pleasant part of our morning ritual.
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For some, starting the day with coffee is necessary to function.
Recently, the APA decided to classify caffeine intoxication and caffeine withdrawal as mental disorders. While coffee is obviously socially acceptable and healthy in moderation, caffeine addiction is a very real problem.
Caffeine is a drug—there are no two ways around that—but that doesn’t mean it’s all bad. Every article pointing out the negatives of coffee, or more specifically caffeine, is usually met with angry mobs who don’t want to surrender their Starbucks.
Don’t worry; for most people, that isn’t necessary. What is helpful, however, is keeping an eye on your total caffeine consumption. We often think of coffee or energy drinks as a main source of caffeine, but sodas, teas and some medications contain caffeine as well.
Here is a run-down on caffeine amounts in many popular beverages:
If crunching the numbers seems like a hassle, a good rule of thumb (as with most health issues) is to pay attention to how your body responds to what you’re putting in it. If you find you have headaches or mood disturbances from caffeine withdrawal, you might be consuming too much. If your doctor has recommended less, due to heart or blood pressure issues, it’s best to avoid altogether. If you wrestle with sleep issues, consider non-caffeine based mood boosts mid-day.
In any case, moderation with regard to caffeine is a good way to go for optimal health.
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Photo: alisdair/Flickr