Caffeine: 9 Things To Consider Before Taking Each Day
Everyone has heard of caffeine before. It’s that one ingredient listed on soda’s and energy drinks. Maybe you have heard that it’s that one component in coffee that gives you energy?
Caffeine is much more than just an energy booster. It has a plethora of other benefits which is why it has become popular in supplements.
Caffeine can be found in supplements made to give you energy and increase weight loss.
Although it’s most popular use is for increasing energy, it can also have benefits for multiple aspects of mental and physical health. Let’s investigate the effects of caffeine and see if they will give you the benefits that you desire.
Best for those that: Want a boost in energy, are trying to lose weight quickly, and/or desire improved brain function/health.
History of Caffeine
Most people know that caffeine originally started being used in the form of coffee in Europe during the 17th century. But, most countries actually have their own stories and sources of caffeine’s first use. Some even date back thousands of years.
Although, these cases were all from plants that contained caffeine, not the pure component. It wasn’t until 1819 that caffeine was extracted from coffee and used separately. (1)
Green tea was also used traditionally as another natural herbal remedy that provided people with caffeine. Caffeine is now known to be found in over 60 plants and can be made synthetically.
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- Increases mood
- Maintains Gut Health
- Enhances Metabolism
- Boosts Weight Loss
- Supports Healthy Brain Function
- Improves exercise performance
- Shouldn’t be taken at night
Table of Contents
What Are The Different Types of Caffeine??
Caffeine can be found in many different natural plants and herbs. It is a stimulant that speeds up reactions and messages between the body and brain. The most common types of caffeine are:
- Coffea Arabica (found in coffee)
- Thea Sinensis (found in tea)
- Paullinia Cupana (commonly used in energy drinks)
- Cola Acuminata (commonly used in soft drinks)
- Caffeine Anhydrous (commonly found in supplements)
All types of caffeine have the same effects and benefits, so it essentially doesn’t matter which type you are consuming. When caffeine is found in supplements, caffeine anhydrous is the form that is most commonly used. It is a dehydrated form of caffeine that appears in a powdered form.
Should I Take Caffeine?
It really depends on what results you are looking for. Caffeine is a great way to improve mood, get healthy brain functioning, boost metabolism, increase exercise performance, improve gut health, and enhance weight loss.
If you want to add any of these benefits to your life, we recommend considering caffeine supplementation.
Typically people don’t take caffeine supplements on their own, but it is a common ingredient to find in supplements that contain multiple ingredients.
Benefits of Caffeine
While caffeine is most popularly consumed for energy, it is full of other useful benefits.
An ingredient this powerful is a great way to get full benefits for your mind and body. Taking caffeine is very common, but how much do you really know about it?
Some of its other benefits include: improved mood, healthy brain functioning, boosted metabolism, increased exercise performance, improved gut health, and enhanced weight loss.
Just because it is popularly used for these benefits, doesn’t mean it is necessarily that it is effective. Let’s look into the research behind these ingredients and find out if it is effective in these areas.
Caffeine Improves Mood
We have all had moments when we need a little mood improvement. That’s one of the good things about caffeine. When you need a mood boost or a little extra motivation, caffeine has got you covered.
We love this benefit from taking caffeine because it just makes you feel better. Plus, a little boost can go a long way.
Now, I’m sure that you have noticed this effect after having caffeine, but how do we know it actually works? Luckily for us, some scientists had the same question and gave us the answer we wanted.
Several studies have tested this theory and found that caffeine can in fact elevate mood and improve daytime alertness.
One study put participants in a state of severe sleep deprivation before giving them either caffeine or a placebo. They were then tested for speed, accuracy, and throughput.
The negative side effects that sleep deprivation typically has on a person’s mood were all improved from caffeine. (2)
Caffeine Can Support Healthy Brain Functions
Although brain health may sound like an obviously important benefit, it is commonly overlooked. Maintaining a healthy brain can help you improve yourself while at work, school, play, and in your general life.
We could all use a little extra boost in our brain functions and brain health. Just a little boost can help you perform better even with small and simple tasks.
A study done with college students evaluated the benefits of caffeine on memory. There were a total of 60 students that participated in this experiment.
Students were given either caffeinated or decaffeinated (placebo) coffee then given 30 minutes to read. Following their reading time students were asked to complete implicit and explicit memory tasks.
Those who drank caffeinated coffee were significantly more awake and performed better on cued recall than those who had the placebo coffee. (3)
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Caffeine Boosts Metabolism
A boosted metabolism means that your body is burning energy from food or fat more quickly. Your metabolism is responsible for many different chemical reactions throughout the body.
By boosting your metabolism, caffeine helps your body naturally increase its energy levels, improve weight loss, and make you feel better.
Because one of the by-products of a boosted metabolism is increased thermogenesis, this ingredient is also thermogenic. Both of these benefits are especially useful for weight loss.
One blind, randomized, placebo controlled study tested the effects of caffeine on the human metabolism. 12 healthy male volunteers were given either caffeinated (with 200 mg of caffeine) or decaffeinated coffee.
Subjects that had been given caffeine showed increased metabolic rates, thermogenesis, and energy expenditure. (4)
Caffeine Increases Exercise Performance
While the gym may not be everyone’s favorite place to be, getting the most from your workout is always a great thing.
Getting the most out of your workout is a great way to enhance weight loss, increase muscle growth, and improve strength.
A double blind, randomized, placebo controlled experiment was conducted to test the effects of caffeine on resistance exercise performance. A total of 12 healthy college aged men participated in this experiment.
Subjects were either given a placebo or a supplement containing caffeine. After taking the supplement they waited for 45 minutes then participated in resistance exercises.
The results showed that supplementation caused a significant increase in the number of repetitions and volume loads. The mean power and velocity were also significantly increased. (5)
Caffeine Improves Gut Health
Having a healthy gut is very important for your overall health. Gut health impacts your immune system, mood, sleep, heart health, and brain health.
It is a very complex system that contains many different healthy bacterias. These kinds of bacterias are necessary for the proper digestion and excretion of foods.
Plus, having a healthy gut is a great way to help your body feel better in general! That’s a benefit that we would all like to see.
In an experiment made to test the effects of coffee on gut health, 16 healthy adults drank 3 cups of coffee every day for 3 weeks.
Samples were collected to evaluate the effects of coffee consumption.
It was concluded that consumption caused an increase to subjects’ metabolic rates and increases in good bacteria that is good for digestion. (6)
Caffeine Enhances Weight Loss
We all hate excess weight. It can make it harder to move around, add excess pressure on your joints, reduce sexual function, deplete energy levels, and increase the risk of certain diseases.
This is why losing weight can be so important for your health, both mentally and physically. Plus, the boost in confidence that weight loss can provide is a pretty great benefit too.
One randomized, placebo controlled, double blind study tested the weight loss effects of caffeine in 76 overweight subjects.
For 3 months, subjects were given caffeine supplementation or a placebo every day.
At the end of the trial it was concluded that high caffeine intake is highly correlated with increased thermogenesis and fat oxidation which caused greater weight loss. (7)
What’s The Proper Dose of Caffeine?
People generally take 80mg-100mg of caffeine per day. Amounts can differ depending on how long you have been taking it and if you have a higher or lower tolerance.
Although it can be safely taken in amounts of 400mg, we suggest starting with about 80mg and gaging if you need more or less based on your experience.
Some benefits can be noticed within an hour after consumption like higher energy levels and improved brain functions. Other benefits like weight loss can take as long as 3 months to show its powerful results.
Caffeine Side Effects
Caffeine is very well researched and pretty safe. When dosed properly, it is unlikely that you will find side effects from its use.
When used in too high of an amount it can cause anxiety, laxative effects, increased heart rate, and frequent urination.
If you take it too close to bed it can cause trouble falling asleep and staying asleep. This is why we recommend taking it earlier in the day.
Typically people take 80mg-200mg of caffeine as an average dose. You should not take anymore than 400mg a day. If you are sensitive to caffeine, we recommend starting with a lower dose and working up to a higher amount as desired.
Positive side effects:
- Improved mood
- Healthy brain functioning
- Boosted metabolism
- Increased exercise performance
- Improved gut health
- Enhanced weight loss
Negative side effects:
- Anxiety (when used in improper doses)
Bottom Line: Does Caffeine Work?
Overall, this is an ingredient that we really like to see in supplements, especially in weight loss products. It has powerful benefits that can help you lose weight, increase brain function, improve energy, enhance sports performance and more!
Most people only recognize this ingredient’s ability to improve energy, but its powerful effects can improve multiple aspects of your life.
Research has tested its effects and shown that it is a safe and effective solution to many common issues. Caffeine is a powerful stimulant that can bring you all of these benefits and more.
In conclusion, we recommend using this ingredient. It is a great ingredient to find in supplements, especially for improving weight loss or brain functions.
It is always important to make sure you are getting the right amount of it and taking it at the right time. Besides that, we have no more recommendations other than you should try it!
Caffeine FAQs
How Should I Take Caffeine? If you are taking it in a supplement, we recommend following the supplements instructions. If you are drinking it from a beverage, we suggest paying attention to how you are feeling while you’re drinking it then stopping if you start to notice negative side effects.
How Much Caffeine Should I Take? We recommend taking about 80mg-100mg then deciding how much you need based on how you react to that amount.
What Are The Different Ways I Can Take Caffeine? Caffeine can be consumed in many different beverages like certain sodas, energy drinks, coffees, and teas. It can also be consumed from supplements made for weight loss, brain function improvement, or plain caffeine supplements.
Can I Take It On An Empty Stomach? Yes, caffeine can be taken on an empty stomach and is usually recommended to be taken as such when used for weight loss. But, it can still be taken with food, which is especially useful for those who have a lower tolerance.
Will It Affect My Sleep? It depends on how sensitive you are to caffeine and how much you have, but it can make it harder to fall asleep and/or stay asleep if it is taken too close to your bedtime.
What’s The Best Time Of Day To Take Caffeine? We recommend taking this supplement as early in the day as you can to avoid it causing any sleeping problems.
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