8/10/2011

Caffeine health risks

Caffeine health problems

Among the health problems caffeine can cause are some more serious than others. Some caffeine health problems are merely unpleasant and disturbing while others can be a serious risk to your safety and health. In nature, caffeine functions as a paralyzing or killing substance which is used by plants as a defense system. This is of course not how caffeine works in the human body. When the human body is exposed to caffeine, depending on the amount, it will work as a diuretic substance, as well as it will defer tiredness. Some studies show that one of the caffeine health problems is mood swings. This effect belongs to the psychic effects but it isn’t less important just because of that.

Caffeine is not illegal anywhere in the world and it’s considered relatively harmless by most people. But still it causes health problems. I believe that the explanation to this phenomenon is that caffeine itself isn’t harmful, but in combination with other factors, it may cause caffeine health problems. If you’re exposed to stress, which is one of today’s most common health issues, your caffeine intake may prove dangerous to your health. You may experience a bad stomach ache which is a common symptom of both stress and caffeine overdoses. Imagine what the combination of these both categories may cause! If you suffer from stomach ache every day, a lower intake of caffeine may be a solution to your problems, or at least a step in the right direction towards improved health.


Caffeine and exercise

What kind of connections are there between caffeine and exercise? At first there may not seem to be any obvious ones, but there are actually a few things that can be wise to think about when combining caffeine and exercise. Here I’ll explain why that is. When you exercise your body loses much water which you have to replace as soon as possible when you rest after the exercise. Caffeine is a highly diuretic substance which can speed up the dehydration of your body when you exercise, if you drink something containing caffeine before your exercise. Since caffeine is very energizing and will get you alert, if not speeded, you may think it’s a good idea to drink caffeine and exercise afterwards but you’ll soon realize that the effect is too brief to last during your exercise. When it comes to the use of caffeine after exercising, one has to consider other aspects.

Caffeine and exercise as a combination when it comes to your body’s recovery, is by some experts, as well as amateurs, thought of as a good alternative. The alertness which caffeine gives, and which you’re probably aware of, can help the recovery processes in your body. A tired body with exhausted muscles doesn’t have the power or the energy to begin the recovering functions which are so important for your well-being. In this particular case caffeine and exercise can be helpful and serve a good purpose. The conclusion is that caffeine and exercise can sometimes be a good combination and sometimes it’s not. Caffeine should be used with cautiousness since it’s such a strong substance. Caffeine before exercise is normally not too good while caffeine after exercise, for recovery, may be worth considering.