Caffeine, Alcohol, And Health – How Much Is Too Much?
Today, I want to look at what I consider to be a couple of minor vices, provided their consumption is “moderate”. Moderate…how’s that for a word that has a million meanings? One person’s “moderation” is another person’s “excessive”. So today, we’ll look at two very common “drugs” used by the general populace, myself included, and try to figure out what is a “moderate” intake that won’t cause any health problems for most people.
Coffee, Coffee, Coffee
Sleep is a symptom of caffeine deprivation. ~Author Unknown
Coffee smells like freshly ground heaven. ~Jessi Lane Adams
First things first, obviously there are many other sources of caffeine besides coffee, but tea has very little and you already know I can’t get with energy drinks. So for me (and most other healthy folks), my only real source of caffeine is coffee. Sure, I drink some green or white tea, but the overall caffeine content is low (we’ll discuss that further in a couple sections).
The Effects Of Caffeine
At its heart, caffeine is a stimulant. It causes an increase in three stress hormones: cortisol, adrenaline and norepinephrine. This basically causes a “fight or flight” response – elevated heart rate, increased blood pressure, decreased blood flow to the digestive tract, and a general energetic feeling.
Caffeine binds to adenosine receptors in the brain, decreasing the action of adenosine, as well as decreasing the release of GABA (Gamma-Amino Butyric Acid). When adenosine binds to receptors, it causes drowsiness. GABA inhibits nerve transmissions, so this decrease explains the jitters that comes with too much caffeine, as well as the extra energy boost you get from a normal amount of caffeine.
Caffeine also stimulates the secretion of stomach acid. Combine that with the effect of decreasing lower esophageal sphincter pressure and it could exacerbate acid reflux.
Further, caffeine increases urinary calcium and magnesium loss.
The results of this study indicate that renal conservation does not fully compensate for the effect of caffeine on calcium and magnesium excretion. Regular consumption of caffeine may contribute to the causation of osteoporosis by promoting depletion of these two important minerals.
As you can see, this little alkaloid causes a host of effects in the body. It has broad reach in terms of waking you up. Somewhere in the chain of effects, it stimulates the release of dopamine, a “feel good” hormone, making you generally more upbeat, along with being more awake.
Caffeine Metabolism
The body metabolizes caffeine into three substances:
- Paraxanthine: promotes the release of glycerol and free fatty acids into the blood stream (which likely causes caffeine’s performance-enhancing effects)
- Theobromine: dilates blood vessels and increases urine volume
- Theophylline: smooths muscles of the bronchi
Just like every other substance, caffeine has a half-life, or the amount of time it takes the body to eliminate half of it. The half-life of caffeine…
…varies widely among individuals according to such factors as age, liver function, pregnancy, some concurrent medications, and the level of enzymes in the liver needed for caffeine metabolism. In healthy adults, caffeine’s half-life is approximately 3-4 hours. In women taking oral contraceptives this is increased to 5-10 hours, and in pregnant women the half-life is roughly 9-11 hours. Caffeine can accumulate in individuals with severe liver disease when its half-life can increase to 96 hours. In infants and young children, the half-life may be longer than in adults; half-life in a newborn baby may be as long as 30 hours. Other factors such as smoking can shorten caffeine’s half-life.
When it comes to “drugs,” it really doesn’t get much safer than caffeine. The effective dose is low (25-50mg) and the lethal dose is very high, between 150-200mg/kg of body weight. So unless you quaff 80-100 cups of the stuff in a short time frame, you’re not going to keel over. Of course, you could probably pull that off with concentrated caffeine pills, but you don’t need me to tell you it’s a bad idea.
How Much Caffeine Is In…
I mentioned that coffee is my only major source of caffeine (and also the main stimulant used worldwide). Let’s compare it to some other caffeine sources, just for grins. (Source: Energy Fiend)
- Drip Coffee – 145mg
- Single-shot Americano – 77mg
- Green Tea – 25mg
- White Tea – 15mg
So from that, you can see my point about tea. You’d have to drink 48oz of green tea to equal 8oz of coffee in terms of caffeine content.
How Much Caffeine Is Healthy?
Going back to that bit about cortisol, it’s interesting that the body adapts to morning caffeine consumption by reducing the cortisol effect, but it doesn’t adapt to afternoon coffee and cortisol release remains high.
In contrast, 5 days of caffeine intake at 300 mg/day and 600 mg/day abolished the cortisol response to the initial 9:00 AM caffeine dose, although cortisol levels were again elevated between 1:00 PM and 7:00 PM (p = .02 to .002) after the second caffeine dose taken at 1:00 PM. Cortisol levels declined to control levels during the evening sampling period.
My thinking after looking at all this is that being a non-user is healthier than being a user. I’d never really dug into all of the effects of caffeine other than “energy” and “diuretic,” so this was all pretty interesting. So here’s my take on it all:
- No more than 2 cups per day (that’s 6-8oz cups, not 12oz or larger mugs). Even better if you don’t drink it daily.
- Keep your caffeine consumption to the morning. When I have coffee, I’m usually done by 10am.
- Do not use caffeine to fuel an unhealthy, low-sleep lifestyle. This sets up a feedback loop of disrupted sleep, more caffeine to compensate, and even further sleep loss.
- Cycle on and off. I go caffeine-free for a couple weeks when I notice that I’m getting immune to the effects of my 2 cups.
Basically, I doubt a cup or two in the morning is going to do any real damage. In fact, timed properly, it may increase sports performance, especially for endurance type activities. If you’re downing a pot everyday, you’re probably excessively stressing your adrenals, keeping your body in a constant state of stress (which we know we don’t need more of in our modern lifestyle), and possibly causing other health issues, such as immune system suppression and vitamin/mineral depletion.
Obviously, if caffeine is affecting your sleep, you’re doing something wrong. And it goes without saying that sugar in your coffee is not doing you any favors either.
Coffee Alternatives
While searching for info for this article, I came across a coffee substitute that supposedly brews and tastes just like coffee. It’s called Teeccino. Anyone ever tried it? If so, what are your thoughts? I’m thinking of checking it out to see what it’s all about.
Teeccino Caffeine-free Herbal Coffee is a delicious blend of herbs, grains, fruits and nuts that are roasted and ground to brew and taste just like coffee.
I think part of the allure of coffee is the morning ritual of making it, smelling it, and drinking it. So perhaps this is a good caffeine-free alternative.
Decaffeinated coffee is another option, but I’m not sure about the process they use to take the caffeine out. I was looking at the Wikipedia page about the decaffeination process…some sound pretty benign, using just hot water or coffee oils. Others use chemical solvents. And I’m not sure how you figure out which method your favorite decaf uses, so I think I’ll either go with regular coffee or no coffee.
How Much Alcohol Is Healthy?
What prompted me to write about alcohol again? Two things actually…first, it’s the holidays and there are a lot of parties and a lot of opportunities to indulge. Second, I’ve seen some talk that all alcohol does is cause problems from some members of the fitness community. So let’s quickly take a look.
I’m not going to go real in-depth with alcohol here. I’ve touched on alcohol three times before, so here are those three articles if you want a bit more information:
- Does Booze Have A Place In A Healthy Diet?
- The Detriments Of Heavy Drinking
- More Information On Drinking
To summarize those three articles, alcohol is a substance that can damage your liver, cause short-term hypertension, decrease testosterone production, increase estrogen production, and cause vitamin deficiencies. But there’s a major caveat to that. You have to drink excessively to do that kind of damage.
Basically, there is a major difference between getting drunk and having a glass of wine with dinner. There’s a major difference between joining friends for a couple beers (and pizza perhaps?) and staying up till 4am taking Jagermeister shots and playing beer pong. And there’s even a major difference between throwing down once or twice a year (complete with waking up hating life and dragging through the next day) and going out like a frat boy every weekend.
Obviously, I don’t advise getting drunk, especially to the point of a hangover. But it happens, even to me. You get to hanging out with friends, things get a little loose, and the next day, you realize that you had about 3 too many. What I’m advising is exactly like what I advised with cheat meals…don’t do it all the time, and if it happens, get back on the wagon and don’t beat yourself up. If you’re hungover every Saturday or Sunday, you should probably re-examine your commitment to treating your body right though.
Don’t Forget The Holiday Survival Guide
The holiday season is upon us, starting Thursday (at least here in the States) with Thanksgiving. The holidays are a time filled with family, friends, and parties. You’ll likely be drinking more, eating worse (and more), and sleeping less. In the interest of not blowing all your hard work, while still enjoying your holidays and the time with relatives and friends you rarely see, check out our Holiday Survival Guide. Don’t let the holidays be a 6 week backwards slide.
My Caffeine And Alcohol Recommendations
As you can see, I don’t think that you need to 100% give up coffee or alcohol to be healthy. I enjoy both and am unlikely to go completely clean from either. If you stick with the a low intake of both and pay attention to how you feel after having them, there’s no reason that you have to be completely ascetic.
So here are a few additional tips:
- Don’t drink bad coffee. Skip the swill at work and find a local roaster. As with all other vices, make sure you really enjoy it. You’ll pay more, but it’ll taste much better. Better yet, get a good grinder and grind the beans from your local roaster at home just before you make the coffee. Good coffee for less money.
- On that note, don’t drink bad beer either. If you are a beer drinker, find good microbrews with some flavor instead of the watered-down brews so many are convinced is “beer”.
- Opt for wine or distilled spirits to avoid the gluten load of beer. When I drink, it’s typically a good bourbon like Woodford Reserve (hey, I’m from Kentucky…it’s in my blood), vodka (either an infused vodka with club soda or plain vodka with club soda and lime), or wine.
- Pay more, drink less. Just to reiterate once again…whether it’s alcohol, coffee, chocolate, ice cream, or any other treat, spend more on good stuff that is more flavorful and more satisfying. I’d rather have 1 glass of Woodford Reserve on the rocks than 3 shots of Jim Beam.
While there’s no need for either caffeine or alcohol, there’s also no drawback to a little caffeine or a drink or two sometimes if they tickle your fancy. If you don’t drink either, there’s no reason to start. If you drink one or both, keep it reasonable and you’ll be fine.
And if you’re running around telling people that the lone glass of great single malt scotch is going harm them, you’re a) talking nonsense and b) probably just trying to make yourself feel better about your ascetic lifestyle by showing how much “better” you are than others and how “pure” your “temple” is. Get over yourself.
How much caffeine do you drink? How much alcohol? Do you think either one has a place in a healthy lifestyle?
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I think the answer is just that everything should be taken in moderation. Even working out can be bad for you if you do too much for it.
-Rafi
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I bang down two large coffees in the AM, head to gym, drink tea rest of day. Might consider drinking one small cup a few times a week and maybe even ween myself off,as I do agree with article. Caffeine does stress the body.
Thanks guys.
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2 cups of coffee per day (~8oz each). Alcohol – not much. Maybe 2-3 beers per week, sometimes going a few weeks without any.
I wouldn’t want to give up the coffee though…..
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I don’t consume any caffeine, though I used to love coffee. Because my diet is pretty clean otherwise, a cup of coffee consumed in the morning will keep me awake all night. I’m fine without and just drink in all the delicious coffee smells when my husband occasionally stops in at the local coffee shop.
I do drink a glass or wine or two each week, and we usually have wine with a late brunch on Sunday, so my body has time to process the alcohol before going to bed in the evening, so I don’t feel all fuzzy in the morning.
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Thank you for this article and it’s timeliness. I developed the taste for coffee when I was 15 years old and have always drank it black from the very beginning. I normally drank coffee in the morning before I went to work and have a cup or two while at work. The only time I didn’t drink coffee was when I got sick because it just did not taste good.
I thought I would never see the day when I could give up coffee in the morning until I discovered jasmine green tea. Now, I drink 2 cups of jasmine green tea with Holy Basil every morning and occasionally have a cup of coffee when I go out for dinner or at a friend’s house.
Has anyone tried dandelion coffee? Couple of years ago, I heard about dandelion coffee recipe so I tried it and loved it. Although it is a cold drink (tastes really good in hot summer), you may be able to adapt it to a hot drink. Here is the recipe.
2 teaspoons roasted dandelion root
Dash hot water
1/4 teaspoon raw honey
Dash pure vanilla extract
1/2 of a large glass of ice cubes
1/2 glass raw milk
Place dandelion root in large mug.
Add dash of hot water and stir to dissolve.
Add raw honey, and mix well to dissolve.
Add dash of vanilla extract and mix well.
Fill large glass halfway with ice cubes.
Pour raw milk over ice until glass is two-thirds full.
Strain dandelion coffee mixture from mug and add into milk glass and stir.
Thank you for the tip on teeccino. I will have to give it a try.
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I drink coffee every morning and alchohol 2-3 nights a week. I take coffee breaks every few months by switching to green tea/white tea. I find that this is better than going cold-turkey off caffine plus tea contains additional chemicals that have a calming effect. I fee like I do drink too much alchohol and I’m trying to cut back. I have noticed that I dont feel so bad the next day if I stick to spirits intead of beer. I am a beer geek/homebrewer so its hard for me to resist quality beer.
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There are certain types of tasty instant dandelion coffee that can be consumed either hot or cold (dandy brew?). Teechino is also quite palatable, but I’m a little skeptical about the barley.
And I do love coffee with a deep and abiding love, but I definitely have a late morning cut off!
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[...] Perspective on daily caffeine intake and how it impacts your [...]
One cup of coffee in the morning from my french press. Nice and strong.
Booze….
Love good red wine. It’s to easy to drink 3-4 glasses. I keep that to 2-3 days a week. Averages out to about 1 large glass a night.
Marc
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Great post. Informative, thorough and readable, and a reminder of why it’s alway worth my time to read Fitness Spotlight. Two things:
1. I work at a very intense, long-hour unhealthy cortisol factory of a job, where absolutely everyone in the entire place is totally addicted to caffeine, and I drink almost exclusively tea. I do drink a lot of it, true, but I get as much caffeine as I need from a mix of matcha (powdered green tea, which is taken in fairly high doses) first thing in the morning or before a workout, and smaller amounts of oolong or pu’er throughout the day. Occasionally I have an espresso with friends or a cup of really good local roast to start the day, but I find that coffee makes me feel less awake and more wired, and that I crash a couple of hours later.
2. How much tobacco is too much? I just don’t believe that the answer is “any”. I am an infrequent smoker of cigars and American Spirits, and I refuse to feel guilty about it. Going primal / paleo (I am about 80-90% there) and getting into a well-rounded, Fitness Spotlight, Mark Sissonian exercise program has me feeling like a teenager again, at least like the kind of teenager that could smoke a couple cigarettes in the morning and then go rip it up for two hours at soccer practice. My diet is great, I get enough exercise, and I love smoking, so there you have it. Flame away, Californians.
For purposes of comparison, I smoke 0-3 cigars per week, usually about 6/month, and around 10 cigarettes a month.
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I drink Teeccino regularly. It’s delicious! I know several people who have weaned themselves off coffee by blending their coffee with the Teeccino and gradually reducing the coffee.
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Love the smell of fresh brewed coffee in the morning, however I find that a ginseng supplement can provide the same energy boost without side effects! Much better source for energy before a workout.
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To go along with the recommendation to drink GOOD coffee: the AeroPress. If you want the best coffee you’ve ever had, get one. Use it to brew those freshly ground, locally roasted beans, and you’ll never have a more satisfying cup.
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Great timing with this article! I was only asked by a client this morning about the effects of caffeine and the difference in coffee and tea.
Being a tea drinker, I can still get hooked on the stuff, so I only have 3 x cups of caffeinated tea per day then decaf herbal tea the rest of the time. Roasted Dandelion is my favorite (LSD: Soy Dandelion latte). Try it!
Amelia
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I always love when my modern forager pings on my email door!
Great article. Let’s see, the greatest abuse of coffee was after my first two children – they were only 18 months apart and I think I prayed to my coffee maker daily. yup definite caffeine abuse – with the hopes that I could get through another day.
Otherwise – all in moderation:)
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Coffee — Started drinking it over the last year as an alternative to soda just for some variety. Have noted my consumption rising lately, so I’m cutting back a bit.
Alcohol — I grew up in a dry county, so alcohol has never been a big deal to me. I certainly don’t average even a beer or glass of wine every other week. Have no problem with it, just don’t really consume much.
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I’m curious to hear if anyone has thoughts on sources of natural caffeine like Yerba Mate…
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Great Post!
I would add that if one REALLY wants GREAT coffee you have to roast your own. I just bought 20 lbs of green beans(Brazilian) form “Sweet Marias” for under $5 lb with shipping.
I have not tried “the aeropress” I use a french press. If you want a very fine drip machine check out “kitchen Aid’s” Proline, I use that for my wife.(it has a timer and she gets up before me.
Happy Thanksgiving !
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Glad everyone enjoyed the article so much!
lel, that dandelion coffee sounds good. I like dandelion root tea. It has a nice earthy flavor. Probably a bit much for most people, but for me, it’s great.
Warren, I’m a quality beer lover too, but I just can’t drink much of it without ill effects to the stomach. I limit myself to 1 and then switch to bourbon typically.
Marc, not really supposed to average it out, but if it works for you, more power.
AF, no clue on tobacco. And sorry to say, no real inclination to research it, but let me know if you find something. My feeling is that it’s more detrimental than caffeine or alcohol, but I suppose that’s for you to decide for yourself.
Uncle Herniation, I’ve heard good things about the Aeropress. I think I’m just going to go with a plain ol’ french press, like Jim.
Greg, same here. I drink for a few weeks, then back off, if not completely, at least to just a few days per week to let the tolerance die off.
Amelia, no soy for me, but the rest sounds good.
Suzi, coffee is a natural source of caffeine too. I don’t know anything about yerba mate other than that Argentinians love it. Caffeine is caffeine though.
Jim, how does one roast their own beans?
Cheers
Scott
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Fake coffee? FAKE COFFEE?! Lame! As a serious coffee lover, that’s Heresy! Screw Teeccino. Stick to the good stuff people, even if you’re caffeine sensitive, the decaf stuff should float your boat.
As for caffeine, don’t forget it is a proven stimulant and enhancing your power output. A cup of Joe has done more for my workouts than a bowl of oatmeal ever will. (Just don’t take more than 150mg before a workout… that’s just asking for trouble)
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FitJerk, I’m always open to new things. I’d consider it more like an herbal tea than fake coffee, regardless of the marketing.
As for caffeine and workout enhancement, I touched on that. It seems to be most effective for lower intensity exercise though due to the release of fatty acids into the bloodstream, though I do think it helps me at track meets. That could be due to any number of reasons, ranging from placebo to general energy booster or that the fatty acid release helps me recover between events.
Cheers
Scott
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Great post! This is a common subject that comes up with my clients at Studio Element Personal Training in St. Louis. There are so many things that can be very harmful if overdone, coffee and alcohol being the top two. My advice is always do so in moderation for both. There are, of course, health benefits of both coffee and red wine, but in moderation.
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[...] saturday november 28th 2009 Caffeine and alcohol: how much is too much? [...]
Scott, et al – Does anyone have any thoughts on 5 Hour Energy? I’ve had it before in a pinch in place of coffee and it really does give you even energy without a crash. May be a placebo, but hey perception is reality in this case.
I’ve also taken it around 7PM whenever I go out on the weekends and it seems like my hangovers are much better or nonexistant the next day. It has tons of B vits and aminos so maybe that’s it.
Anyway, just wanted to hear thoughts on it since it seems to be much healthier than a typical redbull/monster type energy drink.
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Can’t agree enough on your point regarding the quality of your “vice”.
I’m a huge fan of Counter Culture Coffee (www.counterculturecoffee.com). Absolutely best coffee I’ve ever had, and I have been all over the world sampling coffee (including in the heart of Ethiopia’s coffee growing region where the stuff was first grown).
A little Counter Culture and a French Press and your in business. If any of you aren’t willing to ditch the drip coffee maker, at least get a metal filter. Coffee can taste very papery, but you won’t even notice it if you’re used to it.
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[...] there. On that note, pick smart vices, like good dark chocolate or high-quality ice cream. Limit caffeine and alcohol, but you don’t have to completely eliminate [...]
[...] depressing post about coffee not being very good for you. I wish they’d just keep it to themselves. I know I’m [...]
[...] Caffeine, Alcohol, And Health – How Much Is Too Much? Pay more, drink less. Just to reiterate once again…whether it’s alcohol, coffee, chocolate, ice cream, or any other treat, spend more on good stuff that is more flavorful and more satisfying. I’d rather have 1 glass of Woodford Reserve on the rocks than 3 shots of Jim Beam. [...]
I was drinking a few glasses of wine a week and then started drinking a bottle on the weekends. After drinking I always got hungry and would eat a pint of ice cream and cookies, a candy bar or anything else that looked appealing in the convenience store. I just had to quit drinking alcohol on a regular basis. However, I will allow for a glass of a high quality wine once a month.
Now that I’m not drinking wine, I don’t need as much caffeine in the morning to get me going. I mix 1/2 decaf plus 1/2 regular coffee black in hopes of going all decaf and then just tea.
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2-3 pop and or 1 energy drink
most people look at me weird when i have them in the morning, but it just has the same effect as coffee with out the (IMO) yucky taste
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Hey Scott,
Just got a shipment of Teeccino from Amazon. Been cutting the morning coffee with it and drinking it straight in the afternoons.
I like it. Doesn’t really taste much like coffee but it’s a pretty stand up drink, holds up well with 1/2+1/2, and has a lot more “substance” than tea. And definitely tastes better than decaf.
If you’ve decided to cut caffeine as I have, this is a decent replacement.
BTW, you’ve probably noticed this as well – as I’ve reduced caf intake (as I have been doing for weeks) I’m finding the need for it to lessen, along with an increase in afternoon energy. I’m pretty much a “lark” so this is a welcome benefit.
(If you don’t know larks from owls, check out these “time maximization” videos at http://www.paullemberg.com/timemax )
Paul Lemberg
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Pretty glaring omission of black tea in your comparison chart, don’t you think?
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[...] http://www.fitnessspotlight.com/2009/11/23/coffee-health-alcohol-facts/ [...]
vcinbc, perhaps. Though I didn’t think of it cause I don’t like or drink black tea. Nothing intentional.
Cheers
Scott
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I enjoyed the article I agree that a little moderation is the key. The one thing I would like to add is a reference to drinking decaffeinate coffee. I have made this transition and haven’t noticed the absence of caffeine but still enjoy my morning coffee.
HOWEVER there is a major difference in the process as mentioned in the article. Typical decaffeinated coffee uses chemicals such as methylene chloride and ethyl acetate to remove caffeine. A healthier option is coffee that has been decaffeinated using the swiss water method, absolutely no chemicals. See http://www.swisswater.ca.
Anyway just my 2 cents worth on how I still enjoy my coffee without the caffeine.
Cheers!
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