Caffeine is a love-hate relationship, how much is healthy to consume?

Whether it is coffee, milk tea, chocolate, or matcha dessert, these things have one thing in common, that is, they contain caffeine. Some people say that caffeine can refresh and lose weight, while others say that caffeine is bad for the heart and mood.

So, is caffeine good or bad for the human body?

Caffeine is a double-edged sword

Caffeine is a methyl purine alkaloid extracted from coffee beans, tea leaves, cola nuts, guarana, cocoa beans, etc. It can also be synthesized artificially. Caffeine is not only found in coffee, but also in tea, chocolate, cola, special purpose beverages (sports and energy drinks, with added caffeine) and some medicines.

In fact, caffeine can be described as a "double-edged sword". A small amount is beneficial, as it can enhance memory, relieve fatigue, control weight, and improve liver function; too much is not good, as it can cause anxiety, irritability, insomnia, indigestion, "caffeine poisoning", etc. Special groups such as pregnant women and nursing mothers, infants, children and adolescents are more susceptible to its effects.

Adult women should not exceed 400 mg per day

This graphic from the Beijing Centers for Disease Control and Prevention lists the safe daily intake of caffeine established by different organizations.

Based on the above table, the Beijing Center for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that pregnant women and nursing mothers should not consume more than 200 mg of caffeine per day, which is safe for both mother and baby, while other healthy adult women should not consume more than 400 mg per day. Children's nervous systems are not fully developed and they are more sensitive to caffeine, so do not exceed the safety limit.

How much caffeine is found in common foods?

Generally speaking, a large cup of coffee (about 500ml) contains about 250mg of caffeine; a small cup of coffee (about 200ml) contains about 100mg of caffeine; the caffeine content of espresso is higher than that of ordinary coffee; instant coffee (about 15g) contains about 90mg of caffeine.

Dark chocolate (about 50g) contains about 10mg of caffeine, which is relatively low.

A can of cola (330 ml) contains about 35 mg of caffeine [my country's "National Food Safety Standard Food Additives Usage Standard" (GB 2760-2014) stipulates that caffeine can be used in cola-type beverages, with a maximum usage of 150 mg/kg].

Various tea drinks (550ml) contain about 50mg of caffeine.

The Beijing Center for Disease Control and Prevention reminds everyone to be careful about freshly made milk tea, because a 2013 survey by the Hong Kong Food Safety Center found that freshly made milk tea contains high levels of caffeine.

How to consume caffeine in a healthy way?

1. If you drink coffee, it is recommended to drink it in the morning or in the morning when you are not fasting. Low-caffeine or decaffeinated coffee is preferred (decaffeinated coffee still contains a small amount of caffeine). Do not add a lot of sugar for flavoring. It is recommended to use milk instead.

2. Pay attention to ingredients such as coffee, caffeine, cocoa, chocolate, tea, etc. in the label ingredient list; avoid taking caffeine and alcohol together; when taking caffeinated medicines, be sure not to take them together with caffeinated beverages.

3. Although pregnant women and breastfeeding mothers do not need to completely avoid caffeine, because everyone reacts differently to caffeine, if you feel that caffeine makes you or your baby feel uncomfortable, you should eat less or even avoid it.

4. People who are sensitive to caffeine must control their caffeine intake according to their own conditions; people with gastric ulcers should try to avoid caffeine to prevent excessive gastric acid secretion, which will further aggravate the condition. For some women, consuming caffeine during menstruation will aggravate dysmenorrhea, so it is better to avoid caffeine intake during "special periods".

Beijing News reporter Liu Honglin Editor Yue Qingxiu Proofreader Yang Xuli