Coffee is incredibly prevalent in our society nowadays. Some may even call it their “addiction”, as over 150 million Americans call themselves devoted coffee drinkers. But do all of these people know exactly what they are putting into their bodies?
Coffee is a source of the mineral magnesium and the vitamin B2. About 75% of adult Americans are deficient in magnesium. For many, coffee is the only source of this mineral that they consume.
Though coffee has some health benefits, it also contains plenty of caffeine. Caffeine is known to cause increased focus and boost energy levels. But this isn’t the only effect. Caffeine also causes more anxiety and even insomnia. Nearly 70 million Americans suffer from insomnia and this could be connected to coffee consumption.
Caffeine has even worse effects on children under the age of 12. As most people know, children need much more sleep than anybody else, because they are rapidly growing physically and mentally. Since caffeine causes a lack of sleep, it takes away the time when children grow. A lack of sleep could ultimately stunt a child’s growth.
Coffee is also used by many athletes as a sort of “pre-workout”, since it can enhance one’s physical performance and endurance. But coffee is known to dehydrate people if too much is consumed. Therefore, if one does choose to drink coffee as an athlete, one should not overdo the amount. Otherwise, they could very possibly suffer from dehydration during a workout.
For adults, 400 milligrams of coffee is safe. But for adolescents, the maximum amount that should be consumed is only 100 milligrams, which is two-thirds of a cup. This coffee should also be consumed by young people exclusively in the morning and never at night, since it takes at least six hours for the effects of caffeine to wear off.
Therefore, if you choose to drink coffee, you should be aware of its effects, drink it only when necessary, and not overdo it. For the most part, coffee is completely fine to consume, but only in normal amounts.
But you should always be cautious and think more about the future effects of your coffee consumption. Stay alert, Nitros!
