Coffee News: Coffee's benefits go beyond good taste

"Caffeine is by far our most popular drug. It is found in coffee, tea, chocolate, colas and other soft drinks, is also added to some painkillers, and cold and headache medications. It can speed up your heart rate, stimulate your central nervous system, act as a diuretic, increase production of digestive acids, and more. For some people, the stimulant in caffeine enhances mental performance by increasing alertness and the ability to concentrate. For many people a cup of coffee helps them "get going" in the morning, and coffee or tea breaks during the day give them a boost when energy lags. Just look at the line-ups at your local Starbucks every morning and you'll know what that is all about.

For some athletes, one or two caffeine drinks an hour before competition can improve performance, especially in endurance sports like distance running. However, while caffeine may improve performance, it can also cause side effects and any athlete must be aware of his individual tolerance.

Tolerance to caffeine varies from person to person. For some, a cup of coffee comes with very positive benefits but for others who are more sensitive, it can cause headaches, insomnia or irritability."

Full article here.

March 20, 2006

Coffee News: Coffee's benefits go beyond good taste