The Good and Bad of Caffeine

Caffeine is a naturally occurring substance found in some parts of certain plants and is the most potent chemical found in coffee or tea. In its purest form, it looks like a crystallized white powder. There have been numerous debates about whether this drug is good or bad for you; but the reality is that it is the largest consumed substance in the world. The truth is there can be both good and bad effects to consuming caffeine and everyone should be aware of both.

Some advantages to ingesting caffeine is that it has been found to improve clarity, productivity, and as recent research shows, can actually increase your IQ levels. Caffeine has been shown to block some of the neurotransmitters in the brain which cause us to feel tired and sluggish. It also promotes the release of dopamine which is a “feel good” chemical produced by the body. A disadvantage can be consuming too much caffeine, as this can trigger feelings of anxiety or edginess in certain persons. You must also keep in mind that different people are affected by different drugs ways unique to their body chemistry. For one person a cup of coffee may have little or no effect, but in another it can push them to feeling on edge. The basic premise is to get to know how your body reacts and to consume caffeine in a way that it is promoting the good effects and minimizing the bad ones. Recent studies have also concluded that consuming caffeine can have a positive effect on liver function and decrease the risk of liver damage and liver cancers significantly. Of course, if caffeine affects you in negative ways, you can always choose to do a liver detoxification cleanse or take a more natural supplement such as dandelion root.

Although there have been misconceptions about the bad effects of caffeine, the more it is examined, the more advantages there are to consuming this drug-in moderation. Of course, certain people who are pregnant, nursing, or sensitive to certain drugs should abstain from ingesting caffeine in any form.