{"id":5108,"date":"2022-11-11T00:00:02","date_gmt":"2022-11-11T08:00:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wellconnected.murad.com\/?p=5108"},"modified":"2022-11-14T10:15:54","modified_gmt":"2022-11-14T18:15:54","slug":"the-real-tea-on-caffeine-so-its-not-dehydrating-and-bad-for-your-skin-and-it-has-health-benefits","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wellconnected.murad.com\/the-real-tea-on-caffeine-so-its-not-dehydrating-and-bad-for-your-skin-and-it-has-health-benefits\/","title":{"rendered":"The real tea on caffeine: So it’s not dehydrating and bad for your skin? And it has health benefits?!"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Caffeine is, undoubtedly, the world\u2019s most popular mental picker-upper \u2014 <\/strong>especially in America. According to one 9-year study<\/a>, <\/strong>just about 90 percent of Americans consume caffeine in one way or another, every single day. Though coffee and tea immediately come to mind when you think about how caffeine, it\u2019s also in a vast array of foods and beverages like cola, chocolate, energy drinks, yerba mate, kola nuts, cacao beans, guarana berries \u2014 it\u2019s even in some medications and gums.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once consumed, caffeine races through your bloodstream, making you feel more alert around 15 minutes after you have some. That buzz can last for up to 6 hours. And no wonder it\u2019s addictive; caffeine enhances dopamine signaling<\/a> in the brain \u2014 a neurotransmitter\/chemical messenger in your brain that works like a reward center, according to the Cleveland Clinic<\/a>. The more dopamine \u201chits\u201d you get, the more \u2018up\u2019 you feel.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

But is caffeine good or bad for you? Or, how much caffeine is too much? And is it a good thing or a bad thing for your skin? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Coffee is one thing, caffeine is another<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

What\u2019s so interesting about the whole caffeine question is the role that coffee plays in it. \u201cIt\u2019s hard to separate out the effects of caffeine from coffee because they independently have beneficial effects,\u201d explains Donald Hensrud, MD<\/a>, Associate Professor of Preventive Medicine and Nutrition, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine. \u201cThere are some effects from coffee separate from caffeine, and there are the effects of caffeine.\u201d  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

He says that many studies have shown coffee itself to have a plethora of health benefits<\/a>. \u201cFor example, both caffeinated and decaffeinated coffee have been shown to slightly decrease the risk of type 2 diabetes, which suggests that it\u2019s something other than caffeine in coffee,\u201d says Hensrud.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Studies show drinking as many as 3 cups of black coffee a day can reduce the risk of heart-related issues like stroke<\/a> and heart disease, Alzheimer\u2019s Disease<\/a>, type 2 diabetes, liver disease<\/a>, and multiple sclerosis<\/a>. Plus, a study<\/a> from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health found heavy coffee drinkers (4+ cups per day) to have a \u201csignificantly lower\u201d risk of early death from colorectal cancer.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Caffeine itself is a mixed bag<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Hensrud mentions a study that shows coffee seems to be protective against Parkinson\u2019s Disease<\/a>, but decaffeinated coffee isn\u2019t, so the protective qualities are the result of caffeine other than the antioxidants in coffee.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But heavy-duty caffeine consumption isn\u2019t for everybody. Drinking 3+ cups a day during pregnancy has been associated with low birthweight<\/a> and preterm births<\/a>. Also, since coffee is a stimulant, it\u2019s not the greatest to chug coffee in the afternoon or evening if you have insomnia<\/a>.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Energy drinks and soft drinks contain tons of sugar and other chemical ingredients that aren\u2019t necessarily the healthiest to consume. With energy drinks, there have even been a few cases of toxicity,” Hensrud notes.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Another recent trend is caffeine powder to fuel gym workouts, which is also not the best idea. Hensrud also says synthetic caffeine powder isn\u2019t legally sold in bulk<\/a> because dosing is tricky and it can be quite toxic if overconsumed, so it\u2019s best avoided.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

When it comes to your caffeine consumption, Hensrud says the side effects you experience should determine how much you can have, because not everyone metabolizes coffee the same way. \u201cCaffeine is metabolized on a genetic basis. There\u2019s an enzyme that metabolizes caffeine and it\u2019s genetically determined how much of it is active in people,\u201d Hensrud explains.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is why you might not be able to have caffeine after lunch, but your friend can order an espresso after dinner and pass out with no problem a couple of hours later. “Your friend might have fewer side effects from caffeine, too,” Hensrud says. Acid reflux or heartburn, problems sleeping, irritability, palpitations and urinary frequency in predisposed people, are side effects that are more often associated with caffeine than coffee. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

And what about your skin on caffeine? <\/h3>\n\n\n\n

You may have heard that coffee is dehydrating, but you’d have to consume it in large quantities to notice an effect on your skin. “Drinking caffeine-containing beverages as part of a normal lifestyle doesn’t cause fluid loss in excess of the volume ingested. While caffeinated drinks may have a mild diuretic effect \u2014 meaning that they may cause the need to urinate \u2014 they don’t appear to increase the risk of dehydration,” says Mayo Clinic registered dietician and nutritionist Katherine Zeratsky. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Caffeine is also featured in everything skincare from under-eye serums<\/a> to anti-cellulite creams, and claims galore state it will wake your skin up as it does your brain.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to the Cleveland Clinic<\/a>, the benefits of topical caffeine<\/a> are antioxidants that protect skin from free radicals; the way it constricts blood vessels and brightens your skin<\/a>,<\/a> the way it reduces inflammation and thus puffiness; and, in anti-cellulite products, stimulates enzymes that break down and dehydrate fat cells, making your skin look a little tighter.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, the benefits of topical use are likely short-term, says Hensrud. With respect to clinical skin issues, he mentions some limited studies on using caffeine as an ingredient to treat psoriasis. One study<\/a> found caffeine to protect skin from \u201coxidative stress-induced senescence,\u201d or stress-induced skin cell damage, whether it was consumed by a human or in a petri dish, which could potentially point to a way to utilize caffeine in the protection of skin disease. So for clinical skin conditions, it seems caffeine has some medical potential but the research just isn\u2019t there to substantiate it yet. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Overall, the way to go with caffeine is to consume it within the confines of your ability to metabolize it \u2014 and feel free to slather some on while you\u2019re at it. \u201cCaffeine has some health benefits and some health risks. It depends on the form of caffeine, whether it\u2019s powder or actual coffee,\u201d Hensrud says. \u201cFor many people, modest amounts of caffeine in coffee \u2014 because it\u2019s been studied the most \u2014 does have some health benefits, as long as people aren\u2019t having side effects.\u201d  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The views expressed in this article do not necessarily represent the views of Murad, and are for informational purposes only, even if the advice of physicians and medical practitioners are included. This article is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment, and should not be considered specific medical advice<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

References for this information:<\/strong>
The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition<\/em>, 2005, volume 101, issue 5, pages 1081-1087<\/a>
Translational Psychiatry<\/em>, 2015, volume 5, issue 4<\/a>
Cleveland Clinic Website<\/em>, Health Library<\/a>
Mayo Clinic Website,<\/em> Healthy Lifestyles<\/a>
Journal of Gastroentroenterology and Hepatology<\/em>, 2014, volume 29, issue 3, pages 435-441
<\/a>American Gastroenterological Association<\/em>, 2017, volume 154, issue 4, pages 916-926<\/a>
Nutrients<\/em>, 2020, volume 12, issue 6<\/a>
U.S. Food and Drug Administration Website<\/em>, Press Announcements<\/a>
Cleveland Clinic Website<\/em>, Skin Care & Beauty<\/a>
Theranostics<\/em>, 2018, volume 8, issue 20<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Caffeine is, undoubtedly, the world\u2019s most popular mental picker-upper \u2014 especially in America. According to one 9-year study, just about 90 percent of Americans consume caffeine in one way or another, every single day. Though coffee and tea immediately come to mind when you think about how caffeine, it\u2019s also in a vast array of […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":34,"featured_media":5170,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5108","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-body"],"metadata":{"_edit_lock":["1668449754:29"],"_edit_last":["29"],"adobe_analytics_repeatable":["a:1:{i:0;a:2:{s:4:\"name\";s:0:\"\";s:5:\"value\";s:0:\"\";}}"],"_yoast_wpseo_content_score":["30"],"_yoast_wpseo_estimated-reading-time-minutes":["5"],"show_featured_image":["1"],"_show_featured_image":["field_609ee1cf1ce13"],"primary_category":["4"],"_primary_category":["field_608c33bdd26d5"],"mobile_image":[""],"_mobile_image":["field_60bf7692abe28"],"_post_views_count":["field_6107dfafd6a27"],"_yoast_wpseo_primary_category":["4"],"post_views_count":["5336"],"_thumbnail_id":["5170"],"_yoast_wpseo_metadesc":["Is caffeine good or bad for you? Or, how much caffeine is too much? And is it a good thing or a bad thing for your skin? Find out here."],"_wp_old_date":["2022-11-10"]},"aioseo_notices":[],"acf":{"show_featured_image":true,"primary_category":{"term_id":4,"name":"Body","slug":"body","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":4,"taxonomy":"category","description":"","parent":0,"count":63,"filter":"raw"},"mobile_image":false,"post_views_count":"5336"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/wellconnected.murad.com\/api\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5108","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/wellconnected.murad.com\/api\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/wellconnected.murad.com\/api\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wellconnected.murad.com\/api\/wp\/v2\/users\/34"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wellconnected.murad.com\/api\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5108"}],"version-history":[{"count":22,"href":"https:\/\/wellconnected.murad.com\/api\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5108\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5373,"href":"https:\/\/wellconnected.murad.com\/api\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5108\/revisions\/5373"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wellconnected.murad.com\/api\/wp\/v2\/media\/5170"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/wellconnected.murad.com\/api\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5108"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wellconnected.murad.com\/api\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5108"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wellconnected.murad.com\/api\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5108"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}