Caffeine: Is it Addictive? What is Too Much? Does It Aggravate Sleep Apnea?

That fresh cup of coffee in the morning really seems to get a lot of folks moving in the morning. On a quest to find out more about caffeine, I learned a number of things about it that were “news” to me and thought I’d share some of them.

First of all, caffeine is not addictive no matter how much you may “need” it in the morning. Caffeine is a mild stimulant that helps restore mental alertness but it doesn’t meet the scientific definition of an addictive substance, which includes:

·         posing a threat to individuals or society

·         having a strong compulsion to use caffeine; rather caffeine can be described as a dedicated habit

·         reinforcing effects from caffeine may really be the coffee—including the aroma, taste, and social environment associated with it

·         treatment and avoidance of symptoms of withdrawal are easily accomplished by reducing the doses of caffeine taken in over a week’s period

Second, I’ve heard that the caffeine content in light roast coffee is higher than in dark roast coffee. Have you heard that too? Turns out it can be difficult to actually measure this. Caffeine levels in coffee vary depending on several factors, including coffee bean type, geography and harvest, as well as consumer brewing method, time and cup size.

Third, caffeine has a very bitter taste and that most caffeinated products actually use buffering agents to hide the natural bitterness of caffeine. One exception to this may be root beer, which uses caffeine to help produce that biting

Fourth, how much is too much caffeine? According to the Mayo Clinic’s website, moderate doses of caffeine—200 to 300 mg a day—aren’t harmful. To give this some perspective, I checked the on the amount of caffeine in our most popular drinks and here’s what I found at the American Beverage Association:

·         coffee - an 8 ounce cup of coffee can have between 104 mg and 192 mg of caffeine

·         decaf coffee - decaf has between 2 mg and 4 mg per cup

·         brewed tea - an 8 ounce cup of brewed team has 20 to 90 mg of caffeine; the same amount of iced tea has between 9 and 50 mg

·         soft drink - 8 ounces of soft drink has between 20 and 40 mg of caffeine

Too much caffeine—between 500 and 600 mg a day—can cause some unpleasant side effects such as insomnia, nervousness, restlessness, irritability, stomach upset, fast heartbeat, and muscle tremors. And, some people are more sensitive to caffeine so a little caffeine can cause these same effects.

Finally, some have wondered if there is a connection between sleep apnea and caffeine. According to Timothy Morgenthaler, M.D. at the Mayo Clinic, caffeine is not a factor that causes or aggravates sleep apnea. In fact, caffeine is sometimes prescribed for premature infants to reduce episodes of interrupted breathing during sleep.  

What caffeine myths can you dispel? Share them here.