By: Abbey Susel, Student Nutritionist Coffee is a staple in many people's morning routines. No matter how you drink it, coffee may be affecting your health & mood -- or so some claim. Test your coffee knowledge with these fact or fiction questions! Fact or Fiction1. Coffee dehydrates you ...BOTH! The caffeine in your cup of joe is a diuretic, meaning it increases urine production. However, the amount of liquid in the coffee itself typically makes up for most of what's lost. So, if you're drinking one cup of coffee, you're probably alright. If you're consuming a significant amount of caffeine, you may be withholding valuable water from your body! 2. Coffee on an empty stomach raises levels of cortisol ...BOTH! Unfortunately, caffeine ALWAYS raises cortisol levels -- not just on an empty stomach. The compound increases both epinephrine & cortisol levels when you're at rest, as well as during periods of stress. However, cortisol has varying levels of influence depending on the individual. Cortisol is important for our body, but it's even more important that these levels are regulated. Other foods & beverages that may raise cortisol levels include processed meats, high sugar foods, and alcohol. 3. Decaf coffee contains caffeine FACT! You can find just about every variation of coffee these days. Half-caf, decaf, exta-caf... we've got it all! But just so you know -- decaf coffee still has caffeine. Granted, it has significantly less caffeine (~2-10 mg) than regular coffee (~95 mg). This 2 mg will have little noticeable effects on you, but it's in there! 4. Coffee is bad for you FICTION! Like all things, moderation is key. Adults should consume no more than 400mg of caffeine (~4 cups coffee) per day. If you drink too much, you can develop unfavorable symptoms such as nervousness, irritability, increased heart rate, high blood pressure, nausea, and even sadness. Don't let your joe get you down! People also suggest coffee is bad for your health due to its ability to cause weight gain. Yes, a medium Iced French Vanilla Latte from McDonalds will set you back 220 calories and 20g of added sugars. An Americano on the other hand won't set you back as all. This doesn't mean you shouldn't enjoy your coffee or fun flavors. It just means you should be aware. 5. Caffeine lasts in your system for 4-6 hours FACT! The FDA tells us that the half-life of caffeine is 4-6 hours. No, this doesn't mean your coffee is having a midlife crisis in your stomach. It means that up to six hours after your drink, half of the caffeine is still lingering in your system. This can be a good thing if you drink coffee early in the morning, but may cause you some trouble if you're an afternoon sipper. Half-caf may be better for an afternoon pick-me-up. The Bottom LineThings are not always what they seem. Many 'facts' or 'fictions' fall somewhere in between, making it hard to know definitively what the truth is. Do your research! Sourceshttps://www.ncausa.org/Decaffeinated-Coffee#:~:text=How%20much%20caffeine%20is%20in,about%2095%20mg%20of%20caffeine
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2249754/#:~:text=Caffeine%20may%20elevate%20cortisol%20by,peripheral%20metabolic%20mechanisms%20in%20women.&text=Caffeine%20is%20a%20widely%20consumed,in%20response%20to%20various%20stressors. https://www.fda.gov/consumers/consumer-updates/spilling-beans-how-much-caffeine-too-much https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/expert-answers/caffeinated-drinks/faq-20057965#:~:text=As%20a%20chemical%2C%20caffeine%20increases,of%20urine%20the%20body%20makes. https://www.bannerhealth.com/healthcareblog/better-me/can-certain-foods-increase-stress-and-anxiety#:~:text=How%20food%20affects%20stress%20and,for%20stress%2C%E2%80%9D%20she%20said.
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