Caffeine in Moderation is not Dangerous

Caffeine in Moderation is not Dangerous

The news gets better as we go along. not only is tea lower in caffeine, but now it's been found that caffeine in moderation is not dangerous.

Numerous studies of caffeine have been made in the United States over the past decade. Most were concerned with coffee, but black tea, as an alternative beverage, has been involved by implication. Some early studies linked caffeine to pancreatic cancer and heart disease, but further recent research does not bear this out. In fact, so far no one has been able to prove any direct relationship between serious illness and beverage caffeine in moderate amounts.

Test have been unable to pinpoint such a relationship because many other factors must be considered (smoking, stress, lifestyle, diet, etc.). A broad study made in Norway originally stated that heavy coffee drinkers had higher blood cholesterol and triglyceride levels, but a second look showed that many of the subjects smoked, had a high fat consumption, and took insufficient exercise. "Coffee drinking may therefore indicate an unhealthy lifestyle," was the conclusion as reported in the Univercity of Californis's prestigious U.C. Berkeley Wellness Newsletter (July1988).

The caffeine in coffee or tea drunk in moderation should not harm a healthy person, says the newsletter, or even give rise to the jitters known as coffee nerves. Pregnant women and nursing mothers are urged, however, not to exceed moderation levels, and persons with irregular heartbeats might be better off with no caffeine-containing beverages. Moderation is defined as 200 to 250 milligrams per day, about the equivalent of the caffeine in two cups of coffee. In that case, drinkers of tea, with its lower caffeine content, should have no problem. Physicians have long prescribed caffeine in medicines. Studies are now putting less emphasis on caffeine as a danger and more on its uses to benefit health.

Caffeine stimulates movement of the intestinal tract and increase the flow of digestive juices. This could be one reason why a cup of tea after a greasy meal helps dissipate the fat and alleviates the feeling of discomfort.

[ Top ]   [ Back to tea and your health ]