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t_Articles
People throughout Asia have enjoyed foods and beverages containing
caffeine for thousands of years. Whether green, black or oolong, tea has
been savoured in Asia for almost 5,000 years. Coffee, a relative
newcomer discovered some 1,000 years ago, continues to bring people
together in the coffee houses and cybercafes springing up across the
region. Over the last hundred years, cola drinks, ready-to-drink tea and
coffee beverages and a new crop of "energy drinks" have steadily gained
in popularity.
All these beverages have a common ingredient - caffeine. Although
products containing caffeine have been enjoyed all over the world for
centuries, there are still many misperceptions about this common food
component. Food Facts Asia looks at some of the more common myths
regarding caffeine.
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MYTH:
Caffeine's effects are addictive.
FACT:
People
often say they are "addicted" to caffeine in much the same way they
say they are "addicted" to shopping, working or television. The term
"addiction" actually refers to a strong dependence on a drug
characterised by severe withdrawal symptoms, tolerance to a given
dose and the loss of control or the need to consume more and more of
the substance at any cost. Addicts tend to exhibit anti-social
behaviour or even commit crimes to perpetuate the abuse. Consumers
of caffeine-containing beverages do not fall into this category. The
Diagnostic and Statistical Manual for Mental Disorders (1994), a
document that characterises various addictions, does not list
caffeine as a substance that causes addiction. According to the
World Health Organization, "There is no evidence whatsoever that
caffeine use has even remotely comparable physical and social
consequences which are associated with serious drugs of abuse."
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MYTH: Pregnant women should
avoid caffeine.
FACT:
Just as with nearly everything else they do, pregnant women can take
caffeine in moderation. Many women find they experience taste
changes during pregnancy and cannot drink tea or coffee. For those
who continue to enjoy their tea and coffee, most physicians and
researchers agree that moderate amounts of coffee daily will have no
adverse effects on the outcome of the pregnancy or the infant's
health. |
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MYTH: Caffeine is a risk
factor for osteoporosis.
FACT:
The established risk factors for osteoporosis are insufficient
dietary calcium and vitamin D, high protein diets, smoking, the
onset of menopause, low oestrogen levels, low body weight and a lack
of physical activity. Several well-controlled studies have concluded
that consuming moderate amounts of caffeine does not increase the
risk of developing osteoporosis. A 1994 National Institute of Health
Consensus Statement on optimal bone health does not list caffeine
amongst the risk factors which modify calcium balance and influence
bone mass. A study by Penn State Medical School found that lifetime
consumption of caffeine (up to 800 mg daily or the equivalent of 6-7
cups of coffee a day) had no effect on bone density in 188
post-menopausal women.
Nevertheless, caffeine does cause a small amount of calcium to be
lost in the urine – about the amount in one to two tablespoons of
milk per cup of tea or coffee. For this reason, nutritionists
recommend that women take their coffee with added milk, drink one
extra glass of milk daily or take a calcium supplement if they are
heavy coffee drinkers (over 5 cups of coffee daily).
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MYTH: Caffeine increases the
risk of heart disease.
FACT:
Despite previous controversy on the subject, scientists now agree
that regular caffeine use has little or no effect on blood pressure,
cholesterol levels or risk of heart disease.
Studies show that while first-time caffeine use can cause a
slight increase in blood pressure (similar to that experienced when
walking up stairs), the changes are minimal and disappear with
regular use.
It has also been found that only boiled, unfiltered coffee, such
as that taken in some Scandinavian countries, elevates cholesterol.
It seems the oils in the coffee that are not filtered out are
responsible for this effect, not the coffee or caffeine. Consumption
of caffeine-containing beverages does not typically affect
cholesterol levels. |
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MYTH: Caffeine causes cancer.
FACT:
Substantial scientific evidence demonstrates that caffeine is not a
risk factor for cancer. A number of human epidemiological studies
have examined the risk of developing cancer at different locations
in the body. Two studies of large numbers of people in Norway and
Hawaii found no relationship between regular coffee consumption and
cancer risk. Two projects conducted on caffeine - one in Japan and
the other in Germany - demonstrated no link between caffeine
consumption and the incidence of tumours in test animals. This
confirms the position of the American Cancer Society, that states,
"Available information does not suggest a recommendation against the
moderate use of coffee. There is no indication that caffeine, a
natural component of both coffee and tea, is a risk factor in human
cancer." |
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MYTH: Caffeine adversely
affects the health of children.
FACT:
Children generally consume much less caffeine than adults do, since
soft drinks and tea are their primary sources of caffeine. Children
generally have the same ability to process caffeine as adults.
Studies have shown that foods and drinks containing caffeine, when
taken in moderate amounts, have no detectable effects on activity
levels or attention spans in children. |
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MYTH: Caffeine has no health
benefits.
FACT:
Recent research has found some surprising health benefits associated
with caffeine consumption. Many caffeine-containing beverages, most
notably tea and more recently coffee, have been found to contain
antioxidants. Antioxidants may have health benefits in terms of
heart health and cancer prevention.
Caffeine is well recognised as increasing both alertness levels
and attention spans. A cup of coffee or tea is often recommended to
counter sleepiness, especially for those driving long distances and
many people resort to an afternoon "cuppa" to get back on top of
their workload.
Recent reports suggest that caffeine may be useful in treating
allergic reactions due to its ability to reduce the concentration of
histamines, the typical body response to an allergy-causing
substance. More research is needed in this area before conclusions
can be drawn. Caffeine has long been known to help many people
suffering from asthma.
There is also evidence to suggest that caffeine may reduce the
risk of kidney stones. |
Please refer to the article under the heading Caffeine Content of
Foods & Beverages for further information.
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