Caffeine: The Good, The Bad, The Truth
It’s in some of your favorite drinks. And while it may keep you up at night as you shuffle around names on your wedding reception seating chart, the benefits of ingesting caffeine far outweigh the downsides. So what exactly are the benefits of caffeine? Let us count the ways.
One, One Thousand…
It gives your memory a little boost. Seating charts, wedding registry lists, or studying for a big exam coming up, all might require staying up past your bed time. Or are you meeting with your boss about a sensitive issue that will require you to have perfect recall of past events? Want to cement a certain event into your memory forever? You may want to sip on a cup of coffee or your favorite caffeinated drink of choice.
Two, One Thousand…
It can help your brain work better. Going hand in hand with increased memory, caffeine’s brain-boosting capacity has long been appreciated by lovers of all things coffee. With a bit of caffeine in your body, your brain is on overdrive. Sound a bit frightening? When you finally come up with a solution to a problem that’s been plaguing you at work for months or figure out a cure for cancer, you get over your fear of caffeine pretty fast. So down a little caffeine when you need your brain to be at its peak.
Three, One Thousand…
It can give your energy levels a helping hand. Feeling a bit tired? Dragging your way around the office or the house? If your wedding planning to-do list is too big to just lie down and take a nap, you may want a caffeinated jolt to your system. As increased energy is one of the most beloved perks of caffeine, you can bet your bottom dollar that downing a few ounces of the liquid goodness will help you forge ahead and take on whatever life throws your way.
Four, One Thousand…
It may help you fend off all sorts of illnesses. Okay, caffeine may not be as good at keeping disease away as a healthy, well-balanced diet and regular exercise, but some studies have shown that the perky ingredient may actually lend a hand in fending off a number of troublesome and even deadly conditions. Conditions you may find some protection from via caffeine include liver disease, type 2 diabetes, and Parkinson’s disease.
It’s Not All Good
Despite all these great benefits, the downsides to getting too much caffeine in your system on a regular basis are real and can be really dangerous. In addition to keeping you awake at night and feeling tired the next day (unless you take another shot of caffeine in the morning), too much caffeine can give your blood pressure an unwanted rise and even increase your risk for heart disease.
Additionally, consuming excessive amounts of caffeine can cause you to be on edge and overreact, making big deals out of small issues that would normally not affect you. Drinking soda can also weaken women’s bones over time, and since caffeine is often in foods and drinks that lead to obesity, it can actually put you at higher risk for diabetes – a condition that caffeine is supposed to fend off. So before you start buying everything at the store that contains caffeine, weigh the pros and cons of caffeine. Also, consider other ways to boost your brain power, memory, and energy levels. Because while caffeine may offer an instant fix, working out at the gym frequently, going to bed at a decent hour every night, and eating a healthy diet do everything caffeine does without the potential negative side effects.