Caffeine is one of the most ubiquitous drugs you can find. Available over-the-counter for a low price, it’s indispensable to some, and detested by others.
Some (most) people claim that they can’t do without it, and others ardently claim that coffee is the root of all evil, citing anecdotal evidence of feeling much better without it.
Let’s face facts. Scientifically speaking, coffee and caffeine has shown to give numerous benefits. Most pertinent would be the boost to mental and physical performance, and it’s favourable effect on fat burning and insulin sensitivity. For a great summary of the benefits of caffeine, check out Lyle MacDonald’s post on Caffeine, as well as the corresponding research paper which examined numerous studies on caffeine.
But as with any compound, some is good, and more is toxic. Recommendations for caffeine consumption lie between 400-500mg of caffeine per day; that’s about 3 x 250mL cups of brewed coffee. Anecdotally speaking, some athletes have seen no negative side effects dosing caffeine at 600mg per day. Values above this may give rise to issues in the long run, though the research is a little sketchy.
So the take home message is this: Coffee is not evil. Use it if you wish, but don’t abuse it [1].
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[1] To be more explicit, 3 cups of strong coffee (think starbucks long blacks) is about the limit which most people should go to. At that dosage, you will reap the benefits of coffee without any potential side effects. That said, the potential side effects aren’t known to a very certain degree. Personally, I’d stay on the safe side.
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