A Cup of Coffee

With so many cafes sprouting up all over India, Indians are suddenly consuming more coffee than they used to. Is this a healthy trend? In this articleWhat is caffeine?Can I drink coffee when I am pregnant?Does tea contain caffeine?What soft drinks contain caffeine?What effect will this have on my foetus?Can I have coffee immediately after a meal?How much caffeine am I taking in, in a day?Any tips to cut down caffeine consumption?What is caffeine? Caffeine is essentially a central nervous system stimulant, and is a mildly addictive drug. It causes your body to release adrenaline, which in turn causes pupils to dilate. Adrenaline further increases your heartbeat for a few minutes, which is not a harmful thing by itself. The liver releases sugar into the bloodstream and you feel energized. Caffeine is a mildly addictive drug. Can I drink coffee when I am pregnant? Yes you can. There is no need to stop drinking coffee when pregnant. A moderate intake (around 2 -3 cups a day) is perfectly harmless. (However, presuming that you add 2 spoons of sugar in your coffee, you are consuming around 6 spoons of sugar with 3 cups of coffee! Needless to say, this will cause a greater weight gain during pregnancy!) Research findings as to whether more than 3 cups of coffee in a day is harmful, is inconsistent. As a result, different doctors make different suggestions. We would encourage you to play safe when pregnant, and dont have more than 2 cups of coffee in a day. After all, caffeine is not present in coffee alone, and you never know in what other forms you are consuming it. Does tea contain caffeine? Yes, tea does contain caffeine. A cup of moderately brewed tea contains around 30% less caffeine than a cup of coffee does.What soft drinks contain caffeine? Soft drinks like Coke and Pepsi contain almost as much caffeine as does a cup of coffee. High energy drinks like Mountain Dew contain more caffeine than Coke. So if you must have two cups of coffee in a day, skip the soft drink and have a juice instead. Soft drinks like Citra and 7 Up contain no caffeine at all. What effect will this have on my foetus? When you consume a cup of coffee, your foetus feels a brief bout of stress, while your heartbeat and metabolism increase. This is equivalent to you running a short distance to catch that bus, and is not harmful for the foetus. However it is important to avoid drinking too much coffee. In addition, caffeine is a diuretic, which means that it prompts your body to lose water through urination. Thus, for every cup of coffee you consume, drink 2 additional glasses of water. If you drink coffee at night, you may have trouble falling asleep. Can I have coffee immediately after a meal? Coffee inhibits the bodys ability to absorb certain minerals like iron and calcium, so avoid consuming coffee within one hour of a meal. Its best to have coffee in the evenings, along with a light snack. How much caffeine am I taking in, in a day? A moderate caffeine intake is defined as around 300 mg of caffeine in a day. Heres how you can find out whether your caffeine intake is moderate or excessive. Decaffeinated coffees contain negligible amounts of caffeine (5 mg per cup). Instant coffees contain half the amount of caffeine than espressos (100 mg per cup) or cappuccinos (100 mg per cup) do. The more brewed the tea leaves, the more caffeine they contain. Heavily brewed and strong teas can contain more caffeine than a cup of cappuccino, while lightly brewed teas can contain around 30 mg of caffeine per cup. Chocolate contains around 10 to 15 mg of caffeine, while coffee based chocolates contain more. Pain relievers contain around 30 mg of caffeine. Any tips to cut down caffeine consumption? Switch to decaf coffee. Brew the coffee tea leaves for a shorter period. Stir the coffee directly into a cup of milk without heating the coffee separately in water. Switch to herb teas. Some of them do not contain caffeine. (Read the list of ingredients.)

With so many cafes sprouting up all over India, Indians are suddenly consuming more coffee than they used to. Is this a healthy trend?

What is caffeine?

Caffeine is essentially a central nervous system stimulant, and is a mildly addictive drug. It causes your body to release adrenaline, which in turn causes pupils to dilate. Adrenaline further increases your heartbeat for a few minutes, which is not a harmful thing by itself. The liver releases sugar into the bloodstream and you feel energized. Caffeine is a mildly addictive drug.

Can I drink coffee when I am pregnant?

Yes you can. There is no need to stop drinking coffee when pregnant. A moderate intake (around 2 -3 cups a day) is perfectly harmless. (However, presuming that you add 2 spoons of sugar in your coffee, you are consuming around 6 spoons of sugar with 3 cups of coffee! Needless to say, this will cause a greater weight gain during pregnancy!) Research findings as to whether more than 3 cups of coffee in a day is harmful, is inconsistent. As a result, different doctors make different suggestions. We would encourage you to play safe when pregnant, and don't have more than 2 cups of coffee in a day. After all, caffeine is not present in coffee alone, and you never know in what other forms you are consuming it.

Does tea contain caffeine?

Yes, tea does contain caffeine. A cup of moderately brewed tea contains around 30% less caffeine than a cup of coffee does.

What soft drinks contain caffeine?

Soft drinks like Coke and Pepsi contain almost as much caffeine as does a cup of coffee. High energy drinks like Mountain Dew contain more caffeine than Coke. So if you must have two cups of coffee in a day, skip the soft drink and have a juice instead. Soft drinks like Citra and 7 Up contain no caffeine at all.

What effect will this have on my foetus?

When you consume a cup of coffee, your foetus feels a brief bout of stress, while your heartbeat and metabolism increase. This is equivalent to you running a short distance to catch that bus, and is not harmful for the foetus. However it is important to avoid drinking too much coffee. In addition, caffeine is a diuretic, which means that it prompts your body to lose water through urination. Thus, for every cup of coffee you consume, drink 2 additional glasses of water. If you drink coffee at night, you may have trouble falling asleep.

Can I have coffee immediately after a meal?

Coffee inhibits the body's ability to absorb certain minerals like iron and calcium, so avoid consuming coffee within one hour of a meal. It's best to have coffee in the evenings, along with a light snack.

How much caffeine am I taking in, in a day?

A moderate caffeine intake is defined as around 300 mg of caffeine in a day. Here's how you can find out whether your caffeine intake is moderate or excessive.

• Decaffeinated coffees contain negligible amounts of caffeine (5 mg per cup).
• Instant coffees contain half the amount of caffeine than espressos (100 mg per cup) or cappuccinos (100 mg per cup) do.
• The more brewed the tea leaves, the more caffeine they contain. Heavily brewed and strong teas can contain more caffeine than a cup of cappuccino, while lightly brewed teas can contain around 30 mg of caffeine per cup.
• Chocolate contains around 10 to 15 mg of caffeine, while coffee based chocolates contain more.
• Pain relievers contain around 30 mg of caffeine.

Any tips to cut down caffeine consumption?

1. Switch to decaf coffee.
2. Brew the coffee tea leaves for a shorter period.
3. Stir the coffee directly into a cup of milk without heating the coffee separately in water.
4. Switch to herb teas. Some of them do not contain caffeine. (Read the list of ingredients.)