Caffeine Test

Have you had your first cup of coffee yet today? If so then youve ingested about 100 mg of caffeine. If youre on your second or third cup of coffee, youre close to the recommended upper limit for daily caffeine consumption. For many that leads to a love-hate relationship with all things caffeine. People love the way they feel when they have it and hate the way they feel when they dont.

But is caffeine really that bad for us?

Caffeine has been in our diets since the first cup of tea was sipped in China in 10th century BC. Since then, the history of the world can be traced to the distribution of caffeine-rich tea from Asia, coffee beans from Africa and cocoa from South America. Today caffeine is the most widely used drug in the world.

To help you deal with your caffeine habit, Ive prepared a Q/A to report on the latest research.

Are there any health benefits to caffeine?

Yes, caffeine is an antioxidant and helps fight the free radicals found in the body that attack healthy cells and cause disease. The anti-inflammatory effects of caffeine also improve immune function and caffeine can help with allergic reactions by its anti-histamine action.

Does caffeine increase the risk for heart disease?

No, several large studies found no link between caffeine and elevated cholesterol levels or increased risk for cardiovascular disease. Caffeine does cause a temporary rise in blood pressure in those who are sensitive to it, but more research is need to determine if it increases the risk for stroke in people who have hypertension.

Can caffeine cause osteoporosis?

No, not if there is adequate calcium in the diet. Consuming more than 700 mg a day may increase calcium losses in urine, but adding one ounce of milk to a cup of coffee will replace these losses.

Is caffeine a diuretic?

Yes, caffeine will increase the need to urinate, but it does not lead to excessive fluid losses. The amount excreted is not greater than the amount of fluid contained in the caffeine-containing beverage consumed.

Is the amount of caffeine in a cup of coffee always the same?

No, the amount can differ widely from cup to cup brewed from the same brand and among different brands. Even decaffeinated coffee contains some caffeine.

Are there any groups that should limit their intake of caffeine?

Yes, according to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists pregnant women should have no more than 200 mg of caffeine per day, or the amount of caffeine in about 12 ounces of coffee. Women who drink larger amounts than that appear to have an increased risk of miscarriage compared to moderate drinkers and non-drinkers.

Is caffeine safe for children?

Yes, in moderation. Studies suggest that children can consume up to 300 mg of caffeine a day, although some children may be more sensitive than others its stimulant effects. The introduction of energy drinks containing caffeine has made it easier for children to get more than they should.

Are coffee and tea the main sources of caffeine in the diet?

Yes, but other sources include cola beverages, chocolate, energy drinks, over-the-counter pain relievers, cold medicines, and some diet pills.

Is caffeine addictive?

Maybe, depending on how you define addictive. Caffeine stimulates the central nervous system and can cause mild physical dependence if used regularly. If you stop consuming it you may experience withdrawal symptoms including headache, anxiety, fatigue, and difficulty concentrating. It does not, however, interfere with your physical, social or economic well-being the way additive drugs do.

When did you first experience the effects of caffeine?

We realise, asking you to sacrifice your daily caffeine intake is almost criminal. But when you consider the motivation behind giving up the good stuff, you’ll thank us.

Cult Swedish label Acne has enticed us with its latest spring summer offering, one that is worthy of giving up your mocha indulgence; the Romantic skirt. Pretty-in-pastel option, the Romantic skirt had us at hello.

A bubble of frothy taffeta goodness in an oh-so-now chalky jade; the Romantic skirt is a worthy addition to your summer wardrobe. A caffeine detox resulting in a wardrobe retox sounds like a match made in fashion heaven. We’re in.

100 x Large Caffe Nero White Chocolate Mochas @ £3.15 = Acne Romantic skirt, £315, available at Selfridges

THE Hungry Mum loves coffee, but would rather go without than consume a second-rate brew.

Luckily the crew at the funky Swallow Coffee Traders at Rockdale understands that people are becoming more demanding about their daily caffeine fix and are passionate about their coffee.

Co-owner Jess Hol could talk beans all day if you let her and loves nothing more than encouraging customers to try new beans and coffee styles.

”We encourage people to taste different flavour profiles by adding less sugar and having less milk,” she said.

”We specialise in coffee; not many other cafes here do.”

Fellow bean freaks seek out the hole-in-the-wall for its single origin brews, relaxing vibe and staff who know their espresso machine.

She explained that single origin beans allow punters to taste flavours unique to a particular growing area, and there is also a house blend.

”Some South American coffee beans taste like chocolate and some from Mexico taste like fruit salad,” she said.

As well as coffee, Swallow offers a petite breakfast and lunch menu including toasties, home-made granola and banana bread.

Everything is made in-house and all beans are fair trade and organic, Ms Hol said.

Do you have a favourite coffee shop? Click on the comment link below to share your tips.

Or see more food ideas and recipes at thehungrymum.wordpress.com/

As for the product itself, AeroShot delivers 100 mg of caffeine, roughly the same as a large cup of coffee. The first iteration is lime-flavored to mask caffeine’s natural bitterness (raspberry will be out at some point in 2012), and users more or less huff the amount of powder they want right out of the tube. It works quickly and contains no calories, although Edwards sees the AeroShot more as a pick-me-up than the primary source of caffeine. “I have to have espresso in the morning, but I never have coffee in the afternoon or I’m up all night, so a small puff of AeroShot is perfect,” he says.

In its short lifespan, AeroShot has been controversial. New York Senator Charles Schumer compared it to the infamous Four Loko, while the FDA sent the company a warning letter regarding the wording on its packaging. Hadfield didn’t want to comment specifically on Schumer’s charges, other than to say the product is not intended for anyone under 18 or to be mixed with alcohol.

Time will tell if an over-caffeinated nation will be receptive to a new receptacle. And at under $3, it might seem like a stretch that the AeroShot is Hadfield’s “billion-dollar idea,” except that those two-ounce bottles known as 5-Hour Energy went from zero to $1 billion in eight short years.

Whatever the case, Edwards and Hadfield will be onto the next thing, no matter how crazy it might sound. A big secret to successful entrepreneurship is to ignore the risks around you by having friends and colleagues who agree to ignore those risks as well, Edwards says. Through the experience, you create incredible bonds and do amazing things.

Does AeroShot work? Here are the findings in a highly-unscientific taste test by four New Yorkers who agreed to forgo their regular daily caffeine intake.

Nat K., social media strategist: I wouldn’t say it’s an enjoyable experience, but it works if you need to wake up right now. At 6:45 am, I was focused and ready to clean the house. Here’s the bizarre thing: The second time, late in the afternoon, it was like chasing the dragon. The AeroShot didn’t have the same effect, and I missed how strong it hit me in the morning.

Amy S., speech therapist: I need coffee first thing in the morning. Without it, my brain couldn’t figure out how to use the tube. I felt like it took the truly enjoyable experience of morning coffee and turned it into something weird.

Clay R., newspaper editor: I failed in the morning because the instructions arent clear. They show you put it up close to your mouth and breath, but because the stuff is just fine powder, not a mist of any sort, it doesnt pop out. I think youre supposed to more or less bite down on it and then breath at the same instant you compress the container. I tried again in the afternoon — did it right this time. Definitely got a few good hits in, but the high was minimal, very subtle. What stuck with me was the flavor, an intense chemical citrus. It was like inhaling sugar straws.

Patrick S., freelance writer: The first time, I didn’t realize which end to suck on. The second time, it worked fast and gave me a solid caffeine buzz. I wasn’t crazy about the lime flavoring — tasted like chewing Gatorade gum while drinking a latte.

Im about to start touring the country to find the next Miranda Kerr! DOLLY has brought back the Original DOLLY Model Search after a 10 year hiatus and were hitting the road to find a girl who will, just like former winner Miranda, serve as a role model and inspiration for other teens.

What do you miss about Sydney when youre overseas?

Apart from the team at DOLLY HQ (seriously, it IS as fun as it looks) I miss walking through Hyde Park every morning to work (our city parks are just sensational), my niece and two nephews (they are the most adorable kids to ever walk the planet) and the love of my life my cat Armani (I promise I didnt give him that name, he came with it when I adopted him from the rescue shelter).

Whats your go-to place for great theatre /comedy /etc in Sydney?

Sadly, youre more likely to find me at a Twilight marathon screening than seeing theatre I think I lack the culture gene! I love the Dendy Opera Quays for a seat with a view post-screening.

Where do you like to eat in Sydney?

My new obsession is Sushi Yachiyo in Kings Cross its fresh and delicious Japanese (with a decent sake list too). For a local breakfast I hit Garden Life in Surry Hills, Home Thai on Sussex Street in the city is a staple for a cheap (and super tasty) lunch and I cant go past Ms Gs in Darlinghurst for drinks and dinner with friends.

Whats your fondest Sydney memory?

Im Sydney born and bred I have so many! But probably my favourite memories from childhood is of mum skiving off work early to take us down to Balmoral Beach for an afternoon swim and fish and chips dinner in summer.

Whats your favourite Sydney bar or pub?

It may be due to proximity (seriously, its a two second walk from home!) but probably a cocktail at The Norfolk on Cleveland Street.

How about a favourite shop?

I may lack the culture gene but I definitely didnt miss the shopping one The Standard Store on Crown Street is my whoops, accidentally bought a top/jacket/skirt on the way home from work drop in, David Met Nicole on Cleveland Street for cute gifts and knick knacks and Vampt Vintage Design on Elizabeth Street for art deco furniture porn.

Where do you head for good coffee?

I get my daily caffeine hit from Bambini Trust just around the corner from the DOLLY office. I actually miss it when Im on annual leave!

Do you have a favourite only-in-Sydney activity

I love the ocean and the beach so probably either the Manly ferry run or the Bondi-to-Bronte coastal walk.

The original model search is back after a ten-year hiatus and all teenage girls aged 13 to 18 are invited to enter.
Westfield Paramatta 159-175 Church Street, Parramatta, NSW 2150
Saturday, March 10 9:45AM Registration desk opens

ANCHORAGE – The usual chitchat at coffee stands has taken a somber turn in light of Samantha Koenigs kidnapping.

Coffee lovers are reminded of the incident every time they drive up for their daily caffeine fix; almost every stand around town has flyers up in their windows with information about Koenigs abduction.

At the Kodiak Kup, near 36th and Arctic, baristas say there are surveillance cameras capturing video and audio and all of the girls are now coming to work with a little something extra.

Pepper spray, and we just try to check as much as we can. We lock the doors. We check on each other a lot. I have girls come in here all the time, said barista Jordan Cummings.

Her co-worker Sari Phillips said, I know a lot of girls are scared that work in coffee shops. My family got me pepper spray. I know a lot of girls families are doing that.

Theres also a door with bars on the back of the shop and employees say owners are doing what they can to make sure the inside and outside of the stand are well protected.

Up until this happened a lot of us felt safe. Lighting is really important, weve been trying to light the sides really well, said Cummings.

Baristas at Qwik Cup Espresso near International and C Street are watched by six cameras with audio that their boss can see instantly on her phone, and they keep a can of bear mace by each window.

They say theyre fortunate to have a good group of customers looking out for them and hope getting the word out about Samantha will bring her back home safely.

This shouldnt happen, especially in our small little town at the coffee shop around the corner, thats really scary, said Qwik Cup barista Christina Johnson.

Anchorage Police Detectives investigating the kidnapping say the best thing baristas can do if a person tries to rob a coffee stand is to give the person the money and do whatever they can to stay inside the building.

Sports drinks, sports bars, protein powders and meal replacement drinks are regulated as food in Canada, which means there are no requirements for nutrition stores to prohibit teenagers from buying them.

Craig Ronan, who owns Popeye’s Supplements on Chemong Rd. and sells products such as Razor 8, said he’s not obligated to refuse customers based on their age but says that doesn’t mean it will recommend them.

“If a 15-year-old goes into Mac’s and buys three red bulls, are they going to stop him?” he said. “There are no regulations saying I can’t sell it to him.”

That doesn’t mean he’s going to recommend products he doesn’t believe will benefit his customers, he said.

From teenagers to seniors, Ronan said he works with customers to find the best products to meet their needs.

“You don’t just recommend any old product to anybody,” he said.

But the companies that make supplements such as pre-work out powders and protein shakes tend to target teens in marketing strategies, encouraging them to buy products that are unproven or that could even be harmful, Peterborough County-City Health Unit public health nutritionist Erica Diamond said.

“It’s enticing for youth due to the marketing around such products. Youth are buying into it,” she said.

MacDonald said her son works out 45 minutes a day, about four times a week and purchased the product on the recommendation of a cousin.

“I told him there is no way he’s using this stuff,” she said, adding that he already uses protein powder. “He doesn’t need it.”

Many of the ingredients that find their way into protein powders and sport supplements have yet to be fully researched, meaning the effectiveness and risks of such products are unknown, Diamond said.

“You don’t know if it’s safe or if it’s effective. The research isn’t there,” she said. “We highly caution parents. Due to the lack of research we wouldn’t recommend (these products).”

Ronan disagrees. Given the amount of processed foods in the North American diet, Ronan said there are benefits to many supplements such as fish oils, Vege Greens products and whey protein mixes sold in his store.

“The nutrient value in the majority of Canadians’ diets is terrible,” he said. “A lot of people eat out of a box, which is ridiculously high in fat, sodium and everything else.”

Diamond said it’s often difficult for trained dieticians to discern what ingredients make up many of these supplements, so it makes it that much harder for parents to make informed choices.

“As a dietician we often caution people, when you see an ingredient on a nutrition fact table that’s not part of the core nutrients…all these ingredients such as enzymes and amino acids, there is really not enough research to know whether or not they even do anything,” she said. “Most Canadians are getting a sufficient amount of protein just from their diet, so they don’t really need more protein.”

Ronan said pre-workout powders such as Razor 8 allow a user’s body to endure more stress and aren’t necessarily designed to give an energy boost.

Razor 8 includes a significant amount of “pharmaceutical grade synthetic caffeine.” The product, which contains 182 milligrams of caffeine per half-scoop, warns not to take more than two scoops per day, which would amount to about 728 milligrams.

In contrast, the typical 12-ounce soft drink includes about 30 to 55 milligrams of caffeine while an eight-ounce Red Bull includes about 80 milligrams.

Health Canada recommends an adult daily caffeine intake of no more than 400 milligrams, which Diamond says is the equivalent of about three cups of coffee.

The verdict is still out on how much caffeine is safe for adolescents, but Health Canada suggests youth should intake significantly less caffeine than adults. For example, a 150-pound youth 13 or older should only be taking in about 135 milligrams per day, Health Canada recommends.

When it comes to supplements, it’s a buyer beware situation, Diamond concluded.

“Bottom line, if you are thinking of supplementing, ask yourself do the risks outweigh the benefits?” she said. “There are no shortage of products on the market, unfortunately, many do not work as claimed or haven’t been well enough studied to determine how well they work.”

Ronan said parents and their teenagers should do their own research and come to their own conclusions. There are many supplements that can benefit teenagers, particularly those participating in sports, he said.

“It would be to their advantage, parents and their children, that they did their own research and understood what protein and carbohydrates and fat can do in the body and realize that protein is very important,” he said.

As for parents, MacDonald said they need to keep a keen eye out for the products their children may be buying.

“I think parents should be aware that your 12-year-old could go in and buy this stuff,” she said.

target=_blank>geagle@peterboroughexaminer.com

Get ready for confusion, mayhem and panic in the streets on Monday, when Tim Hortons changes the names of its coffee cup sizes.

We need a revolution. Im serious. An uprising of all the people who order medium, said toolmaker Alex Gonzales when he was informed about the change. Well gather everyone who doesnt like this idea and have a huge, mass protest.

When you order your usual medium double-double on Monday, prepare to be asked if you mean the new medium or the old medium. Tim Hortons is introducing a new 710-millilitre size and calling it extra large, making the old, 591-millilitre extra large a large, the old large a medium, and on down to extra small (the coffee size formerly known as small).

Confusing? Nonsense, said Michelle Robichaud, manager of public relations at Tim Hortons. When you want a really big cup of coffee, youre going to ask for an extra large, and when you want something really small youre going to ask for the extra small.

It would have been more confusing to keep calling the old extra large by the same name when it wasnt the biggest size, she said. Robichaud said Tim Hortons is introducing the new size in response to customer demand – and certainly not to keep up with competition from Starbucks, which introduced a 961-millilitre cold drink size called the trenta last year, which is larger than the average capacity of the human stomach.

A preference for super-sized beverages can come at a health cost. Anyone who gets to the bottom of the new extra large size will have already reached their daily caffeine limit as recommended by Health Canada, according to Neil MacKenzie, the manager of the Windsor Essex County Health Units nutrition program.

Not only that, but people who take their coffee with cream and sugar will have to add more to get it to taste the way theyre used to, he said.

When it comes to our diet, we have a problem, and its too many calories, too much fat and too many empty calories. So its something that people might perceive as getting a better value, but its not such a good deal nutritionally.

Robichaud said customers concerned about the health impact of a 710-millilitre beverage are free to order a smaller one. Canadian Tim Hortons locations will continue to carry the 237-millilitre size, unlike American franchises that have already stopped offering the old small.

Certainly for some customers it might be the right size and for other customers, they might choose to order the extra small at eight ounces. Its really up to the individual customer, Robichaud said.

Arnold Goldman, 66, said he wont be joining Gonzaless revolution. Who cares? he said.

Its not too big, for the people who want that size. Its perfect, for those people, he said. I think people who drink coffee only care that theyre drinking coffee. Health is not an issue. And people who dont drink coffee shouldnt have anything to say about it.

cbrownell@windsorstar.com

or Twitter.com/clabrow

Starbucks to open UK franchises as profits jump

Starbucks posted strong profits as customers refused to give up their daily
caffeine fix despite austerity measures and a global slowdown and said it
planned to open it first-ever franchise in Britain.

9. A few squares or a small bar of dark chocolate deliver a burst of caffeine and are digested slowly.

10. Yogurt contains the amino acid tyrosine which aids alertness and memory, according to research carried out by the US military.

11. Use sage in your cooking. It inhibits an enzyme that breaks down acetylcholine, thus helping to protect memory function.

Drink
12. Your daily caffeine fix doesnt have to be bad for you. A recent Finnish study showed that three to five cups of coffee a day, drunk in middle age, can cut your risk of dementia later in life by two thirds. Caffeine stimulates the regions of the brain that can regulate wakefulness and concentration. Too much, however, causes paranoia and shakes.

13. Drink a daily glass of apple juice. This is believed to delay the onset of dementia by reducing the amount of the plaque in the brain that is believed to impair memory. It is also rich in polyphenols, a type of antioxidant that helps mop up chemicals known to damage and age cells.

14. We all know binge drinking is bad for you (it stops the brain repairing itself) but a tipple or two (one to seven units a week) may improve memory. One Japanese study found that those who drank one small alcoholic drink a day functioned better mentally when they got older than those who did not drink at all. Italian scientists have claimed that wine can dramatically improve the effectiveness of the enzyme MAP kinase which regenerates brain cells.

15. Make sure you drink enough water. Dehydration can cause problems with concentration and alertness because if you don’t drink enough water your blood volume decreases. Blood transports nutrients to the brain and when the blood volume decreases there is less oxygen as well as other nutrients to nourish, replenish and grow new cells. Drink six to eight glasses a day.

16. Have a cup of green tea daily. It is full of antioxidants and is said to prevent a build up of amyloid plaques which reduce brain function.

17. Replace normal milk with soya. Plant oestrogens in it act on receptors in the brain, particularly in the area associated with memory.

Supplements and essential oils
18. A deficiency of zinc (found in oysters, red meat and peanuts) can interfere with memory. Take a supplement of 7-9mg daily.

19. Introduce an iron supplement if you dont get enough in your diet. A lack of it causes low haemoglobin levels which affect the supply of oxygen to the brain. An iron-rich drink like Spatone can also help. 20. Ginko has been used for memory enhancement in Eastern cultures for thousands of years. Available in capsule and liquid extract form it is thought to improve blood circulation to the brain by dilating vessels and increasing the oxygen supply. It also mops up free radicals.

21. Take B vitamins which sharpen senses and boost memory. B3 is good for brain enhancement, B6
is essential for the manufacture of neuro transmitters while B12 is important for brain cell health.

22. Make sure you get enough omega-3 fatty acids. The brain is 60 per cent fat and one of the best ways of making it function better is to consume omega-3 which helps build connections between nerve cells. Available in supplements, other sources include flax seed oil and pumpkin seeds.

23. Massage with essential oils is thought to relax the tissues of the brain and boost alkaloids that help it function. Most beneficial are rosemary oil (a memory enhancer), peppermint oil, lavender oil, sweet orange oil and cardamom oil.

Mental exercise
24. The memory is like any other organ – you need to keep it in shape. Any demand on the brain brings benign, moderate stress that increases levels of the chemical messenger noradrenaline which boosts the rate at which connections form between brain cells, making you sharper and quicker. Do puzzles such as sudoku or crosswords. You’ll find both in the Daily Express every day.

25. Play games such as memorising lists of words or people’s names by positioning them at different points on an imaginary map of a familiar journey – your route from home to the shops, for instance.

26. Train your brain with problem-solving tasks such as counting the syllables in a sentence or completing 20 simple sums as quickly as possible.

27. Take up studying again. Learning another language is one of the most mentally demanding things you can do because it forces the brain to switch tracks constantly. The more educated you are, the more densely connected the cells in the left half of the brain which handles language and communication. It doesn’t matter how old you are when you acquire your education, the brain makes new connections.

28. Challenge your mind by breaking a couple of habits daily, such as using the “wrong” hand to work a computer mouse or just changing your route to work.

29. Computer games are not just for teenagers. Try on-screen brain training. Some even come with a brain diary so you canmonitor your mental speed and agility.

Physical exercise
30. Try to be active for 30 minutes five times a week.

Exercise improves blood flow to the brain and reduces the risk of certain types of dementia by a quarter, according to an Italian study.

One American experiment found that it may protect against memory lapses by improving blood sugar levels.

A study this year also revealed that people who are obese in middle age are at almost four times greater risk of developing dementia in later life than people of normal weight.

31. Walk to the shops rather than driving and do your own housework. Exercise doesn’t have to mean going down to the gym and anything that raises your heartbeat counts.

32. Get out in the garden. A bit of weeding and pruning can constitute a work-out and has the added beneficial effect of allowing all that fresh air to clear out the mind of stressful thoughts.

33. Give dancing a go. The tango in particular has been identified as reducing the risk of developing Alzheimer’s by 75 per cent because of the mental as well as physical effort required.

34. Have sex. A bit of nookie can not only provide exercise but could also improve brain power. Sex increases levels of the hormone oxytocin, which aids the ability to solve problems, and increases levels of serotonin which helps creativity and logic.

Lifestyle
35. Be sociable. Age-related cognitive decline is worse if you withdraw from contact with family and friends. Walking is good but going for a walk with someone is even better. Ditto doing crosswords together. Some parts of the brain need company to become activated.

36. Take up bridge. It is a sociable pastime as well as being a challenging game.

37. Join a choir. Singing makes you take deep breaths whichpushes more oxygen into the brain. Memorising words, melodies and rhythms is a great neural workout.

38. Be a giver. Research shows displaying affection or helping others gives us a buzz which stimulates brain power.

39. Don’t stint on sleep. Staying awake for 21 hours straight makes the mind behave as if you were drunk. Sleep is when the brain processes information and stores new memories.

Things to avoid

40. Don’t smoke. It damages the blood vessels that take oxygen to the brain. One study found that heavy smokers risked developing Alzheimer’s six to seven years earlier than non-smokers.

41. Don’t get square eyes. One study of 30,000 Australians found that people who watch less than one hour of TV a day have a better memory than those who watch more.

42. Don’t suffer in silence. Deal with pain as soon as you can. Attempting to cope with discomfort actually takes brain power and evidence from one American study showed that people who suffered from severe back pain for more than 12 months had up to 11 per cent fewer cells in the areas of their brain that control learning.

43. Avoid trauma to the head.
Don’t take dangerous risks such as cycling without a helmet or playing rough sports with no protection. Doctors believe that head injuries can lead to deposits forming in the brain which can cause dementia.

44. Avoid harmful, chronic
stress. It has been shown to be linked with short-term memory loss as well as Alzheimer’s.

45. Resist reaching for the salt cellar every time you eat. Too much salt is thought to cause high blood pressure which has been linked with memory problems and early dementia.