# Is caffiene bad for you? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 5, 2000, 3:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-caffiene-bad-for-you/44080 "2000-12-05T03:49:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Peppy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c37758/32.png) [@Peppy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peppy)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2000, 3:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-caffiene-bad-for-you/44080/1 "2000-12-05T03:49:39Z")
I was just perusing through past threads and i came across a coffee thread. bottom line, i usually drink 2 extra large tim horton blacks every day. is this bad for me. aside from it’s stimulatory effects and annoying diuretic effects, will caffiene cause any problems years down the road? something to do with it hitting receptors in the periaquaductal grey area in the brain. (?) no, completely wrong? wake up and smell the coffee? thanks in advance ---
**Author:** ![Happy\_Feet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c77e96/32.png) [@Happy\_Feet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Feet)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2000, 3:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-caffiene-bad-for-you/44080/2 "2000-12-05T03:53:37Z")
Cmon man, is a frog’s butt water-tight? ---
**Author:** ![Peppy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c37758/32.png) [@Peppy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peppy)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2000, 3:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-caffiene-bad-for-you/44080/3 "2000-12-05T03:57:03Z")
frog’s butt? as far as i know they’re are quite liquid/gas permeable. i’m not sure i know what you mean. are you saying no? ---
**Author:** ![meepins](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ee59a6/32.png) [@meepins](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/meepins)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2000, 3:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-caffiene-bad-for-you/44080/4 "2000-12-05T03:58:52Z")
A major study performed in Northern California showed that there was a relatively weak link between caffeine and heart attack risk, but not to other cardiovascular conditions (such as a stroke). Also, the Journal of AMA reported a finding that caffeine could increase the possibility of Osteoporosis: “There was a significant association between (drinking more) caffeinated coffee and decreasing bone mineral density at both the hip and the spine, independent of age, obesity, years since menopause, and the use of tobacco, estrogen, alcohol, thiazides, and calcium supplements [in women].” ---
**Author:** ![bibliophage](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bibliophage/32/7615_2.png) [@bibliophage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bibliophage)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2000, 4:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-caffiene-bad-for-you/44080/5 "2000-12-05T04:26:06Z")
Small early studies have linked caffeine to various health problems, but time after time, larger studies have failed to reach the same conclusions. See [Caffeine and women’s health](http://ificinfo.health.org/brochure/caff-wh.htm) (much of the information applies to men as well). Some of the earlier studies in the U.S. that linked heart disease and coffee were conducted when most coffee was percolated. More recent studies have been conducted since filtered coffee has become common. There are substances in unfiltered coffee called diterpenes that may raise cholesterol. See [Coffee and cholesterol](http://www.health.harvard.edu/Men/Nov_1999/1199a.html) Some studies indicate caffeine may even have a few health _benefits_. (Further studies may not bear these out). See [Coffee may prevent gallstones](http://onhealth.webmd.com/conditions/briefs/item%2C40657.asp) and [Study finds coffee may help battle colon cancer](http://www.junkscience.com/jan99/cofcolca.htm). Rats that were fed coffee beans and exposed to carcinogens developed cancer less often than expected. See [Coffee may combat cancer](http://onhealth.webmd.com/conditions/briefs/item%2C38730.asp) It’s not all good news, though. Coffee is associated with some conditions, such as insomnia, peptic ulcers, and anxiety disorders. Whether they cause these or merely aggravate them is another question. ---
**Author:** ![Conti](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c67d28/32.png) [@Conti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Conti)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2000, 4:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-caffiene-bad-for-you/44080/6 "2000-12-05T04:31:50Z")
Our chemistry teacher back in high school told us that caffiene was very poisonous. He said that if we ate one spoonful of pure caffeine, we’d be gonners. But he coulda just been blowin smoke. Conti ---
**Author:** ![Lynn\_Bodoni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e47c2d/32.png) [@Lynn\_Bodoni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lynn_Bodoni)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2000, 4:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-caffiene-bad-for-you/44080/7 "2000-12-05T04:42:03Z")
Anecdote: Caffeine gives me terrible heartburn, and makes me jittery. So I avoid it, for the most part. ---
**Author:** ![peace](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c68b51/32.png) [@peace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/peace)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2000, 4:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-caffiene-bad-for-you/44080/8 "2000-12-05T04:49:11Z")
Peppy, ask our Brazilian and Turkish collegues here about the cardiovascular diseases in their countries, they drink more coffee than your entire family does. If you belive the osteoporosis crap, eat small pieces of chaulk with your coffee. Do not eat caffeine, nor caffiene, by teaspoonful. Whatever caffiene is, caffeine is a prescription drug. ---
**Author:** ![LazarusLong42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/87869e/32.png) [@LazarusLong42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LazarusLong42)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2000, 5:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-caffiene-bad-for-you/44080/9 "2000-12-05T05:04:22Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Conti \* > **Our chemistry teacher back in high school told us that caffiene was very poisonous. He said that if we ate one spoonful of pure caffeine, we’d be gonners. But he coulda just been blowin smoke.** Hrm… One level teaspoonful of crystalline caffeine (SG = 1.23) probably weighs about 6 grams. (One teaspoon = one-third of a tablespoon = one 48th of a cup = 240 mL/48 = 5 cc’s) Downing six grams of caffeine in a teaspoon would be the equivalent of downing, at one sitting, about 60 cans of Mountain Dew, without the water. Yes, I’d say you’re a goner after that. LL ---
**Author:** ![Conti](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c67d28/32.png) [@Conti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Conti)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2000, 5:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-caffiene-bad-for-you/44080/10 "2000-12-05T05:29:28Z")
Damn Lazarus! I didnt know that! That’s amazing…how would you die? Would it cause a heart attack or what? ---
**Author:** ![puddleglum](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puddleglum/32/137_2.png) [@puddleglum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puddleglum)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2000, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-caffiene-bad-for-you/44080/11 "2000-12-05T15:10:56Z")
I rememeber people in my junior high taking caffeine pills to get a buzz, nothing bad seemed to happen to them. I have heard from an unreliable source that caffeine causes certain nutrients not to be absorbed fully. Does anyone know if this is true? ---
**Author:** ![beergeek279](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7ea924/32.png) [@beergeek279](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beergeek279)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2000, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-caffiene-bad-for-you/44080/12 "2000-12-05T15:23:51Z")
I would say that it’s true. One time I was working on a 13 page term paper and drank 5 or 6 cups of coffee in not more than a few hours. By the time I finished at 3 AM and I laid down, the room was spinning!!! But yes…Vivarin can cause quite a buzz. Remember that each one of those capsules has the equivalent of 2 cups of coffee, so imagine taking 2, 3…maybe more at once. (Which I have, thinking if I took one that two would be even better, and it’s certainly not a pleasant feeling…not a good idea to exceed the dosage). Of course, they well may be nothing but placebos…as long as I think I’m becoming more alert, so be it 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![cblackhand](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ecc23a/32.png) [@cblackhand](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cblackhand)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2000, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-caffiene-bad-for-you/44080/13 "2000-12-05T15:59:02Z")
From [http://www.cs.unb.ca/~alopez-o/Coffee/caffaq.html#WhatHappens](http://www.cs.unb.ca/~alopez-o/Coffee/caffaq.html#WhatHappens) “The LD\_50 of caffeine (that is the lethal dosage reported to kill 50% of the population) is estimated at 10 grams for oral administration. As it is usually the case, lethal dosage varies from individual to individual according to weight.” This means that as few as 5 caffeine pills (200 mg each) can be lethal. Sodas can range anywhere from 0-71.2 mg per 12 oz serving. Coffee beverages range from 2-175 mg per 7 oz cup. I read a section in a drug textbook, I forget the title now, that caffeine takes aproximately 30 minutes to enter the bloodstream after oral ingestion and another 30 minutes to reach its peak effect. It also stays in your blood stream for around 4 hours after ingestion. I am sorry that I have no information about the long term health effects of caffeine. I can tell you that caffeine withdrawal is no fun. ---
**Author:** ![LazarusLong42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/87869e/32.png) [@LazarusLong42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LazarusLong42)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2000, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-caffiene-bad-for-you/44080/14 "2000-12-05T16:10:05Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Conti \* > \*\*Damn Lazarus! > I didnt know that! > That’s amazing…how would you die? Would it cause a heart attack or what? \*\* I’m not certain about that (note also **cblackhand** ’s post which indicated that 6 g might not actually be lethal). I suspect that overconstriction of the blood vessels would cause your blood pressure to skyrocket and that you would then be susceptible to both heart attack and stroke. LL ---
**Author:** ![ElDestructo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f0a364/32.png) [@ElDestructo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElDestructo)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2000, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-caffiene-bad-for-you/44080/15 "2000-12-05T17:18:32Z")
What about effects on the kidneys? A friend (we’ll call him “Me”), who was a major caffine abuser, had a bout with kidney stones a couple of years ago. “Me” was advised to significantly reduce the amount of caffine he injested. Now “Me” has one black cup of coffee in the morning (and a little ginko biloba after lunch to stay alert during siesta time). “Me” also completely eliminated tea and soft drinks from his diet while drinking a heroic amount of water every day. It has worked so far (no recurrance, and considerably less renal discomfort in general), but “Me” misses the excitement of the daily caffiine OD. Could “Me”, the unreformed addict, get back on the coffee train without risking horrible, horrible consequences? ---
**Author:** ![SmackFu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/53a042/32.png) [@SmackFu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SmackFu)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2000, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-caffiene-bad-for-you/44080/16 "2000-12-05T17:57:15Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by cblackhand \* > **This means that as few as 5 caffeine pills (200 mg each) can be lethal. Sodas can range anywhere from 0-71.2 mg per 12 oz serving. Coffee beverages range from 2-175 mg per 7 oz cup.** Wouldn’t it be 50 pills, if they are each 200 mg, to get 10 grams? So it’s not quite living on the edge to have 4 or 5. ---
**Author:** ![barbitu8](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/839c29/32.png) [@barbitu8](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/barbitu8)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2000, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-caffiene-bad-for-you/44080/17 "2000-12-05T19:14:54Z")
Two cups of coffee a day is not going to hurt you. “Moderation in all things,” some Greek once said. That said, it has different effects on different people. Some possible effects are heart palpitations, nervousness, and anxiety. It is a diuretic and can increase dehydration in a person exercising. However, as far as exercise goes, many studies support the theory that it has an ergogenic effect on all three human energy systems: ATP-CP, lactic acid, and oxygen energy systems. Studies have shown benefits to both endurance events and power events, stronger data for long distances. I have never read anything that caffeine will inhibit the absorption or assimilation of any nutrients. Therefore, I assume it does not. I read recently of a health benefit of caffeine, other than any ergogenic effect, and this was pointed out in a prior post. ---
**Author:** ![cblackhand](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ecc23a/32.png) [@cblackhand](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cblackhand)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2000, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-caffiene-bad-for-you/44080/18 "2000-12-05T19:41:21Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by smackfu \* > Wouldn’t it be 50 pills, if they are each 200 mg, to get 10 grams? So it’s not quite living on the edge to have 4 or 5. \*\* Damn typos. You are correct the total would be 50 Vivarin pills for the lethal dose of 10 grams. However, just because you ahve not reached the lethal dose does not mean that you won’t have several of the symptoms of an overdose of caffeine. The symptoms just won’t kill ya. A few more statistics from the above page, the maximum recorded oral dose that was not lethal is 24 grams. The lowest fatal dose was 3.2 grams intravenously. The most serious effects of an overdose, the ones that are potentially the most lethal, are tachycardia or cardiac arrhythmia. Caffeine overdose is very unpleasant, but very rarely fatal. ---
**Author:** ![DigitalMuse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ecccb3/32.png) [@DigitalMuse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DigitalMuse)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2000, 10:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-caffiene-bad-for-you/44080/19 "2000-12-05T22:57:40Z")
I took my first ever caffeine pill today, and it was soo cool! I was awake for my morning classes, which is never… I also got into a really good mood, which is another first. I probably have to cut the pills in half though since the 200 mg made me really hyper and im not the biggest person, so i probably need a smaller dosage. But it was all good, and I felt great!! ---
**Author:** ![B\_to\_B](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7ba0ec/32.png) [@B\_to\_B](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/B_to_B)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2000, 11:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-caffiene-bad-for-you/44080/20 "2000-12-05T23:03:28Z")
I’m happy they found it reduces the risk of Parkinson’s disease. Not that I’m more convinced with this than the prior dire-news studied, but at least I no longer have to defend my habits. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-caffiene-bad-for-you/44080.md?page=2)