Tuesday, September 05, 2006

 

Listen to your body to find your coffee limits

By Thorsten Wiese, Bonn, Germany­. Some people sit in their office and drink 10 cups of coffee a day. Others feel their heart racing after one espresso. Everyone has their own tolerance for caffeine. Some experts say that particularly sensitive people are probably reacting to the coffee's tannin. People who suffer adversely from coffee should pay close attention to their body and its signals.

"Caffeine affects the central nervous system ... the metabolism," says Antje Gahl of the German Nutritional Association (DGE).

Depending on the amount ingested, it can excite the heart and circulation, but also the stomach, intestines and kidneys. That's because caffeine blocks receptors that are responsible for picking up adenosine, which is produced by the body and promotes relaxation.

Thus, coffee usually has a desired effect when people drink it in the mornings and afternoon. "They wake up, become concentrated and can make decisions faster," says Hans Biesalski, a professor at the Institute for Biology, Chemistry and Nutritional Science at the Hohenheim University in Stuttgart.

Some people get the shakes after drinking coffee. In such cases, some quick exercise can help. It lets the body work off the energy that comes from the coffee. Read full article.

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