Myth vs. Fact: 10 Things about caffeine that will surprise you

MF editorial team 14 Feb 2017

1/10
It isn’t dehydrating if consumed within a liquid
When you are dehydrated, your body, and especially your brain, will not perform at its peak. As a matter of fact, it will not be able to fully perform its normal functions. You can experience a lack of energy, and since it's always stated that coffee only provides a short boost of energy, it would make sense if dehydration contributed to this. There's a big belief that caffeine dehydrates you, and while it can, if consumed within a liquid (such as when you drink coffee), the water makes up for it.

When we drink coffee or tea, we aren't ingesting pure caffeine, there is still H20 present. Provided that you still consume enough water throughout the day, and not try to hydrate yourself with just the bare minimum of water garnered from your mini espressos, you will remain hydrated.
2/10
Caffeine can actually make you perform better
Studies show that coffee increases endurance. A 2003 study done to examine the effects of repeated caffeine ingestion on repeated exhaustive exercise shows that caffeine ingestion increased exercise time to exhaustion. With one group of individuals using a placebo, and others caffeine, the group with caffeine got significantly better results. This is due to caffeine being a powerful ergogenic aid.
3/10
Caffeine doesn’t make you less productive
Well, it isn't the caffeine that is making you productive either. It is what the substance does to your receptors that make you productive. When we consume caffeine, we block off the neurochemical, adenosine. On its own, throughout the day, adenosine will make you more tired. With caffeine, it is blocked off. Neurotransmitters like dopamine can work better with adenosine being blocked off. When the likes of dopamine work better, you then benefit more from the effects that these neurotransmitters have.
People see caffeine as a non-productive substance, which isn't true. It's about how much you consume. Just like with any substance, the more you consume, the better your body adapts, meaning the effect of caffeine lessens over time and that you need to consume more in order to get the exact same effect that you previously got. This is why many people don't see the benefits. With too much consumption, it can lead to a vice versa effect resulting in you feeling even more tired.
4/10
Caffeine can decrease muscle pain
The University of Illinois found that muscle pain is decreased with caffeine consumption. Caffeine is also added to medication such as Ibuprofen. This works both ways, however. If you over-consume caffeine and stop using it, caffeine can then have the reverse effect and actually cause pain. The University of Georgia found that caffeine can reduce pain by up to 48%. Coffee and tea are often blamed for pain, due to the fact that a substance called tannin washes away your iron. However, due to caffeine having a great effect on the central nervous system, it can block the processing of certain signals, thus providing a pain-relieving effect.
5/10
Caffeine can elevate your mood
Serotonin stabilises your mood. Caffeine consumption increases these receptors by up to 30%. But, it also increases their sensitivity. Therefore, they have a greater effect. This means that your mood is elevated. On the other side, if the consumption of caffeine is stopped, then your body might react badly.
6/10
It doesn’t increase your blood pressure
High blood pressure can lead to the weakening of your brain’s blood vessels. Caffeine could cause this, but not in healthy individuals of a healthy body mass. In the short term, before your body builds a tolerance to caffeine, it may cause a spike in your blood pressure, but this will eventually normalise. Your tolerance to caffeine varies on your caffeine intake as well as many other factors, meaning that someone might build tolerance for caffeine quickly, while you might take a lot longer.
7/10
It can suppress your appetite
A big effect that caffeine has on your mind is its ability to suppress your appetite. That can be both good and bad. While there's not enough scientific evidence to show that the long-term use of coffee aids with weight loss, it is however known that coffee can reduce appetite for a period of time. It should be noted that this is only a short period of time. This can be really useful for people who are watching their weight. Once again, this isn't caffeine directly being responsible for the outcome, but for affecting something that leads to a result. That is not to say that you should consume more caffeine to further that outcome, as that can lead to negative side effects.
8/10
May improve your memory
While no effects were seen on simple memory tasks when caffeine and a placebo were consumed, it was completely different when it came to tasks that were more complex. Researchers found out that individuals who consumed caffeine compared to a placebo performed 10% better. Overall, caffeine won't make you smarter, but it will help you retain information much easier. The researchers believe you are more likely to retain more information up to 24 hours after consumption of caffeine. Knowing that caffeine improves attention and focus might play a role in better memory too.
9/10
Lower suicide rates
Caffeine seems to act as an antidepressant. In a study done involving 73,820 women from NHS, 91,005, from NHS II and 43,599 men from HPFS, it was seen that over the study period there were 277 deaths as a result of suicide. Caffeine, coffee, and decaffeinated coffee consumption were examined. Overall, the results of this study showed that an individual who drank at least 2 cups of coffee, up to 4, had 50% lower chances of committing suicide. This is compared to individuals who drank decaffeinated coffee or consumed very little coffee.
This all goes back to neurotransmitters, mentioned previously, including dopamine and serotonin, with serotonin being your mood regulator.
10/10
Could help you handle stress better
People often assume that caffeine increases stress, and while it sometimes can (as a side effect), it can also actually lower stress. While stress in itself is a good thing to have in our lives, too much of it can have a catastrophic effect on us. A study done on mice shows that they were able to handle stress better after consuming caffeine, due to the fact that caffeine tricks our receptors.

It isn't dehydrating if consumed within a liquid

Rudy Caretti from Gimoka Coffee UK and G Coffee Pod sheds some light on the myths and misconceptions surrounding caffeine.

When something isn’t fully understood, there are bound to be misconceptions. It’s just part of our human nature to make assumptions. With caffeine being a substance that isn’t easy to carry out studies on, even with a large part of the population consuming it each day, it is worth breaking down the myths surrounding the stimulant. Here, we’ve rounded up 10 things about caffeine that you might not have known.

Overall, caffeine is appreciated all over the world. It is a substance that is present in much-loved coffee and tea, among many other drinks. Its wide use all over the world makes it easy to understand why there are so many misconceptions that surround it. Hopefully, this article will be able to shed some light on the myths about caffeine. Head up to the gallery to learn more.

Rudy Caretti

Photos: Getty Images

About the author: Rudy Caretti has more than 15 years of experience in the coffee industry, a passion that started in Italy within the family business, which brought him to found Gimoka Coffee UK and G Coffee Pod with a group of friends who share the same passion. Since roasting his first batch of coffee seeds as a teenager, he was fascinated by the many ways it can be processed to get the many different distinctive flavors we all love.

As a coffee connoisseur, Rudy has always been aware of the vital role played by coffee in most people’s social life and he is especially active through the company’s social media and blog. He loves sharing his knowledge with readers around the world, writing and posting articles that range from the coffee brewing techniques to raising awareness of the importance of responsible production to help protect the rights of farmers and protect the environment.

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