Live Well, Be Well: The Caffeine Conversation

Coffee, tea, soda, energy drinks, and chocolate all contain caffeine, but how much do we really know about it? In this episode of Live Well. Be Well., hosts Kacie Schumann and Bailey Dingfield explore the ins and outs of caffeine.

The bottom line: enjoy your caffeine fix (because Kacie and Bailey definitely will), but stay informed about how it affects your body.

Episode Highlights

What Is Caffeine?
A look at caffeine as a natural stimulant produced by plants that affects the brain, nervous system, muscles, and heart.

Where Caffeine Comes From
Plants such as coffee beans, tea leaves, cacao, and others naturally produce caffeine. The episode explores how these sources end up in everyday foods and drinks.

How Much Caffeine Is in Common Foods and Drinks
A comparison of caffeine levels in coffee, soda, energy drinks, tea, and chocolate, and why the amounts can vary.

The Benefits and Downsides
The hosts discuss both the potential positives of caffeine, such as alertness and focus, and the possible negative side effects including sleep disruption, anxiety, and overconsumption.

Research on Caffeine and Health
Kacie and Bailey explore recent studies that examine how caffeine interacts with the body and what research suggests about long term health outcomes.

How to Check Your Caffeine Intake
Listeners can look up caffeine content in common foods and drinks through resources available at CSPI.

Resources

• https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2772417424000104

• https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/article-abstract/2844764

• https://www.delish.com/food-news/a70300713/caffeinated-coffee-tea-lower-dementia-risk-study/

• https://CSPI.org

• https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10459237/

• https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/caffeine-side-effects

• https://www.webmd.com/vitamins/ai/ingredientmono-979/caffeine

Have a question, topic idea, or someone you would like to hear on the podcast?
Send suggestions to Kacie.Schumann@CityofAmes.org