How Does Caffeine Affect You?

How Does Caffeine Affect You?

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It is difficult to predict how and for how long caffeine affects our bodies. Research suggests that caffeine affects everyone differently and our relationship with it could change as we age. A study examining the relationship between chronotype and the effects of caffeine on sleep in Stanford students found early birds had a strong correlation between daytime caffeine use and waking during sleep. Night owls’ sleep seemed to not be affected by their daytime caffeine intake. People in between seemed to experience minor effects. However, this study was exclusive to Stanford students, who are generally a more sleep-deprived population. It is unclear the degree to which this affected the results but is likely a significant confounding variable.

One of our sleep experts, Dr. Jaime Zeitzer, PhD, says , “There is massive variability in how people metabolize caffeine and in many, even a single cup of coffee with breakfast can interfere with sleep. Being aware of how your caffeine consumption personally impacts your sleep is incredibly important.”

By: Carly Mae Smith, BS

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Sources:

  1. Modeling caffeine concentrations with the Stanford Caffeine Questionnaire: preliminary evidence for an interaction of chronotype with the effects of caffeine on sleep
Coffee & Longer Lives

Coffee & Longer Lives

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A team here at Stanford studying inflammation in older adults found an interesting correlation between those that regularly drank caffeinated coffee and those with lower levels of chronic inflammation. The study suggests that regular, moderate coffee intake may protect us from age-related inflammation and diseases. The clinical trial looking at markers of inflammation and age-related diseases found that 89 older subjects who regularly consumed caffeine from coffee experienced suppressed disease-related inflammation.

Before grabbing your next cup of joe, there are a few things are team would like you to keep in mind:

1) Coffee can mask grogginess, but you still need regular, sustained sleep! Coffee at any time of the day could disrupt sleep.

2) Too much sugar in your coffee may negate Some health benefits!

3) Be careful not to drink too much! Caffeine levels vary by coffee type.

4) If you don’t like coffee, try tea! We see many nutritional benefits in black and green tea too!

There are lots of factors to consider when discussing the impact of coffee and caffeine on our lifestyles, and we hope to cover a lot of them in the near future! To learn more about how caffeine may affect people differently, check out our post on caffeine and chronotypes.

By: Carly Mae Smith, BS

Sources:

  1. Expression of specific inflammasome gene modules stratifies older individuals into two extreme clinical and immunological states
What a 10-Second Balance Test Can (and Can't) Tell Us About Longevity

What a 10-Second Balance Test Can (and Can’t) Tell Us About Longevity

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A recent study found that standing on one leg for 10 seconds was independently associated with survival and that those unable to perform this test had double the usual risk of premature death. This relationship is an association and not causal – meaning, the test cannot predict when someone will die. It does, however, highlight the importance of monitoring and maintaining balance as we age. Good balance later in life can lower fall risk and help maintain independence, mobility, functional abilities, and overall quality of life.

According to Corey Rovzar, an expert in balance a postdoctoral fellow at the Stanford Prevention Research Center in the School of Medicine, balance is often overlooked in most people’s exercise regimes and is not regularly included in routine health checks for middle-aged and older adults. This study highlights the importance of monitoring and maintaining balance as you age since balance tends to decline most rapidly beginning in your 60s – and this decline can lead to faulty biomechanics and/or falls. The good news is that you can improve your balance through training! This could be as simple as standing on one leg while you brush your teeth, performing single-leg exercises, or engaging in activities such as tai chi and yoga. Strength training is also important, especially for the lower body, because stronger muscles allow you to have greater stability as you move and to move at an ideal speed. The key to any exercise program is consistency – find something that you enjoy and stick with it!

By: Corey Rovzar, PhD & Maya Shetty, BS

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Sources:

  1. Successful 10-second one-legged stance performance predicts survival in middle-aged and older individuals
Beneficial Effects of Tea on Longevity

Beneficial Effects of Tea on Longevity

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The study analyzed data from 6387 participants and identified three distinct tea consumption trajectories. After a median follow-up of 17.9 years, it was found that high tea consumption was associated with a lower risk of mortality, but this effect was observed only in non-alcohol drinkers. Among current alcohol drinkers, increasing tea consumption was linearly associated with increased mortality. Additionally, the study revealed that alcohol intake masked the protective effect of tea consumption against blood pressure progression.

In conclusion, individuals with a long-term high tea consumption trajectory had a lower risk of all-cause mortality and a slower rate of blood pressure increase. However, the beneficial effects of tea consumption were diminished or even harmful in the presence of alcohol intake.

By: Michael Fredericson, MD

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Sources:

  1. Alcohol intake masked the protective effects of tea consumption against all-cause mortality and blood pressure progression: Findings from CHNS cohort, 1993–2011

Healthy Runner Project: a 7-year, multisite nutrition education intervention to reduce bone stress injury incidence in collegiate distance runners

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