Caffeine: Friend or Foe

By Allison Berman
July 29, 2008

Are you drinking a cup of coffee while you are reading this column? If you are like most people that I know, your coffee is an essential part of your morning ritual. When you have small children keeping you up at night, it can make getting through the day seem like an eternity and coffee can feel less like an option and more like a way of life. It doesn't matter if you are staying home to take care of kids or if you are off to face another day at the office, it wakes you up, but at what price?

Caffeine is a bad idea for people with high blood pressure. And everyone knows that caffeine can cause sleeplessness. Ever over do it and experience that jittery sensation when your hands start shaking? Not good. Another reason to just say no is a recent study by the Kaiser Permanente Division of Research. It turns out, 200 mg of caffeine (the equivalent of 2 cups of regular coffee) a day increases a pregnant woman's chance of miscarriage. But still in America coffee is a way of life.

Going for a cup of coffee is as common for a first date as it is for an informal business meeting. When someone comes to your home, "Can I get you anything, a cup of coffee?" My sister-in-law, a stay-at-home mom in NYC recently said if she didn't know how to make a pot of coffee she wouldn't have any friends. Most of my friends grab a cup after preschool drop off, though some diehards bring theirs' in to go cups from home. My 3 year old nephew from San Francisco recently ordered himself an apple juice grande with no room- copying his mom who gets a grande coffee, filled to the brim. She doesn't mess around with milk. My husband has his first cup minutes after he opens his eyes. I am an occasional user now, but there was a time when I stopped at the cart outside my office daily to get my fix. If caffeine makes us feel so good it can't be all bad, right?

In addition to that wonderful jolt a shot of java can give you, it turns out there might actually be some real medical benefits. Several studies by neurologist have found that caffeine might actually reduce the risk of both Parkinsons and Alzheimers. And the Annals of Internal Medicine found that as coffee consumption increases, the overall risk of death decreases (most notably deaths from heart disease).

So, what do you do with this conflicting information? The American Heart Association recommends 1-2 cups a day. Garnish a little benefit with out the harm from all of the caffeine. I am going to drink my cup of joe when I need it, but I am also going to try to get a little more sleep.

Allison Berman, an artist and mother of two, handpaints custom home accessories for interior designers and private customers. She works out of her home studio in Warwick, NY. See her collection at www.withlovealib.com. She can be reached at ali@withlovealib.com. Her column appears Tuesdays.