The widely discussed issue about caffeine content in various foods and drinks has spread from the U.S. to most parts of the world in the past weeks. Health authorities warn that the content of added caffeine in chewing gum, sweets and energy drinks could be unsafe for both children and adults, but should we worry about dietary and weight loss supplements?
Food manufacturers are now adding caffeine into a range of new products, starting from energy and sugar-sweetened drinks, to cookies, gums, and even alcoholic drinks. In fact, there is trend today, more or less, to add caffeine to food, because many people are just caffeine addicts! The stimulant however is not appropriate for children and adolescents, and in higher dosage it is potentially dangerous for adults, too. These are the most recent conclusions of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, which is investigating the safety of such caffeine-infused foods. Many nutritional supplements also contain caffeine, because it basically stimulates metabolism, brain function, and many other processes in the body. One of them, the green coffee bean extract, became very popular in recent years with its weight loss properties. So, is it also dangerous to health?
Consumers should pay attention to some very important facts – the safe daily dosage of caffeine for adults is 400 mg, which is in approximately three to five cups of regular coffee. But some drinks such as Starbucks for example, can contain 330 mg of caffeine per cup of coffee, or very close to the safe upper limit! On the other hand, green coffee bean extract supplements have 12 to 23 mgs of caffeine per serving, so even taken several times a day, supplements can’t compare with coffee or energy drinks! In other words, the green coffee bean extract is not a stimulant at all and there is no way people can get the same effects from it as from the morning coffee, even if they want to. In fact, researchers say that the extract has been actually shown in studies to lower the blood pressure, while at the same time boosting metabolism.
The truth is that the weight loss supplement can be dangerous to health, but in people who are highly sensitive or allergic to caffeine. Coffee that we all drink contains cafestol, a natural ingredient that gives the bitter, slightly oily flavor of the drink, and leads to various negative consequences. This compound however is not found in the green coffee beans or the extract. Of course, if an individual experiences health issues after drinking coffee, they should talk to a physician before trying the supplement.
The conclusion is that the extract from green coffee bean can’t be considered dangerous to the health because it contains much less caffeine than regular coffee. In fact, energy drinks and foods containing caffeine can pose a real threat because they are widely available to children.
