Caffeine - helpful or not?

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torsaer
torsaer Posts: 211 Member
in Food and Nutrition
I love my morning cup of coffee (or three) and although I did give up caffeine a while ago (someone at the gym told me it played havoc with insulin levels and giving it up would help me lose weight and all my cellulite...) I didn't notice any difference! Now I'm back on the caffeine but just wondered what fellow MFP people think about it. I know some even claim that it can help burn more calories during a workout? Or was I imagining that...?!

Replies

  • sevelanne
    sevelanne Posts: 25 Member
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    I'd like to know too! :o)
  • BobbyDaniel
    BobbyDaniel Posts: 1,460 Member
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    Of course caffeine is helpful...when I get an adequate amount, people are more likely to survive the morning!
  • lestahling
    lestahling Posts: 36
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    I've heard it actually helps you lose weight by revving up your metabolism... then again I just read that off a random website so i'm really curious if anyone knows!

    I love my morning coffee... anything in moderation i say!
  • bachooka
    bachooka Posts: 719 Member
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    I doubt it burns more calories... But I heard that no more than two cups of coffee a day with a natural sweetener and a small amount of skim milk can help with weightloss, of course black is best because if you make your coffee have a tonne of calories... it's not gonna help with weight loss! lol.
  • Gilbrod
    Gilbrod Posts: 1,216 Member
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    Of course caffeine is helpful...when I get an adequate amount, people are more likely to survive the morning!

    HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!!!! That's awesome!!!
  • modubb
    modubb Posts: 22
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    If you didn't notice a difference when you cut it out of your diet- then no harm. Some people are more prone to having it mess with their systems. Also, another option is to go to CostCo and buy this product called "ZippFizz". It's a powder similar to Gatorade, but contains caffeine... I drink it twice as diluted as recommended and love it!
  • Charli666
    Charli666 Posts: 407
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    Of course caffeine is helpful...when I get an adequate amount, people are more likely to survive the morning!

    LOL!!!

    Too much caffeine is definately bad, mucks up blood sugars, and dehydrates you etc, but they put it in alot of medicines to speed up the effects as it actually boosts the metabolism temporarily in small quantities, i'm caffeine free personaly, but i hear those small amounts are good for you.

    thing is, nobody ever clarifies what this 'small' amount is......????
  • jizenna
    jizenna Posts: 49
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    Of course caffeine is helpful...when I get an adequate amount, people are more likely to survive the morning!

    LOL! I agree!:explode:
  • monocot
    monocot Posts: 475 Member
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    Caffeine is bad for Your Blood pressure as well. Drinking to Much of it will shoot it through the Roof
  • 4theking
    4theking Posts: 1,196 Member
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    Caffeine causes insulin sensitivity to go down. This is very helpful when trying to lose fat. If your going to have a high carb meal wouldn't be a bad idea to have some caffeine prior. This would allow less to be stored as fat.
  • Qarol
    Qarol Posts: 6,171 Member
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    It depends. It can cause problems with insulin for some people. But I could never cut it out. I've cut down, though. Maybe try that. Just one cup instead of three. :-)
  • ccaym
    ccaym Posts: 86
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    Of course caffeine is helpful...when I get an adequate amount, people are more likely to survive the morning!

    Amen, brother!

    I don't know if it is helpful or not, but I do know that it acts as a mild appetite suppressant for me.
  • littttlelaurra
    littttlelaurra Posts: 229 Member
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    Of course caffeine is helpful...when I get an adequate amount, people are more likely to survive the morning!

    ^^^this lol ditto- agrees 100%

    me on caffeine good thing , me off or before caffeine , you risk your life by even saying hello in the morning !! :laugh:
  • SaraBrown12
    SaraBrown12 Posts: 277 Member
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    You can keep the coffee, its the low carb/sugar energy drinks that get me, Monster is the main offender. The calories aren't too bad really but god knows what else is in there but its very tasty!
  • DEE4560
    DEE4560 Posts: 139
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    Of course caffeine is helpful...when I get an adequate amount, people are more likely to survive the morning!

    HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!!!! That's awesome!!!


    I got a chickle out of that too! : )
  • pawprint_net
    pawprint_net Posts: 54
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    As a coffee fanatic I don't entirely care (grins) I'll drink my coffee regardless!

    ...but I did recently read a study that showed if you eat any sort of fatty food like fries or a doughnut then a coffee with that will make it much much worse.

    not the orig link but it explains it:
    http://www.easyhealthoptions.com/alternative-medicine/caffeine-may-exacerbate-health-risks-of-fatty-foods/
  • knittnponder
    knittnponder Posts: 1,954 Member
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    Caffeine is VERY helpful for me! It keeps me from killing those around me (especially in the early morning hours!) And I'm pretty sure that it keeps them from killing me as my mood is enhanced dramatically from drinking it! You know, "Instant human; just add coffee!" That pretty much sums me up. :)

    As for helpful or not for weight loss, I haven't a clue. I log it, it's part of my day and unless there is a medical reason for me to forego it I will continue to drink it and enjoy it.

    I'm with pawprint_net; gotta have my coffee!
  • Egger29
    Egger29 Posts: 14,741 Member
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    1-2 cups of coffee a day is fine and caffiene does give yourself a metabolic (and mental) boost.

    That being said, it's also a Diuretic so you need 2 additional glasses of water for every cup of coffee.

    Most "fat Burners" are nothing more than caffiene pills as such, the "weight loss" is nothing more than multiple trips to the bathroom.
  • fatlass70
    fatlass70 Posts: 136 Member
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    Ok so I'll 'fess up at the start of this reply. I run a small (but beautifully formed!) fresh coffee company in the UK so I may be a little biased but I do have some thoughts I wanted to share.

    Caffeine like many other products has pros and cons and sadly life is not a simple thing! Coffee is a diuretic but I've just read an article today on the bbc website (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-13352074) about a new study suggesting coffee may be a preventer of breast cancer.

    One thing I would say though is if you are going to drink coffee make sure you drink fresh coffee (ideally grind your own freshly roasted beans). Drinking good quality coffee often means you drink less overall so you'll get the great taste we all enjoy without having to drink gallons - sounds like a win- win to me!!

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