Ours is a society in love with caffeine. There’s a coffee shop on nearly every corner and a caffeine saturated energy drink in every size and color, marketed for every occasion. Chocolate remains among the most popular mood enhancers, and nearly every meal on the go offers a bubbly caffeinated beverage. Many do not consider however, the effects that excessive consumption of caffeine on the various body systems. Including caffeine consumption in your discussions with your Katy OB GYN about reproductive health can reveal helpful information to both you and your practitioner.
Found in tea leaves, kola nuts, cacao beans and coffee beans, caffeine is a naturally occurring stimulant. Many popular treats such as rich brownies, iced tea and steaming cup of Joe contain at least small amounts of the substance. The positive effects are so valued that foods that do not contain caffeine naturally are being manufactured to include it.
There are positive benefits to moderate consumption of the natural stimulant. It definitely helps get our motor going. It can increase physical performance, efficiency and endurance. Caffeine can make you feel more energetic and more alert. This goes well beyond simply pushing the snooze a few extra times in the morning.
Studies have also shown that the benefits of moderate caffeine consumption far exceed simply helping you open your eyes. This stimulant can aid in the reduction of insulin sensitivity and your susceptibility to Parkinson’s disease. It can limit the likelihood of colon cancer, colorectal cancer and chronic liver disease.
These can be reasons enough to continue drinking right up. However, the highly caffeinated market for beverages rarely speaks up about the negative effects that too much of good thing can have on your body’s various systems. Now let’s talk reproductive health.
Caffeine overuse can have negative effects on fertility. It can also increase the symptoms of PMS and menopause. Menopausal and post-menopausal women risk increase likelihood of osteoporosis as excessive caffeine use can have an impact on bone density. Common problems such as recurring yeast infections may in fact be the cause of a disturbed or imbalanced pH as the consequence of consuming too many high-acid caffeine products. These are poignant reasons to bring up excessive caffeine use during your next routine check-up.
Staying alert about how much caffeine you consume each day can be crucial. It is common for most to grab a cup of Joe en route to work, and maybe refill at the office. A soda with lunch, an energy drink in the afternoon, and a chocolate desert for dinner, all serve to increase your consumption numbers. It really does add up, and quickly. While we generally associate caffeine with several negative health effects such as delayed loss of energy or its known addictive qualities, many fail to consider the response of other systems within our bodies to over-consumption of caffeine. By adding this topic your yearly check-up you can begin to re-assess your diet. Your OB GYN should be informed about all aspects of your health, including your daily dose of caffeine.
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