Caffeine pill - Can it help you lose weight? What are the side effects, safety issues and potential danger for those with heart disease
Caffeine is a xanthine alkaloid compound that acts as a
psychoactive stimulant in humans. As if drinking coffee was not enough to ingest
your daily caffeine need, caffeine in pill form is sold by a number of
companies. Caffeine pills are sometimes advertised as being "as safe as coffee"
but unlike coffee one can easy overdose on caffeine by taking too many caffeine
pills. Those who take too many caffeine pills are likely to have side effects
and feel anxiety, restlessness, sweating, rapid heart beat, and other unpleasant
feeling.
Many people take caffeine pills for mental alertness and energy not
realizing there are much better and healthier alternatives. For mental
alertness, improved focus and better mood, consider
Mind Power Rx.
Others take caffeine pills as a diet aid not realizing that more
effective products are available. If you would like to eat less with the help of
a natural, safe diet pill, consider
Diet Rx pill,
formulated by a medical doctor.
Source
Caffeine is probably the most frequently
ingested pharmacologically active substance in the world. It is found in common
beverages (coffee, tea, soft drinks), in products containing cocoa or chocolate,
and in medications. Caffeine is found in varying quantities in the
beans, leaves, and fruit of many plants, where it acts as a natural pesticide
that paralyzes and kills certain insects feeding on the plants.
Caffeine for humans
Caffeine is most commonly consumed by humans in
infusions extracted from the beans of the coffee plant and the leaves of the tea
bush, as well as from various foods and drinks containing products derived from
the kola nut or from cacao. Other sources include yerba mate and guarana
berries.
Caffeine pill side effects
Caffeine, the natural substance found in many foods and beverages including
coffee, tea and chocolate, can cause symptoms that can vary widely from person
to person.
Excessive use of caffeine pills can have side effects, including those serious
enough that can lead to emergency room visits. Some people, without realizing,
may drink excessive amounts of coffee or tea, then use medications with
caffeine, or ingest caffeine in the form a caffeine-enhanced beverage. Some may
even take a caffeine pill dietary supplement. People using caffeine pills and
supplements need to know that caffeine is a drug and it's overuse is potentially
harmful, especially when it is mixed with other medications.
Caffeine pill side effects include insomnia, palpitations, tremors,
sweating, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, chest paints, and neurological symptoms.
Caffeine pills are easily available, so some people may not consider them to be
very dangerous. Like any medication, though, an overdose is potentially fatal.
If you are sensitive, you may get the following symptoms and caffeine side effects even with drinking one cup: Rapid or increased heart rate; Frequent urination; Nausea and vomiting; Restlessness and insomnial Anxiety and depression; Shakiness or tremors.
Caffeine pill in combination with
other supplements for weight loss
Use of caffeine in combination with other supplements could lead to a
modest weight loss.
Body fat loss achieved by stimulation of thermogenesis by a combination of
bioactive food ingredients: a placebo-controlled, double-blind 8-week
intervention in obese subjects.
Int J Obes 2007. Belza A, Frandsen E, Kondrup J.
Department of Human Nutrition, Centre for Advanced Food Studies, The Royal
Veterinary and Agricultural University, Frederiksberg C, Denmark.
A combination of tyrosine, capsaicin, catechines and caffeine may stimulate the
sympathetic nervous system and promote satiety, lipolysis and thermogenesis. In
total, 80 overweight-obese subjects underwent an initial 4-week hypocaloric
diet. Those who lost >4% body weight were instructed to consume a hypocaloric
diet and were randomized to receive either placebo or bioactive supplement in a
double-blind, 8-week intervention. The bioactive supplement increased 4-h
thermogenesis by 90 kJ more than placebo, and the effect was maintained after 8
weeks and accompanied by a slight reduction in fat mass. These bioactive
components may support weight maintenance after a hypocaloric diet.
Caffeine pill products
There are hundreds of caffeine pill products on the market, here is an example
of some of these products:
NoDoz caffeine pill - Each caplet contains: Caffeine (200 mg)
Stay-Awake
4 Ever Fit caffeine pill with 200 mg
Natrol High caffeine pill with 200 mg
Pep-Back Peak Performance Stimulant caffeine pill caplets with taurine has 200
mg of caffeine
Wakeups-
Quick-Pep
Revive!
Alert
Penguin Mints - caffeine pills as mint candy.
Pro-plus - UK brand caffeine pill
Vivarin caffeine pills - "Vivarin is used for a safe, fast pick up anytime you
feel drowsy and need to be alert. The caffeine in Vivarin is less irritating to
your stomach than coffee, according to a government appointed panel of experts.
The Active Ingredient in the caffeine pill is 200 mg. of Caffeine."
Caffeine in weight loss pills
Caffeine is commonly found in weight loss pills. Caffeine is also
included in headache remedies such as Excedrin. When consumed in pill form, you
will often ingest two to four times the amount of caffeine that is in most
common beverages. These increased levels of caffeine may be helpful in weight
loss but at a price. The side effects of caffeine pills are unpleasant and can
be dangerous if misused.
Some nutritional supplements have
hidden caffeine
USDA Agricultural Research Service scientists analyzed more than 50 dietary
supplements and found about half contained the caffeine equivalent of up to two
cups of coffee. But supplements aren't required to list caffeine on the label
unless they contain added pure caffeine. The stimulant occurs naturally not only
in tea and coffee, but also in "botanicals" such as guarana, yerba mate, green
tea extract and kola nut. Of the 28 analyzed products that voluntarily listed a
caffeine amount on the label, 25 were accurate within 20%. Among all 50 pills,
caffeine levels ranged from zero to 800 milligrams per dose (more than in eight
cups of coffee).
Caffeine Content in Decaffeinated
Coffee
Decaffeinated coffee is not caffeine free. Most often it has about a fifth to a tenth of the amount of
caffeine in regular coffee. Decaffeinated coffee from many coffee shops contain caffeine averaging about 1 mg
of caffeine per ounce of decaf coffee. In some people who are sensitive to
caffeine and drink several cups a day, even moderate caffeine levels can
increase heart rate, blood pressure, agitation and anxiety.
A regular cup of coffee has from 85 to 100 milligrams of caffeine.
In one study, most of the 10- to 12-ounce decafs tested had less than five
milligrams of caffeine. The decaffeinating process doesn’t eliminate 100 percent
of the caffeine in coffee. On average 16-ounce servings of decaf has a caffeine
content ranging from nine to 14 milligrams.
Caffeine pill study - influence on
hormone levels
Metabolic and hormonal effects of caffeine: randomized, double-blind,
placebo-controlled crossover trial.
Metabolism. 2007. Mackenzie T, Comi R, Sluss P, Keisari R,
Manwar S, Larson R, Baron JA.
Department of Medicine, Dartmouth Medical School, Hanover, NH
In short-term studies, caffeine has been shown to increase insulin levels,
reduce insulin sensitivity, and increase cortisol levels. We evaluated the
effect of oral intake of 200 mg of caffeine pill taken twice a day for 7 days on
glucose metabolism, as well as on serum cortisol, dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA),
and androstenedione, and on nighttime salivary melatonin. There were no
differences in glucose, DHEA, androstenedione, and melatonin between treatment
periods. Daily caffeine intake reduces insulin sensitivity; the effect persists
for at least a week and is evident up to 12 hours after administration.
emails
Q. I am looking for a caffeine pill alternative. if you had to choose just one
or the other of rhodiola or maca, is there one that is better suited as
an alternative?
A. Most people would choose maca herb, but we have many people who
swear by rhodiola herb, also.