Many of us enjoy our caffeinated beverages because of their stimulating effects. There is also evidence that caffeine could help with improving energy, cognition, and exercise performance. Some sources of caffeine such as coffee and tea have also been studied for their positive effects on inflammation, cardiovascular disease1, obesity, autoimmunity, fatty liver, neurological diseases, and diabetes. That said, while we often talk about the benefits of caffeine, we don’t always talk about the potential downsides. The general rule of thumb is to stick to 200 mg of caffeine if you are a slow metabolizer (that’s 2 cups of coffee) and consider taking up to 400 mg of caffeine if you are a fast metabolizer (equivalent to about 4 cups of coffee). If you aren’t counting your doses of caffeine, here are a few side effects2 that you might experience if you cross the line: It’s also important to consider the effects of other substances present in your favorite caffeinated beverage. While that café mocha might be a delicious treat, you should know that there could be upward of 35 grams of sugar in one medium-size drink. The next thing: You may want to consider getting a genetic test, to see if you are a rapid metabolizer or a slow metabolizer of caffeine. This might help you understand your limits. Singh is currently the Director of Integrative Gastroenterology at the Susan Samueli Integrative Health Institute at UC Irvine. He is also currently a voluntary Assistant Clinical Professor at UCSD in the Department of Family Medicine and Public Health; prior to this, he has been a Clinical Assistant Professor at UCLA and an Assistant Professor of Medicine at Johns Hopkins University. Singh is a member of the American Academy of Anti-Aging Medicine, American College of Lifestyle Medicine, and many other societies. He is actively involved in the American Gastroenterological Association. He is one of the editors of the textbook of Integrative Gastroenterology, 2nd edition (a Weil Series text) and has written several book chapters and articles. He is dedicated to guiding his clients toward optimal wellness every step of the way, using the most cutting edge technologies to design highly personalized precision based protocols. Towards this end, he founded Precisione Clinic and wrote the book Rescue Your Health to bring the best in preventive medicine to his clients.
