For many of us, the only thing that can help us on our way to a productive day is a good cup of coffee.
Caffeine is the most commonly used stimulant in the world. Every day, millions of people around the world use caffeine to increase their alertness and improve their focus. Not only found in coffee, it can be consumed in certain processed foods and energy drinks.
Studies have found both benefits and risks to the consumption of caffeine. The most commonly associated benefits include potential weight loss and increased concentration. Risks include an increased chance of anxiety and insomnia. This all depends on the individual’s ability to metabolise caffeine.
The rate at which your body metabolises caffeine is dependent upon your genetics. CYP1A2 is the gene tested to determine each individual’s reaction to the substance. Caffeine is broken down by several enzymes in the liver, once caffeine has been broken down it can be safely removed from the body by the kidneys. A single enzyme is responsible for breaking down more than 95% of caffeine and polymorphisms in the gene that code for this enzyme can affect how quickly caffeine is broken down and how long it will stay in the system.
Coffee was once known as a way to reduce the risk of heart disease. However, for some coffee drinkers, the risk of heart disease seemed to increase, contradicting many major studies. In certain people, coffee takes longer to metabolise, meaning the caffeine lingers in the bloodstream for longer, affecting blood pressure and effectively negating any positive benefits coffee may have.
Experts recommend no more than 400mg of caffeine per day, the equivalent to 2-3 cups. Now could be the time to consider your caffeine intake, is your daily cup of coffee doing you more harm than good? By taking a DNA test you could find out how your body reacts to caffeine and tailor your daily intake.
You can test your caffeine metabolism using the Heart DNA Test which you can purchase on our website.
Share:
Feeling Full?
The “Hungry Gene” and Weight Gain