Dear Dr. D,

I am confused about the effect caffeine has on your body. I have read that it is good because it kicks up your metabolism and helps burn more calories. I have also read that caffeine is bad for you because it signals your body to store food as fat to be used as energy later. Can you help clear up these reports?

De-caffeinated

Dear De-caf,

I hope you know that the question you ask is going to mess with the daily routine and addictions of most of the readers out there. You are a brave one! It is high time we face up to it; caffeine is the drug of choice in Western society (I must admit that I am writing this as I sip on my cup of coffee). Whether it is consumed in coffee, tea or soda, or eaten or taken as part of chocolate, over-the-counter stimulants or one of the other products out there, we use it. As a drug, it is a stimulant that can be mildly, or in some cases, very addictive to those who use it. The true addictive potential of caffeine really does depends on the amount that you ingest and in what form, as well as the tolerance you may have developed.

If you are confused about the effects it has on the body, then you are not alone. Let's look at what we know now. It is a central nervous system stimulant. In moderate amounts it can increase alertness, cause sleeplessness, reduce fine motor coordination, cause dizziness, minor headaches and some nervousness. Many people report a high or a "lift" from ingesting moderate amounts of caffeine.

Having too much caffeine can produce such symptoms as listed above with the addition of hypertension, irritability, loss of concentration, stomach and gastrointestinal problems, as well as high excitability. Caffeine can in many cases slightly increase metabolism, and that increase can cause all of the above symptoms. The bump up in metabolism can theoretically burn calories, but you can get that same lift in metabolism and a "better burn" from a quick walk around the block.

Taking into account that differences in metabolism, the frequency of use, individual health and your diet are factors that can determine how an individual will react to caffeine, let's address the second part of your question concerning storing fat. This relates more to the effect that caffeine may have on insulin production. Insulin is a storage hormone which as one of its duties signals the body to store excess nutritional intake as fat for future use. Insulin can also signal the body to not release stored fat to be used by the body as fuel. Having said, it is important to realize that it is usually the excess in consumption that triggers this. The effect of caffeine on insulin levels is minimal at best in moderate dosages and the research on the effect that caffeine really has on increasing insulin levels to a level that would trigger this fat storage is inconclusive. The fact is that there are a lot of inconsistent messages, claims and research about caffeine. One thing that does seem to be clear is there is little to support that caffeine is effective as a weight loss drug.

In making a decision of whether or not to use caffeine, or for that matter any drug, it is paramount that you consider the potential adverse effects on your health. I think that the mistake that many of us make in striving to achieve a health goal is that we believe that using a drug will make it possible or easier.

What is needed is for individuals to adopt a well-rounded approach that includes, but is not limited to, exercise, diet, stress reduction and finding meaning. The best possible health scenario I could wish for this society is for less reliance and consumption of any drugs, licit or illicit, in trying to achieve our health goals. Peace.

Dr. D