Health Risks

"The acute adverse health effects of caffeine ingestion are anxiety, shakiness, and sleep deprivation. On a more chronic basis, some scientific reports suggest that higher caffeine intake is linked to negative effects on heart health and increased cardiovascular disease; although at this point most data suggests caffeine does not significantly increase either. A comprehensive review reports that caffeine induces a modest increase in blood pressure lasting less than three hours in people with hypertension, but there is no evidence that habitual coffee consumption increases blood pressure long-term or increases the risk for cardiovascular disease. There is no good evidence that chronic caffeine exposure increases blood pressure chronically in people without hypertension.\n\nSome have hypothesized that caffeine elevates calcium excretion and therefore could potentially harm bones. The scientific consensus at this time is that caffeine minimally affects calcium levels and intake is not associated with any increased risk for osteoporosis or the incidence of fractures in most women. Although the effect of caffeine on calcium excretion is small, postmenopausal women with risk factors for osteoporosis may want to make sure their dietary caffeine intake is low or moderate and not excessive.\n\nA diuretic refers to any substance that elevates normal urine output above that of drinking water. Caffeinated beverages are commonly believed to be dehydrating due to their diuretic effect, but results from scientific studies do not support that caffeinated beverages increase urine output more than water does. This does not mean that consuming caffeinated beverages does not affect urine output, but rather that it does not increase urine output more than water does. Thus, caffeinated beverages are considered a source of hydration similar to water."