According to USA Today, about 83% of American adults drink coffee. It is the most consumed beverage in America. An average cup of coffee contains 95 mg of caffeine. A cup of tea contains 26 mgs. Starbucks and Dunkin Donuts have triple that amount. But coffee and tea are not the only things containing caffeine. It can be found in Energy drinks, soft drinks, candy, chocolate and aspirin, to name a few.
I didn't start drinking coffee until I was 27 and I have stopped and started back several times over the last 31 years. I am sure my body enjoyed the break anytime I did stop. Trust me I have always LOVED coffee and really enjoyed the aroma!! Then I learned to make it in a french press and loved it even more!! But the more I pay attention to my health and my skin I have created a cross roads about coffee. Now I know too much about the effects of caffeine on my skin, so I have had to make a decision. Here are a few things that I have discovered about caffeine.
Caffeine contains Tannins. Tannins are chemicals found in both coffee and tea. Commercially, tannin is used in tanneries when processing leather to make the leather soft and shiny, which is a great indicator that you shouldn't be drinking it. Tannin blocks the pores cells, preventing them from receiving nutrients provided by food. The aspects that make Tannin great for leather are its hydration-removal properties, which can cause your skin to become depleted of moisture and appear rough and dry.
Liver Spots
A common skin problem is liver spots. These dark spots are caused by a high level of toxicity and congestion in the liver. Your liver acts like a filter for your body, purifying your blood so your cells can receive nutrients and oxygen. Long term coffee use may block your liver with toxins, preventing your liver from purifying your blood, according to Chet Day's Health and Beyond. This impure blood then taints the cells in your body, including skin cells. which may result in the development of liver spots as you age.
Acne
The connection between caffeine and acne has been a topic of debate over the years. Some experts believe that while caffeine may not cause acne, it could worsen the already existing conditions, says AbsoluteAcneInfo. The toxic effects that coffee can have on your liver can also lead to acne , as the liver is unable to purify your blood, resulting in tainted cells.
Dehydration
In addition to the dehydrating effects that tannin has on your skin, the caffeine in coffee, when taken in high amounts, also acts as a diuretic, which further dehydrates the body. Diuretics cause you to urinate more frequently, which can dry out your body as well as your skin. While drinking only a few cups of coffee may not dehydrate you to badly, when you get up to 4-7 cups a day it may become problematic. Also, if you are drinking Starbucks or Dunkin Donuts coffee, 2 cups is equal to drinking 7 cups of regular coffee. If you are a big coffee drinker, at least try to match 8oz of water for every cup of coffee for hydration.
Now that I am aware of the fact that high doses of caffeine put toxins in your body, contribute to liver spots and acne and dehydrate the body which all have a major effect on your skin, I have to choose to put coffee down, since coffee has the highest amount of caffeine of anything I drink or eat. As my very good friend Nancy always told me " when you know better, you do better"! Well I know better. So I am drinking better choices. It has taken some getting used to, but I am loving the way I feel and the positive results on my skin. My skin is clearer and my pores are smaller. It also is more radiant because it is more hydrated.
I have replaced my morning coffee with Teecinno.
You can get them from Amazon, they come in several different flavors and taste amazing!
I also drink Matcha tea, is does has a very tiny amount of caffeine .01g/100g.
I buy my Matcha from Breakaway Matcha.
Another quote form my friend Nancy, " knowledge is power". Now that I have read the information on caffeine, and it resonates with me, I have the power to make better choices for myself. No one elses experience can convince us to do anything. We have to make choices based on where we are in life and what makes sense to us and speaks to our heart. This information makes sense to me so I made changes for myself. And I am so happy with my choices!! Are you making good choices for your health and skin???
Until next time,
Jan
