Here are some things I’ve researched about caffeine and thought would be worth sharing with all of you:

Caffeine is a Drug. Most people do not realize that caffeine is not just a food additive/substance – caffeine is a psycho stimulant drug. It is in the same class as drugs such as amphetamines and others. While it occurs naturally in some foods, it is also added to quite a few foods as well. When taken on a regular basis and in large doses, it can become actually quite addictive, which I can attest to personally now being a recovered Mountain Dew addict.

Because caffeine is a stimulant, it can cause different effects on a person’s body and brain. For example, stimulants are often frequently used as a medication for ADHD treatment and actually cause the hyperactive inattentive person to be able to slow down and concentrate better. However, for those without ADHD, stimulants can actually cause ADHD like symptoms of too much hyperactivity. (Have you ever said to someone who’s all wound up or really excited “Hey, lay off the coffee?”)

Caffeine Does Suppress Your Appetite: When I was a Mountain Dew addict, I was rarely hungry. No doubt again this was because of the amount I was taking. I did not lose any weight then though – probably because you tend to fail to get all the nutrients your body needs to actually burn fat and calories if all you are drinking is high fructose corn syrup and caffeine While some people believe that an appetite suppressant is necessary in helping reduce calories or cut down on portion sizes, I’ve found that if you actually eat healthy like you’re supposed to you’ll probably very rarely ever actually be hungry. A lot of diet shakes now have appetite suppressants in them, hoping maybe you won’t notice that all you have in your stomach for 4 hours is a single cup of milk. (As I wrote in my post about meal replacement shakes there’s a way to do it right – but a lot of plans don’t.) You have to be careful in the kind you try and use.

You Should Be Careful If You Have a History of Heart Disease: Many families now have a long genetic history of heart disease and high cholesterol. I know I can trace back several instances of it if I look at my own family tree for several generations. There have been findings that it can increase heart irregularities, cholesterol, and blood pressure. (See article here with a long list of studies/references).

There are Side Effects: As I mentioned above, caffeine can have different effects on different people. Some people may suffer extreme irritability or anger issues from a crash. Others might have extreme hyperactivity and mania only to later slump into a depressed or lethargic state once the effects of the drug have worn off. It can also cause issues for some people in releasing hormones such as cortisol which can also play a role in causing people to gain weight.

If you are considering to use caffeine as a means of losing weight, you should exercise caution and be careful. You may want to talk to your doctor about it, who can better have an understanding of your health history as well as the effects it may have on you personally. While a moderate amount such as a single cup of coffee once a day likely won’t have too many negative effects on you, for some extreme doses can be far more dangerous than any potential benefits of using caffeine weight loss programs.