Around 64% of the total US population consumes coffee every day, clearly highlighting its importance in routine. For a very large percentage of people, coffee kickstarts the day, delivering that boost that fires up individuals. Others find it extremely rejuvenating during the day, sipping through large mugs of coffee during discussions that could be either personal or official in nature. Caffeine pills have hit the markets strongly offering a good alternative to coffee, and many are taking to it. This includes individuals who love the caffeine in the coffee but wish to do away with the sugar, cream and other ingredients in coffee. It has now boiled down to a comparison between coffee and caffeine pills – with unproved claims posted online. We now take a studied, unbiased look at the caffeine pills vs coffee debate, to help you make an informed choice.
Why is coffee so popular? Why is the caffeine pills vs coffee comparison important?
Coffee is popular primarily for its stimulating nature. As a coffee drinker you may find it virtually impossible to get of your legs without that stimulating experience that energizes you. This is primarily because of the caffeine in the coffee. Caffeine is effectively a drug that belongs to the category of central nervous system stimulants. Categorized as part of the methylxanthine class of drugs, it is a psychoactive substance which triggers various mechanisms of action in the brain and body. This explains the reason behind the need for that stimulating cup at the start of the day. It exercises control over the brain and it is this effect that is responsible for the habit forming nature of coffee consumption. Before we look further at the caffeine pills vs coffee debate, it is important to understand that coffee is perfectly legal throughout the world, despite the psychoactive substances in it.
Coffee has multiple positive benefits on health and is often recommended in moderate doses as part of treatment regimen. Were you aware that coffee is a part of treatment options for patients with Parkinson’s. Caffeine citrate is on the WHO’s List of Essential Medicines, effective as a central nervous system stimulant. It is used for treating multiple conditions including breathing problems that are commonly associated with infants born prematurely. However, the caffeine pills vs coffee emerged mainly because of the nature of the drink and issues that individuals associated with it. Die hard coffee drinkers continue to swear by coffee, while others look for alternative options to get their dose of caffeine without having to sip a mug of coffee.
The reason behind the search for caffeine pills
Some of the main reasons behind the search for caffeine pills are the other ingredients in coffee and the mechanism of action of caffeine in coffee. For instance, coffee is known to increase cholesterol levels, increase blood glucose levels due to the added sugar/flavor, and coffee can sometimes trigger GERD. Additionally, as caffeine is a diuretic, coffee drinkers are more likely to visit the washroom frequently, due to increased fluid intake in coffee. To get over these issues, while still benefitting from caffeine, individuals looked at caffeine pills, which delivered similar benefits. One of the reasons why the caffeine pills vs coffee debate has taken an important turn is the availability of caffeine powder which is adulterated and has often had adverse side effects. Caffeine powder is different from caffeine pills, as the dosage delivered and the amount ingested is different. The recommended amount of caffeine per day is less than 400mg. Most coffee drinkers are unlikely to cross this limit, as the number of cups of coffee are typically around two or three on an average. Only heavy coffee drinkers are likely to exceed this dosage, since one cup of coffee typically contains about 100 mg of caffeine. However, in the case of individuals who consume caffeine powder, the probability of a heavier intake is high. Caffeine pill dosages are typically 100 mg or 200 mg, and it is possible to control the total intake quantity, by spacing out the pills through the day. In most cases, two or three pills are sufficient to deliver the required amount of caffeine.
Common side effects from caffeine pills
While caffeine pills deliver the required amount of caffeine safely, and avoid increase in sugar/cholesterol levels, there are side effects associated with caffeine pills. This is important from a caffeine pills vs coffee perspective. Some of the common side effects associated with caffeine include sleeplessness, headache, anxiety, heightened rate of heart beat, and an upset stomach. These side effects are primarily due to the concentrated nature of caffeine pills. Additionally, there are reported instances of overdosage resulting in toxic side effects including seizures. This is likely in the case of pills and less likely in the case of coffee, with the possible exception of coffee drinkers who consume more than five/six cups of coffee daily.
Similar benefits in coffee and caffeine pills
The benefits in coffee and caffeine pills are more or less the same, with caffeine pills having lesser calories than coffee. Additionally, caffeine pills are portable and can be consumed at will wherever, whenever. This is a lot different from having a coffee. However the experience of drinking a coffee in a particular ambience does have its own advantages that are hard to beat. Another distinct advantage that sometimes swings the balance in the caffeine pills vs coffee debate is the costs. You can get caffeine pills from e-commerce sites for as less as 20 dollars for 500 pills. This is certainly a huge difference when compared to the average cost of coffee available in any of the stores. However, as explained earlier, there is a lot more to a cup of coffee in a store than just the costs.
The advantage of flavor clearly rests with coffee. Individuals who wish to make comparisons on the basis of aroma and taste will certainly find coffee to be the ultimate winner in the caffeine pills vs coffee debate. The different combinations and the various flavors present an aroma that gives an experience that makes coffee more desirable. Consumption of coffee takes time, regardless of whether it is brewed at home or ordered at a takeaway. In the case of caffeine pills, not only is it portable, it does not take time to give your body the required caffeine dose.
Caffeine pills are a better alternative to energy drinks
A large number of individuals are increasingly taking to energy drinks for various activities. Dehydration occurs as a result of consumption of energy drinks, while caffeine pills deliver the same energy levels without dehydration. While coffee and caffeine pills are diuretic in nature, which effectively means that the trips to the washroom may increase, it certainly does not cause severe conditions like dehydration that is attributed to energy drinks. It is hard to actually rule in favor of either coffee or caffeine pills across all aspects, in the caffeine pills vs coffee argument, but it is safe to assume that coffee is effectively a better option than caffeine pills as the source is always natural. In the case of caffeine pills, the source could be either natural or synthetic, and this place coffee on a stronger position.
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