“But first coffee!”
You have probably seen that sentence floating around on meme’s, t-shirts, instagram posts, coffee mugs, you name it. A large part of the population can not live without their morning coffee and it is no wonder that coffee shops are on every corner filled with customers waiting to get their morning fix. But coffee is not the only source of caffeine that people can’t get enough of. There are energy drinks that are loaded with over 300 mg of caffeine per can, protein bars with added caffeine, matcha lattes, sodas, teas, and stimulant heavy pre-workout supplements that tend to have over 300 mg of caffeine per scoop. A person consuming two cups of coffee and 1 scoop of preworkout, could easily be consuming well over 400-500+ mg of caffeine. The addiction is real!*
In a world that is always on the go and hustle culture on the rise, so many people are powered by caffeinated beverages and struggling with caffeine abuse, insomnia, anxiety, and even more side effects that come with it. This is why we have only included 100 mg of caffeine in Vitality+ to make sure that it’s not only safe, but effective, and without the jitters.*
While caffeine is great for some quick alertness, it is still a stimulant that triggers the release of adrenaline associated with increased energy. Because of this, it also can cause anxiety or nervousness when consumed in high amounts. We wanted to make sure that when taking Vitality+ that it didn’t cause anxiety, but instead helped with focus.*
Another risk of high caffeine are the addictive properties that caffeine has on the body and mind. It is the most widely used psychoactive substance and can easily be abused when consumed in large quantities. According to a study done on habitual caffeine consumers (1) showed that after 16 hours without consuming caffeine the daily users reported fatigue, drowsiness, low alertness/difficulty concentrating, low motivation/sociability, nausea/upset stomach, headache, and flu like symptoms compared to the non-daily caffeine consumers. This study really highlights the risk of consuming too much caffeine.*
It’s important to note that sourcing is also an important factor when it comes to caffeine consumption. It’s common for many types or brands of coffee, for example, to contain mycotoxins or toxins formed by mold; this is typically due to not storing the coffee properly. These toxins can cause poisoning when too much is ingested. (3) However, your liver does help to filter these toxins out of the body when consumption of mycotoxins is low. Another consideration is pesticide exposure from non organic coffee beans.*
Natural versus synthetic sources of caffeine is an important consideration as well. Natural sources of caffeine include foods like coffee beans, tea and chocolate. Synthetic sources of caffeine are produced in a lab and are typically found in products such as chewing gum, sodas and candy. For more information on caffeine sourcing and what we use in Vitality+ please refer to this blog.*
Fatigue is another risk from consuming too much caffeine. Most people consuming large amounts of caffeine are looking for increased energy and while that may be the case for the hours following caffeine consumption, according to this study (2), researchers found that while alertness improved as well as mood for several hours after consumption, participants were often more tired the following day or once the caffeine wore off. This study shows that the dose of caffeine can be directly related to increased fatigue following the caffeine crash or the following day. In order to maximize the benefits of caffeine, it is best to avoid high doses, making Vitality+ the perfect boost of energy without the crash or jitters.*
*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
