Facts about Caffeine from Steve Wooden, CNP-CRNA

Fat Farmers,
I just wanted to add something to the Blog that might be of help. The
information about Caffeine might be a little misleading, so if you don't
mind I will occasionally submit information from some of my most trusted
medical information sites. I will try to provide balanced information,
because as we all know, knowledge is constantly changing and I hope I can
provide some additional information from alternative sources when I can.
I also want to thank Jerry for getting this started again. If nothing else,
it help us all understand the importance of paying attention to what we eat.
Steve

Question
Caffeine: Can it help me lose weight? Does caffeine increase weight loss?
Answer
from Katherine Zeratsky, R.D., L.D.
A few studies indicate that drinking coffee or tea with caffeine may
slightly boost weight loss or prevent weight gain. But there's no evidence
that increased caffeine consumption results in significant or permanent
weight loss. And some of the studies looking at caffeine and weight were
poor quality or done on animals, making the results questionable or hard to
generalize to humans. In addition, some studies found that decaffeinated
coffee may contribute to modest changes in weight, suggesting that
substances or factors besides caffeine may play a role in weight loss.
Although the research about caffeine and weight isn't definitive,
researchers have several theories about how caffeine affects weight:
│Appetite suppression. Caffeine may reduce your desire to eat for a brief
time, but there's not enough evidence to show that long-term consumption
aids weight loss.
│Calorie burning. Caffeine may stimulate thermogenesis - one way your body
generates heat and energy from digesting food. But this probably isn't
enough to produce significant weight loss.
│Water loss. Caffeine acts as a diuretic, which means it increases the
amount of urine you excrete. This water loss may temporarily decrease your
body weight.
While you may be tempted to try caffeine to aid weight loss, keep in mind
that caffeine's a stimulant and too much can cause nervousness, insomnia and
other problems. Also, some caffeinated beverages, such as specialty coffees,
are high in calories and fat. So instead of losing weight, you might
actually gain weight.Steve Wooden DNP-CRNA