From traditional chai drinkers, urban Indians are increasingly migrating to coffee and the mushrooming of coffee shops all over the place bear testimony to our changed tastes. Researchers, however, point out that drinking coffee from different outlets can be detrimental to one’s health as the levels of caffeine differ greatly from one outlet to the other.
The daily-recommended level of caffeine intake for Indians fixed by the National Institute of Nutrition under its new dietary guidelines is 200 mg. Any excess intake can lead to increase in blood pressure and cause abnormalities in cardiac rhythm. But people often exceed this level as they drink coffee at coffee shops, at work and at home. A couple of chocolate bars (100 mg of caffeine), a bottle of cola (40 mg) and a can of “energy” drink (80 mg of caffeine) will only further add to the daily caffeine intake.
By Indian standards, a 150 ml cup of brewed coffee contains 80 to 120 mg of caffeine while a similar cup of instant coffee has 65 mg. However, no two outlets add the same quantity of coffee and even in the same coffee shop, the caffeine levels may differ. Generally, low doses (20 to 200) of caffeine produce mild positive effects like a feeling of well-being and alertness.
Higher doses of 200 mg or more can produce negative effects like nervousness and anxiety, especially in people who do not usually consume caffeine-containing beverages.
According to Dr D. Raghunatha Rao, deputy director and head of the Division of Extension and Training, National Institute of Nutrition, caffeine is a nervous stimulant and should be taken in low doses.
In case of pregnant women, they should take nutritious food and excess caffeine may interfere with the development of the foetus in the womb. A research in the UK revealed that caffeine is rapidly absorbed into the body of pregnant women and even crosses the placental barrier. It enters the circulatory system of the baby in the womb, affecting its growth.
Unlike Europeans, who consume several cups of coffee a day, South Indians in general drink two cups of coffee. The caffeine content varies greatly depending on the method of preparation. The higher the content of coffee, the more is the percentage of caffeine in a cup. Some cups may be up to six times stronger than others.