For many, a caffeine fix is key to starting the day – an expert explains the biological changes that begin with that morning tea or coffee. We’re a nation fuelled by caffeine. We drink about 100 million cups of tea a day , according to the UK Tea & Infusions Association; and, says the British Coffee Association, somewhere in the region of 95 million cups of coffee.
And that’s before we even mention energy drinks. Yet the health advice surrounding caffeine can sometimes be confusing. A study published in the journal BMJ Evidence-Based Medicine found that pregnant women should cut out caffeine completely to help avoid miscarriage, low birth weight and stillbirth.
This is in contradiction to the current guidance in the UK, which states that a daily caffeine intake equivalent to two cups of medium-strength coffee (200mg) is safe for pregnant women. What is undeniable is that caffeine brings about a biological change in our bodies. We asked Thomas Sanders, a Professor of Nutrition & Dietetics at Kings College London, to explain the process, from the moment a drop of the elixir passes our lips.
8am: The first sip.