The latest ‘buzz’ about CAFFEINE: myth or reality?

These days it’s hard to wrap your head around how health experts feel about CAFFEINE.

Some tell you that the slightest drop of caffeine will give you the shakes and cause your heart to beat so fast that you’ll practically take off and fly…

Others say that you can guzzle coffee all day and it won’t do a thing!

Well, folks, today I stumbled across another caffeine-related headline about that’s sure to create MORE confusion.

So let’s cut through the noise and get the real ‘buzz’ about caffeine and your health.

You’d probably stop in your tracks – or at least spit out your cup of coffee – if you saw this headline…

Warning: High Caffeine Consumption May Increase Risk of Blinding Eye Disease

I don’t blame you. But, that’s exactly the headline of a recent study published in the journal Ophthalmology.

The gist of the study says that consuming large amounts of daily caffeine may increase your risk of glaucoma –the leading cause of blindness in the U.S.

It’s good click-bait… but here’s the reality:

Drinking coffee (or caffeine) isn’t going to make go blind.

You see, the connection between a lot of caffeine and glaucoma boils down to something called intraocular pressure (IOP) which is pressure inside the eye.

If you have high IOP, it can be a major risk factor for developing glaucoma.

Researchers behind the study found that too much caffeine doesn’t necessarily make your IOP go up, but for folks that naturally HAVE higher eye pressure, greater caffeine consumption was connected to higher IOP and higher instances of glaucoma.

In other words, drinking too much caffeine (including coffee) isn’t going to start increasing your eye pressure…

BUT if you are genetically predisposed to higher eye pressure, having too much caffeine can be troubling for your vision.

This study highlights that when it comes to drinking caffeine – consume it in MODERATION. A notion we can all get behind.

Sticking to no more than three cups of coffee each day will ensure you’re not drinking too much caffeine. And if you have the hankering for an extra cup, try a cup of decaf coffee instead.

Now, when it comes to understanding your risk for glaucoma, it’s important to have regular exams with your eye doctor who can tell you if you’re eye pressure is too high.

Your eyes could also benefit from vitamin B3. Studies have shown that vitamin B3 (aka niacin) can help prevent glaucoma.

Niacin can be found at most health food stores or vitamin retailers, usually for less than $10 per bottle.

To the real truth about caffeine,
Sarah Reagan

Sources:

SciTech Daily. “Warning: High Caffeine Consumption May Increase Risk of Blinding Eye Disease.” 6/7/21. https://scitechdaily.com/warning-high-caffeine-consumption-may-increase-risk-of-blinding-eye-disease/

Meixner, Makayla. “The 9 Most Important Vitamins for Eye Health.” 7/25/18. https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/eye-vitamins