There has been plenty of science showing the benefit of caffeine and coffee. But, do all forms of caffeine have the same effect? Today we will cover the various effects of caffeine in other forms.
Most commonly people come across caffeine in coffee, soda, energy drinks, and tea. But, there are many other forms out there.
Remember our blog about caffeine powder? You can make virtually anything caffeinated these days.
Even the show Shark Tank had a company on there that sold caffeinated waffles.
These days you can come across caffeine in other forms like chewing gum, bars, mouth rinses, and even aerosols.
Apparently the place where the caffeine is ingested makes a difference (and, no, we are not talking about coffee enemas, like some crazy people out there). For instance, if you had the same amount of caffeine in chewing gum as you did in a drink, it would have different effects on your body.
When you take your caffeine in gum form, it only goes in through your mouth's mucous membranes. When going this route, it gets into your system a lot more quickly.
However, caffeinated mouth rinses had little effect, or needed further study. Caffeine can get into your system quickly, but not that quickly. And, it is not like you want to keep your coffee hanging in your mouth and staining your teeth, all to get a little bit quicker jolt.
But, for athletes, the chewing gum seemed to be better at getting results more quickly. Even though the overall caffeine hitting your system over time is the same with chewing gum as, lets say capsules.
The caffeine in capsules may take longer to get into the bloodstream, but it still makes its way in.
Of all the ways to get your caffeine in other forms, aerosol and nasal sprays seem to have the least evidence. The total mg of caffeine is very low, and although there are some positive reviews out there, the science is iffy.
The idea behind caffeine nasal spray is that those are some of the easiest membranes to get through, and that it is closer to your brain. To me, that makes things a little bit scarier. Especially since there has been little evidence to support this claim.
However, even if those claims end up being true, for the average person there is no significant benefit to one form of caffeine over another.
If you are a professional athlete who needs a big surge at a precise moment, sure, try that gum. And maybe risk some of the crazier forms, like nasal sprays.
But, keep in mind, your body still takes in the same amount of caffeine overall. For the average person that uses caffeine to pep up for work, or to enjoy a restful weekend, just go with your favorite method of caffeine ingestion.
And, of course, our favorite method of caffeine ingestion is coffee paired with cookies, but we are a bit biased.
What are some of the caffeine in other forms that you guys have tried? If nothing else, the research for this blog makes me want to find caffeine gum. What about you all?