How to Use Caffeine Pills Safely

Video Transcript

"I'm Katie Adams, a registered dietitian with Decathlon Club part of Western Athletic Clubs. We're going to talk a little bit about caffeine pills and caffeine containing foods and if they're safe. Caffeine pills can be very dangerous substances to take. Caffeine is a diuretic which means that it can dehydrate you. If you take caffeine pills or just ingest high amounts of caffeine on a regular basis without properly rehydrating yourself, you can experience symptoms of dehydration such as fatigues, headaches and stomach cramps as well as constipation. Caffeine can also cause the jitters and disrupt the sleep cycle. Many diet pills contain caffeine as their primary ingredient. Although caffeine does provide a mild appetite suppressing effect, it can also cause anxiety, sleeplessness and a racing heart all of which can lead to very serious health problems if uncontrolled. If it is more energy you're looking for, I recommend getting at least six hours of sleep every night, eating a balanced diet that contains fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean protein and dairy products and exercising regularly. This will give you the boost you need to get through your day. To avoid too much caffeine in your diet, I recommend switching to decaffeinated coffee or tea or at least going half caffeinated and half decaffeinated. Its also important to limit your intake of soda, especially for sugar reasons as well as caffeine. And to limit your intake of chocolate, again, because it contains a lot of sugar and fat as well as caffeine. I'm Katie Adams, a registered dietitian with Decathlon Club part of Western Athletic Clubs and that is how you should treat caffeine pills and foods that contain caffeine."