We crave it – we guzzle it – we rely on it to get us through boring meetings. But is it going to kill us in the long run? Well, here’s the real deal on caffeine from the experts. We found this in Women’s Health magazine:

• First, true or false: Long-term caffeine consumption is just plain bad for you. FALSE! That myth exists partially because smokers, who metabolize caffeine twice as fast as non-smokers, drink more coffee. And smokers have more health problems. But it’s the nicotine, not the caffeine, that’s the problem. As long as you don’t have high blood pressure, anxiety, or an irregular heartbeat, drinking caffeinated beverages for years won’t harm you. That’s according to the U.S. Army Research Institute.
  
  
• Next, true or false: Caffeine alters your body chemistry. TRUE! The amount you’ll find in two cups of coffee will triple the amount of adrenaline in your blood stream. That increases your respiratory rate. And caffeine affects your brain too. It increases dopamine, stimulating pleasure centers in the brain.That’s why coffee makes you feel alert and relaxed at the same time.
  
  
• One more, True or false: Caffeine can improve your game. TRUE! That comes from Dr. Joe Vinson, a food chemist at the University of Scranton. He says, when it comes to athletic performance, without caffeine you’ll lag a little mentally and physically. Caffeine stimulates you to exercise 10 to 15% percent longer. It’s also a mild analgesic, so you can exercise longer before you start to feel sore.
  

And let’s end on a little pop quiz. Which has the most caffeine and which has the least:

A can of Coke

A cup of regular brewed coffee

A Jolt soda

Or Coffee flavored yogurt?

From the most caffeine to the least it’s: a cup of coffee that has the highest content, then the Jolt soda, then the coffee yogurt, and the can of Coke actually has the least caffeine in it.