Caffeine Pills vs Coffee: Are Supplements Better?
We’ve all had those days when there just wasn’t enough time to make that oh-so-needed brew. But what if you didn’t have to worry about that? What if you could pop a pill and let the magic of concentrated caffeine flow through your veins? Does it hold a candle to a proper coffee?
In this article, we take a closer look at caffeine pills vs coffee: are supplements better?
Caffeine Supplements Vs Coffee
The most important thing is that caffeine comes from both natural sources and labs. Caffeine pills are made with either type (1). Caffeine is a stimulant that works by stimulating your central nervous system, and you can read more on that here. There is more caffeine in coffee vs energy drinks, as well as in caffeine pills vs energy drinks.
Are caffeine pills bad for you? Or is it better to take caffeine pills instead of coffee? Let’s find out.
What Do Caffeine Pills Look Like?
Caffeine pills look like little white or yellow pills that are oval or circular, but they vary in appearance depending on the brand.
Benefits
If you don’t like the taste of coffee (gasp), caffeine pills’ benefits entail giving you coffee’s effects without bitterness. You can skip the unnecessary calories, stomach agitation, time, and subsequent sugar crash by not having to add creamers or sweeteners to lighten your brew.
Be wary and do not regularly rely on caffeine pills as they are habit-forming and easier to overdose on with their ease of caffeine intake.
They also don’t offer the same beneficial compounds like L-theanine as in caffeinated drinks (2).
If you’re not getting enough sleep, it may be best to avoid caffeine pills. You may slip into a cycle of taking pills to stay awake, which interferes with your sleep, then causes a sleep deficit.
For more information, check out this YouTube video.
Dosage
A standard cup of coffee has about 100 mg of caffeine, whereas caffeine tablets have anywhere from 100 to 200 mg per dosage. An 8-oz cup of black tea, on the other hand, can contain ~47mg. This means that a healthy person can consume about 4 cups of coffee, 8 to 9 cups of black tea, or 2 to 3 pills a day, as their max caffeine intake limit. How much caffeine is in a caffeine pill depends on its brand, and the caffeine content in coffee varies by its preparation (3).
Price
Splurging for one cup of fancy coffee at your local coffee shop is roughly equal to the price of about three months’ worth of some caffeine pills available online or at the nearest pharmacy. The benefits of caffeine pills include their low cost, easy accessibility, and convenient portability.
Final Thoughts
When considering the pros and cons of caffeine pills, it’s worth considering your budget, timing, sensitivities, taste preferences, and caffeine needs. How much caffeine is in caffeine pills depends on the brand, so please adhere to the recommended dosages and do not become dependent on them. Caffeine pills are cheaper, quicker, and have no taste or stomach agitation; coffee has a sweet variety, is an experience, and has excellent tastes with beneficial compounds.
FAQs
Caffeine pills work like coffee and any other caffeinated drink, and they help you to stay alert, especially if you’re struggling with drowsiness or tiredness. Like having a cup of coffee, caffeine pills give you a quick boost of focus, energy, and memory, which can be great for studying.
Caffeine pills are healthy for most people as long as you consume them in moderation. Plus, other alternative sources of caffeine are then restricted. Some may have a lower caffeine tolerance, leading to a higher sensitivity to caffeine and potential adverse reactions. As such, caffeine pills are not recommended for: kids; teens; those who are anxious or experience issues with digestion, heart conditions, high blood pressure, or frequent migraines; or women who are breastfeeding, pregnant, or attempting to conceive.
Caffeine pills are neither better nor worse than coffee, and rating the two ultimately depends on personal preference and why you are looking to take one or the other. Coffee is your best bet if you are after more of an experience. However, if you take pills as a quick fix for chronic fatigue, you may need to look inward to address a deeper problem.
References
- Wirth, J. (2022, June 23). What Are Caffeine Pills—and Are They Safe? Retrieved September 24, 2022, from https://www.health.com/mind-body/are-caffeine-pills-safe
- Robinson, K. M. (2021, June 29). Caffeine Pills: What to Know. Retrieved September 24, 2022, from https://www.webmd.com/sleep-disorders/caffeine-pills-what-to-know#:~:text=highly%20concentrated%20caffeine.-,Do%20Caffeine%20Pills%20Work%3F,help%20you%20feel%20more%20awake
- Martinez, K. (2019, October 28). What to know about caffeine pills. Retrieved September 24, 2022, from https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/326822
