Many people have come to rely on drinks and foods that contain natural stimulants to overcome the state of laziness, lethargy, and lack of concentration, and to increase the body’s ability to perform the tasks required of it during the day. Perhaps the most prominent of these stimulants are tea, coffee, and chocolate, but their daily and continuous consumption often causes addiction to them and the body’s habituation to them.
These substances aim to stimulate the central nervous system, so stopping taking them – especially on fasting days – leads to annoying symptoms such as severe headaches, in addition to a decrease in performance and concentration, which affects study and work.
To try to solve this problem, extended-release caffeine pills have flooded the market, which are promoted as a “sustainable alternative” to coffee and other stimulants. What are they? Is it safe?
Caffeine pills and their uses
Caffeine pills are a medicinal substitute for caffeine found in some drinks and natural foods. They aim to stimulate the nervous system by supplying the body with a certain amount of caffeine in a specific period, depending on the type of pill, without the need to consume one of its sources, such as coffee or chocolate, for example. People have recently turned to them with the month of Ramadan, and abstained from taking stimulants for long hours during the day.
While the effect of a single dose of caffeine from coffee or other coffee, for example, may extend for approximately 90 minutes or even 120 minutes, caffeine pills allow the effect of stimulants to be sustained in the body for approximately 8 hours sometimes, which has tempted many who have become suffering from lethargy, lack of concentration, and perhaps headaches due to abstaining from coffee during the day in Ramadan.
Extended release technology and its effects
Extended-release tablet technology refers to those manufactured to release the active ingredients in them slowly into the body, so they remain effective for a pre-determined period (depending on the type of medication), unlike regular medication tablets that we swallow, which are all absorbed, and the body immediately begins its rapid, effective response to them.
Instant caffeine pills are completely absorbed by the body immediately after they are swallowed, while extended-release pills are absorbed slowly for different periods depending on the type of pills. Some of them may reach the peak of caffeine release after 4 hours, for example, which means that the body’s ability to respond to them will be better and more stable, and its effect will last longer.
According to the scarce studies available to date, in 2015, a group of researchers from the University of Central Florida studied the effect of coffee beans programmed to release their active substances in a specific period (such as extended-release beans) compared to immediate ones. They showed that they can increase the rate of alertness, concentration, and mental performance during periods of sleep deprivation and for a period extending up to approximately 13 hours, which may make it one of the reasons why many people who suffer from insomnia or lack of sleep turn to it.
Is suhoor suitable for preserving energy?
It depends on the type of caffeine pills. Some of them show their effect after one to two hours and continue until they reach their peak within 4 to 6 hours in the blood. This means that taking caffeine pills after the suhoor meal, which may be shortly before dawn, may allow a few hours of sleep before the body begins to respond to the stimulating effect of these pills.
But accurate and reliable information in this regard is still scarce, and the information spread is based on experiences that began sweeping social media sites and platforms not long ago.
Safe limit for daily caffeine consumption
The permissible amount of caffeine varies from one person to another, depending on body weight, the diseases that the person suffers from, and the extent of each person’s sensitivity to such stimulants.
But the US Food and Drug Administration has determined that the recommended amount of caffeine for an adult per day is a maximum of 350 ml (400 mg), which is approximately 2 to 3 regular-sized cups of coffee.
As for caffeine pills, the safe dose varies depending on their type and manufacturer, but usually one tablet contains 100 to 200 mg of caffeine, provided that the daily dose does not exceed 400 mg for healthy adults.
Caffeine pills are classified as safe provided that they refrain from taking other sources of stimulants or caffeine along with them, and that they are also consumed in moderation without excess. This is for people who do not suffer from any health problems. As for those who suffer from various diseases and health conditions, it is recommended to consult the specialist responsible for their condition to avoid any possible interactions.
Categories that should avoid these pills
As is the case with any manufactured drug, caffeine pills are not suitable for all people, as specialists recommend avoiding taking them in patients with high blood pressure and other heart problems, or those who feel different symptoms when consuming caffeine (what is known as caffeine sensitivity). Also, gastroesophageal reflux is one of the contraindications for using caffeine pills.
Pregnant and breastfeeding women are also recommended to avoid caffeine pills, and they must be withheld from children and even adolescents to maintain their health and avoid any possible complications.
The Food and Drug Administration warns of the danger of taking high and rapid doses of concentrated caffeine, exceeding 1,200 mg of pure or concentrated caffeine (without additives), which may be fatal and highly toxic to some, and it differs from less concentrated caffeine pills.
However, in all cases, caution should be exercised and those who suffer from high sensitivity to caffeine, which may cause severe allergic reactions, or those who suffer from health problems related to the heart, or who have previously been diagnosed with migraines and other diseases and health problems, should be careful and avoid taking these pills, for which it is preferable to consult a doctor.
It is also mentioned that caffeine pills may conflict with some medications, such as antibiotics, asthma medications, heart medications, or stimulants.
Is it made from natural ingredients?
Caffeine pills may contain natural or manufactured substances sometimes, and the matter varies according to their type and manufacturer, but the main active substance in each of them is anhydrous caffeine, but they may contain other substances, each of which serves a different purpose for the purposes of manufacturing the tablet, controlling its dissolution, or enhancing its drug stability within the body. Among the most prominent auxiliary substances that are included in the composition of caffeine pills are microcrystalline cellulose, magnesium stearate, and silicon dioxide.
Suhoor between coffee and cereal
It may depend on the pattern of use, but coffee is generally metabolized and consumed in the body shortly after drinking it, approximately two hours later, but information shows that the pattern of use may have a role in this as well.
In a study conducted by researchers from the University of Greifswald in Germany and published in 2024, which compared effervescent tablets to those with extended action, it was found that taking instant tablets after a saturated meal had an effect for a longer period compared to extended-release pills.
However, it must be noted that other factors may have a role in the body’s response, such as genetic factors that differ from one person to another and determine the nature of its response to caffeine according to the pattern it follows.