Caffeine

Erectile dysfunction. In combination, those are two of the ugliest words known to man. But can caffeine help you get it up?

Science hasn't found the definitive answer to this question, but one study concluded that fewer men who consume caffeine have problems performing. The study said:

Caffeine intake reduced the odds of prevalent ED, especially an intake equivalent to approximately 2-3 daily cups of coffee (170-375 mg/day). This reduction was also observed among overweight/obese and hypertensive, but not among diabetic men. Yet, these associations are warranted to be investigated in prospective studies

Many breastfeeding mothers wonder if it's OK to take caffeine. In fact, many nursing mothers just avoid caffeine in case it would keep their babies fussy, jittery and awake.

The answer is yes, you can take caffeine while breastfeeding, as long as you don't go over about 300 mg a day.

It's an important question because caffeine is in so many products, and taking coffee, tea, or soda is such a common ritual.

And breastfeeding mothers may be tempted to take caffeinated products because they are deprived of sleep by their newborns' odd sleep schedule.

Chewing gum to lose weight may be a viable method for some people, scientific studies have shown. It works in part by controlling appetite.

A study published in the scientific journal Appetite concluded:

"Overall, chewing gum for at least 45 min significantly suppressed rated hunger, appetite and cravings for snacks and promoted fullness (p<0.05). This study demonstrated some benefit of chewing gum which could be of utility to those seeking an aid to appetite control."

You may have been chewing gum all of your life, but you don't know what's in it. Chewing gum has four main ingredients: gum base, flavors, colors, and sweeteners.

Around the mid-1900s, chemists learned to make synthetic rubber. This became the base ingredient for most brands of chewing gum, says the site Chewing Gum Facts. That said, some companies use both natural and artificial ingredients in the base.

The history of chewing gum advanced from chewy substances found in nature thousands of years ago, to chicle centuries ago in Central America, to mid-19th century Maine when the modern product was first mass produced in a factory.

The gum of centuries and millennia ago would not have been like what we chew today. In fact, neither was the stuff of the 1840s and '50s.

So you like your coffee or tea, energy drinks, or caffeinated mints. But you're afraid too much caffeine is unwise.

In a meta-study published in the British Medical Journal, the researchers looked at the results of 218 other studies, most of the observational, to find the optimal amount of coffee consumption per day.

The result?

Three to four 8-ounce cups per daywill not only satisfy your caffeine cravings, but it results in some health benefits.

Scientists speculate that the caffeine lowers the body's sensitivity to insulin, meaning the hormone is not as effective as it once was. The cells don't absorb as much sugar from the blood after eating or drinking. To compensate, the body creates more insulin, which raises its level after your meals.

It's a double whammy because the body already uses insulin poorly, and blood sugar rises higher than it should. Caffeine might make this worse and make it hard to reduce blood sugar to healthy levels.

In time, the complications of diabetes, like heart disease or nerve damage, could become worse from the higher blood sugar induced by caffeine consumption.

That said, be careful you don't take caffeine so late that it prevents you from falling asleep. Sleep deprivation can have a big impact on mental health and can worsen depression. Sleep deprivation can also cause physical health problems, which can exacerbate depression.

In a bit of good news, caffeine boosts the rate of your metabolism, as we stated. Scientists calculate something called the resting metabolic rate (RMR).

Caffeine can increase your resting metabolic rate by 3 to 11 percent. The more caffeine you take, the higher the RMR. If your metabolic rate is higher, you burn more calories even at rest, and you can eat more without gaining weight.

But most sources, including our blog, say you should not take more than 400 mg of caffeine per day. That's about 4 to 5 cups of coffee or 10 Viter Energy Mints daily [5].

Other studies say people who consume caffeine regularly get morebenefit in mood enhancement. That said, those who don't use caffeine regularly may see an improvement in physical ability or mental acuity.

But a CBS News article states: "Regular users build up a tolerance and may not experience the same positive effects; they need that morning caffeine infusion just to help overcome sleepiness and lethargy."

For many types of workers, the night shift entails a struggle to stay awake. If you're a doctor scurrying around an emergency room or a police officer on foot patrol, the chances of falling asleep are slim to none.

But if you're a security guard in a small town or are on a low-activity watch and are on the graveyard shift, you might have a lot of trouble staying awake.

Firefighters keep busy, even in small towns. The work of cooking their meals, maintaining and cleaning the fire station, equipment, and trucks is never-ending. And if it's a big town, there are emergency calls every day, sometimes all day.

The stress of always being on call for structure fires, medical emergencies, hazardous materials spills, and technical rescues is high.

And then consider the danger and excitement of the calls firefighters make, and the stress can really go through the roof.