CAFFEINE FAQ
Is Powdered Caffeine a new product?
No, caffeine was first extracted from coffee beans in 1819 and powder caffeine has been sold since then.
Powder caffeine was used by both the Union and Confederate troops during the Civil War and a “hospital drink” featuring caffeine was created during the Civil War to speed recovery from battle wounds. Powder caffeine has been available for almost two hundred years.
Is Blast Caffeine Safe?
Yes. Blast Caffeine is safer than coffee or energy drinks and food. Blast is not a hand grenade, it is simply a small container of powder caffeine designed to shake out the caffeine equivalent of one cup of coffee. The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) states: “Caffeine poses no health problems if used responsibly”. Coffee contains over 800 substances - only a few have been studied and 17 cause cancer. Energy drinks contain cheap caffeine, useless chemicals, and fillers that can damage your kidneys. France and other countries have banned Red Bull because of the chemicals it contains. Use Blast as you would coffee, tea, Red Bull, or any energy product. Do you drink three cups of coffee a day? Replace it with three shakes of Blast. Simple. Don't pry the top off and spoon it into your food or your mouth. It will make you sick. Who would do that anyway? People who chew batteries?
Is caffeine addictive?
Even doctors are confused over this question.
A recent report in the American Journal of Drug and Alcohol Abuse clearly states that caffeine is not addictive. Further, it states, “Caffeine, overall, poses no threat to individuals or society”. Blast Caffeine is as addictive as any caffeine product – probably less so because of the absence of sugar and sugar substitutes.
Are there withdrawal symptoms if I stop regular use?
While it may not be addictive, articles in health magazines state that "withdrawal from heavy use of caffeine products can lead to flu-like symptoms, irritability, depression and anxiety. Symptoms can start from 12 to 20 hours after your last use, peak about two days later, and can last about as long as a week". We've never heard of anyone experiencing withdrawal symptoms and we can't locate the actual research study.
How does Blast Caffeine compare to coffee or energy drinks?
Caffeine is a molecule and it works the same way no matter how it is eaten or drunk. There is no difference between the caffeine in an energy muffin, coffee, Yerba Mate, or in Blast. Caffeine is the only energy source in energy foods and drinks. The rest of the stuff is filler to justify the high cost. The ingredients in energy drinks are a chemical soup you would never drink without the caffeine. If you want to see what your kidneys are processing every time you take a Monster or Rock Star, boil out the water and check out the residue, then spoon that junk into your mouth.
If all you want is an energy boost, buy Blast. Red Bull, Monster and the others are not health drinks. If you have a taurine deficiency, your doctor will tell you and a dose of taurine only costs 3¢ a day. If you have a vitamin deficiency, buy a bottle of Centrum and save
yourself a ton of money. Hey! Times are tough out there. If you have money to throw away, send it to a worthy charity.
Why is Blast Caffeine bitter?
Pure caffeine is slightly bitter. The bitterness was purposely retained to prevent overuse by disguising the caffeine with sugar. Once sprinkled on food or in drinks, the bitterness disappears completely. It isn't that bitter. All of us at American Caffeine shake it "straight up".
What puts the energy in energy drinks?
Caffeine is the only commonly-used, proven, active ingredient that produces “energy” in energy drinks and foods. The “energy” in virtually every energy product on the market is from caffeine. Popular energy herbs such as Guarana and Yerba Mate are simply caffeine plants.
Can I take too much?
How long does caffeine stay in my system?
Depends on the individual.
The "half-life" of caffeine is 3.5 hours no matter where it comes or how it is used. Every 3.5 hours you have one-half as much in your system. Residual amounts of caffeine can be detected 24 hours after use in some people.
Is caffeine a “banned substance”?
Caffeine from any source is banned in several sports associations such as the NCAA. The Olympic Committee allows only trace amounts. Testing positive for caffeine may result in disqualification.
How do I use Blast Caffeine?
One moderate shake over any food or into any drink, like using a salt shaker or you can shake Blast directly into your mouth. Each shake equals approximately 100 mg, about 1/20th of a teaspoon, about as much as a cup of coffee and a bit more than an energy drink. A little goes a long way. If you shake directly into your mouth for an instant energy boost, go slow. Try one moderate shake and wait for 20 seconds or so to feel the effect before taking more. It will taste slightly bitter and have a slight aftertaste for up to half an hour. For endurance training, consider using milk as a hydrator with a shake of Blast. Increases of up to 40% in endurance have been recorded using this combination. Milk is a more effective hydrator than Gatorade or any of the electrolyte carbohydrate drinks.
Does Blast Caffeine have an expiration date?
Caffeine is a molecule just as water or salt is a molecule. Water, salt, and other simple molecules do not degrade under normal conditions. We have not discovered any evidence that caffeine degrades over time if kept dry and in a container.
How long does a container last?
Depends on how much you use.
If you drink three cups of coffee or three Red Bulls daily, a container of Blast Caffeine will last up to six weeks! Each container holds the equivalent of 100 cups of coffee or 125 Red Bulls.
Why is there a "clump" in the container?
Blast Caffeine is nothing but caffeine. We do not add anti-caking agents like silicon dioxide to aid in pouring. This would add useless bulk, decrease the amount of caffeine you pay for, or force us to enlarge the container for the additional powder. Besides, do you want to eat silicon dioxide? We don't. Although the container is designed to limit exposure to air, humidity and large crystals may cause an occasional small clump. We just give the container a shake and bust up the clump. We been doing that for over 30 years without a problem.
Why is Blast Caffeine so cheap?
Where does caffeine come from?
Caffeine is a naturally occurring molecule found in more than 80 plants. Coffee beans are the largest source of caffeine, although tea leaves, guarana fruit, and Yerba Mate are also used to extract caffeine. Guarana fruit contains almost twice as much caffeine as coffee. Caffeine is also produced synthetically in laboratories around the world.
What is a “caffeine crash”?
Caffeine does not cause a "crash". Caffeine is a stimulant. When the body is stimulated, it uses serotonin more quickly than it normally would. Once the stimulant is removed, there is a psychological imbalance until serotonin reserves are replaced. This is not the "crash" advertised by 5 Hour Energy drink. That “crash” is caused by the metabolism of sugar, as stated on their label. No sugar, no crash. Blast Caffeine does not contain sugar.
Can I take more than one shake at a time?
We do not recommend that you shake more than once at a time.
Remember, each shake is a cup of coffee or an energy drink. Shake one at a time, no more than five per day. With use, you will discover how much Blast Caffeine to take to achieve the results you want. You may be satisfied with only a light shake or, as you become tolerant to caffeine, you will need a heavier shake or two to achieve the results you want.
Does caffeine cause cancer or help it grow?
Caffeine may help prevent or cure cancer. It is a hot new drug in cancer research.
When applied directly to the skin of mice, “the effect on mice exposed to ultraviolet radiation was dramatic. Treatment with caffeine reduced cancerous tumors by 72%. Caffeine treatments reduced noncancerous tumors by 44%. Other studies have shown that the regular ingestion of caffeine resulted in a 20% reduction in the potential for cancer in humans. New studies that show the preventative value of caffeine are popping up frequently. Google "caffeine and cancer".
Can I take Blast Caffeine if I am pregnant?
Yes, in moderation.
The FDA suggests a limit of 200mgs a day for pregnant women. They assume two cups of coffee. But, remember, caffeine is an ingredient in many foods, chocolates, soft drinks, fast foods, snack foods, and over-the-counter drugs. It is quite easy to consume over 200mgs of caffeine without knowing you are doing so. Drink a Mountain Dew and you are ingesting 54 mg of caffeine - one-half a shake of Blast. Taking a moderate amount of caffeine will not affect breastfeeding or produce adverse effects to a nursing baby.
How is caffeine removed from coffee beans?
There are six methods for removing caffeine from coffee beans. Three of them use solvents and three use “natural” combinations of heat and water. Most commercial caffeine is produced by the cheaper solvent methods. Blast Caffeine is produced using carbon dioxide and water with no solvents.
Where can I learn more about caffeine?
There are more than 20,000 research studies on the effects of caffeine and caffeine drinks since the start of the last century and more are being conducted.
Many early studies are contradictory because caffeine was often tested in coffee or other products rather than in its pure state. These flawed studies created caffeine myths that still circulate. The internet is awash with articles, studies, and reports on
caffeine.
The most user-friendly starting point is the website for the International Food Information Council
My favorite bar drink is Red Bull and vodka. Can I use Blast Caffeine in alcoholic drinks?
Sure.
You can put it in beer, a cocktail, wine, or in a glass of milk. You can sprinkle it on your nachos! You won’t taste any difference. Recent publicity regarding teenage misuse of an alcoholic drink laced with caffeine has given caffeine cocktails a black eye. Anyone who drinks the equal of four beers and four cups of coffee at once will pay the price. Alcohol and caffeine go back centuries. Irish Coffees anyone?
Red Bull and vodka? Yuck! You can do better than that.
Can Caffeine help me lose weight?
Possibly.
Earlier studies were inconclusive. Newer, more controlled studies show that caffeine is somewhat effective in helping to lose weight. Many diet pills are largely caffeine. Ephedrine and nicotine are two other energy sources used to control appetite.
Will Blast Caffeine keep me from getting drunk?
No.
It will make you more alert, but this heightened alertness may fool you into thinking you are more sober than you are. If you are drunk, you are drunk. Blast Caffeine or any energy drink will simply make you an alert drunk.
What is caffeine anyway?
Caffeine is considered a food additive, a dietary supplement, a food, and a drug by various government organizations and the Federal Food and Drug Administration.
Scientifically, caffeine is in a class of drugs known as xanthine alkaloids that acts as a psychoactive stimulant. Caffeine occurs naturally in more than 80 plants and has been used as folk medicine for thousands of years. Early civilizations promoted caffeine to be an analgesic, aphrodisiac, anorexic, antidotal, cardiotonic, central nervous system stimulant, counter-irritant, diuretic, hypnotic, lactagogue, and a nervine, and as a remedy for asthma, atropine-poisoning, fever, flu, headache, jaundice, malaria, migraine, narcosis, nephrosis, opium poisoning, sores, and vertigo. We don't know what some of these are either, but we faithfully report them.
