I love coffee. I had my first coffee when still using a bottle; my mother would put coffee with milk and sugar in it, and that’s what I drank instead of water. I don’t know why, especially after having been around an infant for the first time — the last thing baby Riley needed was more energy from caffeine!

Recently the American Heart Association published an updated review of coffee and caffeine, so today let’s cover facts about caffeine and coffee:

• Caffeine has a close to 100% bioavailability when taken in a drink like coffee and tea, but caffeine can also be absorbed through the skin and inserted rectally. Remember when coffee enemas were popular years ago? Maybe people felt better because of all the caffeine they absorbed. (Or maybe they were just glad it was over.)

• Many over-the-counter drugs have caffeine in them such as pain relievers and hangover preparations.

• If you drink coffee or caffeinated beverages when you eat, you may delay or diminish the effects of caffeine, especially with meals high in fat.

• There are definite genetic variations in your ability to absorb and utilize caffeine. Single-nucleotide polymorphisms in the CYP1A2 and AHR genes determine whether a person metabolizes caffeine fast or slow. I’m a fast metabolizer — I can drink coffee and go right to sleep. How about you?

Today, I drink my coffee black with no additions. But what’s the story on coffee, caffeine, and your health? I’ll cover that on Saturday.

What are you prepared to do today?

        Dr. Chet

Reference: Circulation. 2026;154:e345–e355. DOI: 10.1161/CIR.0000000000001454