Coffee is one beverage that 80% of people love to have every day, because of its taste or we can say addiction. But do you know where there are several reasons why you love drinking coffee, there are even more reasons to leave it. Yes, you heard it right, caffeine side effects are many more than you think. And in this blog, we will be telling you some caffeine side effects that will convince you to leave coffee. Here, have a look at the side effects of coffee.
Contents
- What is Caffeine?
- Caffeine Side Effects
- 1) Anxiety
- 2) Insomnia
- 3) Addiction
- 4) Digestive issues
- 5) High Blood Pressure
- Precautions & Warnings
- Pregnancy and breastfeeding:
- Anxiety disorders:
- Bipolar disorder:
- Bleeding disorders:
- Heart conditions:
- Diarrhoea:
- Glaucoma:
- High blood pressure:
- Weak bones:
- Parkinson’s disease:
- Schizophrenia:
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What is Caffeine?
Caffeine is a chemical that is found in coffee. It is commonly used to improve mood, metabolism, mental alertness and physical performance, but regular intake of coffee becomes addiction by time is not good for our overall health. However, research has shown that your genes have a major influence on the tolerance level. Some people can consume more caffeine than others without even experiencing caffeine side effects, but for some, even a limited amount of caffeine is very dangerous.
Caffeine Side Effects
1) Anxiety
Caffeine is known to increase alertness. It blocks a brain chemical named adenosine and at the same time, it releases the hormone that increases the energy in the body. And because of this procedure, high intake of caffeine can lead to anxiety or nervousness. High intake of caffeine like 1,000 mg or more in a day can cause jitteriness, nervousness and many more similar symptoms. One may also suffer rapid breathing and increases the stress levels.
Thus, you need to look at your caffeine intake and cut it back.
2) Insomnia
Caffeine’s ability to help people stay awake is one of its most prized qualities. But taking too much caffeine can make it a lot more difficult to restore sleep. According to research, higher caffeine intake increases the amount of time we take to fall asleep and decreases the sleeping time as well. Also, Importantly, the amount of caffeine you can consume without affecting your sleep will depend on your genetics and other factors.
3) Addiction
Addiction to caffeine is one of the most dangerous and common issues seen in many people. As per the latest research and studies, caffeine triggers certain brain chemicals similar to the way cocaine does. And it may lead to psychological or physical dependency, especially if you take a high dosage of it. If you drink a lot of coffee on the daily basis, there’s a very good chance you may become dependent on its effects.
4) Digestive issues
Drinking coffee has been attributed to the release of gastrin which is a hormone that the stomach produces which speeds up the activity in the colon. However, caffeine itself also stimulates bowel movements by increasing peristalsis, the contractions that move food through your digestive tract. Also, a huge dosage of caffeine can lead to loose stools or even diarrhoea for some people.
5) High Blood Pressure
In several studies, it has been shown that caffeine can raise the blood pressure in our body as it affects the nervous system. However, it does not seem to increase the risk of heart disease or stroke and the caffeine side effects on blood pressure is also temporary. Thus, paying attention to the dosage of caffeine intake is really important.
Precautions & Warnings
Pregnancy and breastfeeding:
Pregnant women can have less than 200 mg of caffeine daily. It is almost 1-2 cups of coffee. But, consuming more amount of caffeine during pregnancy or breast feeding can be really unsafe. Try and avoid caffeine intake during pregnancy and after the baby is born and your do breast feeling as it is unsafe, or if you are really addicted to it, then make sure it is less than or equal to 200 mg, but not more than that.
During pregnancy, women are always cautioned about the caffeine intake because more caffeine intake can even lead to miscarriage and other problems. Also, we suggest to not to take caffeine even after the baby is born because caffeine can pass into breast milk, so the mothers should closely check caffeine intake to make sure it is on the low side.
Anxiety disorders:
Intake of caffeine can make these conditions even worse.
Bipolar disorder:
Too much caffeine can make this condition worse. Make sure to take a very low dosage of it if you are addicted.
Bleeding disorders:
There is concern that caffeine might aggravate bleeding disorders. Use caffeine with care if you have a bleeding disorder.
Heart conditions:
Intake of caffeine can cause irregular heartbeat in sensitive people.
Diarrhoea:
Too much caffeine can make this condition worse. Make sure to take a very low dosage of it if you are addicted.
Glaucoma:
Intake of caffeine increases the pressure inside the eyes. This pressure occurs for 30-90 minutes after drinking coffee.
High blood pressure:
Intake of caffeine can increase blood pressure. However, this effect might be less in people who use caffeine regularly.
Weak bones:
Caffeine can increase the amount of calcium that flushes out from your body. If you have osteoporosis (weak bones) you intake amount of caffeine should be limited to less than 300 mg per day.
Parkinson’s disease:
If you have Parkinson’s disease and take creatine, use caffeine with caution or do not take it.
Schizophrenia:
Caffeine can worsen symptoms of schizophrenia.
So, these some caffeine side effects and reasons to not to drink coffee on a daily basis. (side effects of coffee)
