Five Negative Effects of Caffeine

By Wieke von Scheidt

image: www.myfittribe.com

 

For so many people coffee is a morning elexir, they can’t live without. For those drinking coffee every day it has become a ritual that is hard to break. I myself love coffee, hot coffee, ice coffee, coffee with flavor, cappuccino, espresso, you name it. Some like their morning cup black; others add a lot of milk, and/or sugar. Despite many health benefits of caffeine, we often don’t think about the negative effects the black substance, we infuse into our body, can have.  One of my very close friends drinks two large cups every single day, which raised the question to me. How bad is caffeine for us? I did a little bit of research and summed up some of the main points.

 

1. More than 4 cups of coffee daily increase the risk of early death. 

A study completed by Mayo Clinic shows the risk of death increased by 21% in men who drank more than 4 cups a day. However, the study has slight discrepancies because many of those that reported their high caffeine intake also smoked and have poor fitness. NBC

 

2. More than 4 cups a day can also cause side effects:

1. Insomnia
2. Nervousness
3. Restlessness
4. Irritability
5. Stomach upset
6. Fast heartbeat
7. Muscle tremors

mayoclinic

 

3. Can disturb Your Sleep

Adults need seven to eight hours of sleep per night. When you lose sleep because of work, travel, stress, or other reasons, people often try to mask their lack of sleep with caffeine. This will help you stay awake during the day, but it will also make it harder for those using caffeine to fall asleep at night. Forbes states that coffee has a six-hour half-life, meaning it will take twenty-four hours to work its way out of your system. 25% will still remain in your body after having a cup of coffee at eight a.m. in the morning. forbes

 

4. Silently Kills Emotional Intelligence

An article written by Forbes addresses the impact caffeine has on our emotional response. The substance triggers the release of adrenaline, which is a substance that is released in the body when we feel a strong emotion, such as fear. These emotions can overrun our behavior when caffeine is infused, putting the body and brain into a hyper-aroused state. forbes

 

5. The Body Can Become Dependent On Caffeine

The positive stimulating effect caffeine gives people, can become an addiction for some, said Steven E. Meredith, postdoctoral research fellow at The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.

“Caffeine activates many of the same behavioral and neuropharmacological mechanisms that are activated by other reinforcers, including other drugs of abuse.

And, like many other reinforcers, caffeine is associated with various positive subjective effects like increased wellbeing, sociability, and feelings of energy and alertness. For this reason and others, a small percentage of the population develops caffeine use disorder.”

He said that the absence of caffeine in a person who drinks coffee on a regular basis can cause withdrawal symptoms, and trigger headaches, irritability, depression, and concentration difficulties. medicalnewstoday

Caffeine has so many effects on our brain and body, not all of them are negative. If you want to know what positive effects caffeine might have, stay tuned, and keep following our blog.

 

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