Side Effects Of Caffeine

Yuri Elkaim, BPHE, CK, RHN & Amy Coates, RHN, BSc.

Caffeine is one of the most widely used drugs today. The consumption of caffeine in tea, coffee, colas and chocolate is socially accepted and very common. Caffeine has proven to make us feel more alert, attentive and ready to face our day as it temporarily improves mood and creates a feeling of happiness and euphoria. It is also a highly addictive drug with its own set of withdrawal symptoms and side effects. While many of us are aware of the benefits of caffeine, its negative effects are little known to us.

When the average person drinks a cup of coffee, it takes about one hour for the caffeine to enter the system, dilate blood vessels, produce a diuretic (i.e., urine passing) effect, stimulate the heart, lungs, and central nervous system, and give us the feeling of alertness and mood enhancement we are used to.

Even in doses as low as one eight-ounce cup per day, caffeine's effects on our physiological, psychological and emotional states is staggering. Caffeine remains in our blood for up to six hours, wherein, the effects of mood and alertness peak and then quickly decrease, resulting in depression, exhaustion, sugar cravings, constriction of blood vessels, and low mental alertness. If this crash results in the intake of more caffeine, the eventual result could be nervousness and insomnia.

Because caffeine boosts adrenaline levels, drinking it can cause anxiety and shaking. Caffeine also improves some mental performance, while impairing motor skills and reaction time. This gives the illusion that caffeine is overall performance-enhancing, but this is false. Caffeine increases perceived performance and mood and decreases the actual ability to perform some tasks, like typing.

Caffeine is very addictive, and stopping caffeine intake can result in headaches, nervousness, depression, insomnia, anger and irritability. Although it is difficult, ending a caffeine addiction can improve the overall steadiness of mood, increase natural energy, and improve memory. Because caffeine provides soaring highs followed by near-debilitating lows, breaking the cycle may improve overall sleeping, eating, and working habits. Women are especially prone to depression and irritability as a side effect of caffeine, and benefit tremendously from ceasing their habit.

While women are especially susceptible, everyone benefits from stopping caffeine intake. Several studies have been done on the effects of caffeine, and, while results vary, all agree that, while caffeine improves our feelings and provides fuel for the “daily grind” we ultimately pay dearly for our habit. Caffeine turns acidic in our bodies, threatening our natural pH balance and intestinal flora. The drug also produces nervousness, anxiety, sleep deprivation and depression.  Although difficult at first, quitting caffeine can improve mental and physical health and performance and is essential for cleansing and healing the body.

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