You couldn't live without your morning cup of coffee, or the next four throughout the day. It might just be the thing that gets you out of bed in the morning, helps get rid of drowsiness, and sharpens your mind so you can get things done. Caffeine is a stimulant. For most people, consuming a reasonable amount will cause minimal side effects.
However, if you overindulge in caffeine or are especially sensitive to it, you may experience uncomfortable mental and physical effects. For example, if you're so high and jittery on caffeine that you're struggling to hold your cup, you probably know you're drinking too much. But there are other signs and symptoms that may not be directly related to your cup of coffee.
Symptom
Very high doses of this substance can cause side effects that interfere with daily life and can even cause serious health problems. Although the answers vary from person to person, the effects of high consumption show that more is not necessarily better.
Digestive problems
Caffeine is a drug, and consuming too much of it can overstimulate the central nervous system, leading to what's called caffeine intoxication. Symptoms include restlessness, nervousness, insomnia, irregular heartbeat, and gastrointestinal upset.
In addition, caffeine can trigger the production of gastrin, It increases the movement of the colon. Not only can you have an upset stomach or nausea, but you can also have diarrhea. However, caffeine itself also appears to stimulate bowel movements by increasing peristalsis, the contractions that move food through the digestive tract. Given this effect, it's not surprising that large doses of caffeine can cause loose stools or even diarrhea in some people.
On the other hand, some studies suggest that caffeinated beverages may worsen gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) in some people. This seems to be especially true in the case of coffee.
Irritability and anxiety
Caffeine gives you that wake up effect because it blocks adenosine, a chemical in your body that makes you feel tired. At the same time, it triggers the release of adrenaline, the "fight or flight" hormone associated with increased energy. However, at higher doses, these effects can become more pronounced, leading to anxiety and nervousness.
Extremely high daily intakes of 1000 mg or more per day have been reported to cause nervousness, restlessness, and similar symptoms in most people, while even moderate intakes can cause similar effects in caffeine-sensitive individuals.
In addition, moderate doses have been shown to cause fast breathing and increase stress levels when consumed in one sitting. Interestingly, stress levels are similar between regular and less frequent caffeine consumers, suggesting that the compound may have the same effect on stress levels regardless of whether you drink regularly.
If you consume too much or drink it too late in the day, it can easily affect how well you sleep at night. Lack of sleep is a recipe for general bad moods during the day, but it can also fuel anxiety disorders.
Headache
The funny thing about caffeine is that it is both a treatment for headaches and a cause of them. You'll find caffeine added to headache and migraine medications as it helps to constrict blood vessels to relieve headache pain.
However, headache is a common symptom of caffeine withdrawal. You may experience a headache after drinking more or less coffee than usual, or at different times than you are used to. Caffeine can trigger what is known as a "caffeine rebound." This means that after drinking a lot of caffeine, we may experience withdrawal symptoms after the initial benefits have worn off. In general, it's okay to consume caffeine in moderation. However, it is best to avoid daily use if you experience frequent headaches.
Fatigue
Coffee, tea, and other caffeinated beverages are known to increase energy levels. Hopefully you'll feel uplifted, but drinking too much coffee can cause rebound fatigue.
You feel energized after drinking caffeine, but when the effects wear off, you get this rebound that leaves you feeling much more tired. The only way to avoid it is to keep drinking coffee, but if you did, never sleep.
It is normal for it to have that opposite effect by causing rebound fatigue after the caffeine leaves the system. Some studies have found that although caffeinated energy drinks increased alertness and improved mood for several hours, people are often more tired than usual the next day.
Of course, if we continue to drink a lot of caffeine throughout the day, we can avoid the rebound effect. On the other hand, this can affect the ability to sleep.
Insomnia
Caffeine's ability to help people stay awake is one of its most prized qualities. On the other hand, too much caffeine can make it difficult to get enough restful sleep.
Studies have found that higher caffeine intake seems to increase the amount of time it takes to fall asleep. It can also decrease total sleep time, especially in older adults. In contrast, low to moderate amounts of caffeine don't seem to affect sleep much in people who don't think they have sleep problems.
We may not realize that too much caffeine is interfering with sleep if we underestimate how much caffeine we are consuming. Although coffee and tea are the most concentrated sources of caffeine, it is also found in soft drinks, cocoa, energy drinks, and various types of medications. For example, an energy drink can contain up to 350 mg of caffeine, while some energy drinks provide up to 500 mg per can.
Science has shown that although caffeine stays in the system for an average of five hours, the length of time can range from one and a half to nine hours, depending on the person.
Daze
Having "jitters" is the result of changes in blood pressure and increased heart rate, which can occur after consuming this substance. If you can feel your heartbeat, you absolutely should reduce the amount. But you can also feel more subtle symptoms, such as lightheadedness or dizziness.
Coffee, tea, and other caffeinated beverages are known to increase energy levels. However, they can also have the opposite effect by causing rebound fatigue after the caffeine leaves our system. Of course, if we continue to drink a lot of caffeine throughout the day, we can avoid the rebound effect. On the other hand, this can affect the ability to sleep. To maximize the energy benefits of caffeine and avoid rebound fatigue, it is recommended to consume it in moderate rather than high doses.
muscle breakdown
Rhabdomyolysis is a very serious condition in which damaged muscle fibers enter the bloodstream, leading to kidney failure and other problems. Common causes of rhabdomyolysis include trauma, infection, drug abuse, muscle strain, and venomous snake or insect bites.
Additionally, there have been several reports of rhabdomyolysis related to excessive caffeine consumption, although this is relatively rare. To reduce the risk of rhabdomyolysis, it is best to limit your intake to about 250 mg of caffeine per day, unless you are used to consuming more.
High blood pressure
In general, caffeine does not appear to increase the risk of heart disease or stroke in most people. However, it has been shown to raise blood pressure in several studies due to its stimulating effect on the nervous system.
Elevated blood pressure is a risk factor for heart attack and stroke because it can damage arteries over time, restricting blood flow to the heart and brain. Fortunately, the effect of caffeine on blood pressure appears to be temporary. Also, it seems to have the biggest impact on people who are not used to consuming it.
Caffeine overdose has also been shown to increase blood pressure during exercise in healthy people, as well as those with mildly elevated blood pressure. Therefore, it is important to pay attention to the dose and timing of caffeine, especially if we already have high blood pressure.
urge to urinate
Increased urination is a common side effect of high caffeine intake due to the compound's stimulant effects on the bladder. We may have noticed that we need to urinate frequently when we drink more coffee or tea than usual.
Most of the research looking at the effects of the compound on urinary frequency has focused on the elderly and those with an overactive bladder or incontinence. Additionally, a high intake may increase the likelihood of developing incontinence in people with healthy bladders.
If we drink a lot of caffeinated beverages and feel like we're urinating more frequently or urgently than we should, it may be a good idea to cut back to see if symptoms improve.
Sintomas similares a los de la gripe
Drinking plenty throughout the day can lead to caffeine withdrawal, which is a medical diagnosis referring to what happens to your body when it comes off a steady stream of caffeine. In addition to things you might expect, such as irritability or headache, flu-like symptoms (nausea, muscle pain) may also appear.
High rise
Research shows that even low caffeine intake can increase thirst in some people. Thirst was most noticeable for the occasional caffeine users, even after a cup of coffee. Those with daily caffeine intake could not detect thirst at this level.
There is no evidence of how caffeine overdose affects thirst. However, it is possible that being thirsty is due to the high levels of caffeine.
How much is too much?
Experts recommend limiting caffeine to 400 milligrams per day, which is equivalent to between four and five cups of home-brewed coffee. For reference, a large coffee at Starbucks contains 235 milligrams of this substance. The amount in your brand of coffee may vary.
However, if you find that you are more sensitive, you may want to stick with a smaller amount. It is recommended to limit caffeine to 250 milligrams a day to keep potential side effects to a minimum. Some people may even feel that one cup a day is too much for them. In that case, try half a coffee or a small latte (a single shot of espresso contains only 75 milligrams of caffeine).
Food and drinks can vary in the amount of caffeine they contain. These are the approximate amounts per product:
- 354 ml of caffeinated soda: 30-40 milligrams
- 235 ml of green or black tea: 30-50 milligrams
- 235 ml of coffee: 80-100 milligrams
- 235 ml of decaffeinated coffee: 2-15 milligrams
- 235 energy drink: 40-250 milligrams
- 1 ounce dark chocolate: 12 milligrams
Can caffeine kill?
At toxic levels, especially when taken over a short period of time, caffeine can begin to cause a host of unpleasant side effects: headache, nausea, vomiting, nervousness, and irritability. The most serious effects of caffeine toxicity include abdominal pain, seizures, increased acid levels in the blood, fast or irregular heartbeats, and reduced blood flow to the heart, all of which increase the risk of dying.
However, death from caffeine is rare. Many of the caffeine-related deaths were associated with exposures of 10 grams of caffeine or more, which is quite a lot. For example, a person who died ingested 51 grams of caffeine. In many of these cases, it was the consumption of a large amount in a very short period of time, and from a source such as a caffeine pill or powdered form of caffeine, rather than energy drinks or coffee.
On the other hand, drinking a lot of energy drinks in a short period of time, even if it doesn't result in death, can lead to heart problems. Also, some people seem to be affected more by caffeine than others, even in higher doses. That makes it hard to predict who will have a bad reaction.
The science shows that there were some people who are sensitive, either someone who has a condition that makes them more susceptible, something that interacts differently with the caffeine receptors, or maybe they metabolize it differently. In one case, a person went into cardiac arrest and died after ingesting just 240mg of caffeine. The researchers write that this case is unusual and may be related to pre-existing conditions.
Energy drinks may also contain other stimulants such as guarana, L-carnitine, and taurine that complicate the body's reaction.