Caffeine Is Good For You But It Can Also Cause Some Health Troubles

It’s June, it’s cold, and gloomy weather is all upon us. It would be great if we could stay under the blankets all day but bills have to be paid. So the only thing that makes sense would be to drink lots of hot beverages to keep the body warm. We are likely to reach out for copious amounts of coffee and maybe tea in order to keep ourselves a bit warm as we go about adulting and trying to stay alive (a requirement for all adults).

Caffeine, in general, has some major health benefits for the overall functioning of the body. It may boost your mood, metabolism, and mental and physical performance but as the saying goes “Anything in excess is poison” and this applies to Caffeine, and anything that contains caffeine as well.

Of course, light to moderate caffeine intake is known to provide impressive health benefits to most people but very high dosages may lead to side effects that interfere with day-to-day living and might even cause serious health complications.

Let’s go through some of the side effects of consuming caffeine (and especially coffee) in excess. It is important to note that caffeine consumption side effects vary from person to person.

It is also important t note that for one to reap the positive effects of caffeine, one should conduct an honest assessment of your sleep, energy levels, and other factors that might be affected, after which it should be necessary to reduce your intake of caffeine products if need be.

1. Insomnia

Caffeine’s most famous quality is its ability to help people stay awake. Yes, it can help you stay awake during the day, but it may negatively impact the quality and quantity of your sleep if taken in copious amounts. If you find that you struggle with sleep and the culprit is caffeine, then it would be necessary to cut off caffeine consumption by early afternoon to avoid this particular side effect.

2. Anxiety

Consuming low to moderate doses of caffeine can increase alertness, but binge-drinking caffeinated products may cause anxiety or edginess. It would be important to monitor your own response to caffeine (if you notice that you often feel nervous or jittery) in order to determine how much of it your body can tolerate before it starts causing this side effect.

3. Rapid heart rate

High caffeine intake may cause your heart to beat faster and may also lead to altered heartbeat rhythm. These effects (depending on how much caffeine one’s body can tolerate) may vary greatly from person to person and if you feel them, it would be wise to consider reducing your caffeinated drinks intake.

4. High blood pressure

Caffeine does not increase the risk of heart disease or stroke but, it has been shown to raise blood pressure due to its stimulatory effect on the nervous system when taken in large amounts. Caffeine will raise blood pressure prior to exercise or when consumed at high doses or, in people who rarely consume it. Monitor your response to caffeine if you experience this temporary side effect.

5. Muscle breakdown

One of the conditions drinking too much caffeine can bring about is Rhabdomyolysis. Rhabdomyolysis is a very serious condition in which damaged muscle fibers enter the bloodstream, leading to kidney failure and other problems. Although it is rare to get this side effect from consuming caffeine it is best to limit your intake to about 250 mg of caffeine per day… not unless your body can tolerate more caffeine.

6. Digestive issues

Many people find that a morning cup of coffee helps get their bowels moving.Coffee’s laxative effect has been attributed to the release of gastrin, a hormone the stomach produces that speeds up activity in the colon.

Although small to moderate amounts of coffee can improve gut motility, larger dosages may lead
to loose stools or GERD. Reducing your coffee intake or switching to tea may be
beneficial.

7. Frequent Urination

Increased urination is a common side effect of a large caffeine intake because of the compound’s stimulatory effects on the bladder. High caffeine intake (more than 450mg a day) has been linked to increased urinary frequency and urgency in several studies. Reducing your intake may improve these symptoms.

8. Addiction

Frequent caffeine consumption may play a role in dependency. Caffeine triggers certain brain chemicals similar to the way cocaine and amphetamines do, it may therefore lead to psychological or physical dependency, especially when consumed in high dosages. If you notice that you cannot function without coffee or tea, it would be necessary to monitor your caffeine intake to avoid addiction.

9. Fatigue

It’s not a secret, if you need to boost your energy levels…tea, coffee and other caffeinated beverages are your friends.

However, these caffeinated beverages can also have the opposite effect causing rebound fatigue after the caffeine leaves your system. It would be wise to aim for moderate caffeine intake to help minimize the rebound fatigue.

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