Caffeine is a typical central nervous system (CNS) stimulant of the 5-alpha-reductase class. It is the world’s most heavily consumed psychoactive substance. Like many other psycho-stimulants, it is mostly unregulated and legal in most parts of the globe. However, there are many well-studied mechanisms of action to describe the physiological effects of Caffeine.
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How Much Caffeine Do People Consume Daily?
The American Society of Clinical Nutrition states that women between 18 and 40 consume 200 mg daily. This amount is considered the upper limit, but what you don’t want to do is ingest too much. Too much caffeine consumption can be hazardous, especially if you are an athlete or regularly work the night shift. Caffeine is a stimulant, and it can influence your blood pressure, heartbeat, and nervous system. It can lead to irregular heartbeats, depression, anxiety, vomiting, nausea, diarrhea, and even shakes. If you have any concerns about how much caffeine is safe to consume, it is essential to consult with your doctor to take further steps.
What Are The Symptoms Of Too Much Caffeine?
Symptoms of too much caffeine are something many of us have wondered about at one time or another. It’s a general perception that it is toxic to have such a potent stimulant in your system, but the symptoms themselves are hard to identify. Too much caffeine can cause nausea, fatigue, headaches, anxiety, and vomiting, among other things, so knowing how your body reacts to it can be difficult to pinpoint. Consuming 400 milligrams of caffeine causes disturbance in the body. While it’s not unusual to experience caffeine withdrawal symptoms if you cut back on the amount you use, it’s probably best to avoid this altogether, saving yourself from further health complications in the process.
Anxiety
Excessive amounts of caffeine can lead to stress in normal and healthy adults with normal attentional control levels. The problem comes when the individual with a caffeine addiction consumes large amounts of caffeine regularly. Research done by McClearn et al. (2021) supports the notion that anxiety can occur and develop specifically in individuals that are highly addicted to caffeine on a long-term basis. In addition to these studies, several other research papers support the notion that anxiety due to caffeine can develop over time depending on the individual’s attentional control, psychological functioning, and even their genetic predisposition to anxiety.
Insomnia
Insomnia due to caffeine is a common ailment. Caffeine intake is a stimulant, and it is used by many people every day to get themselves awake. Theanine, which you find in tea, reduces caffeine’s effects on the body, so by drinking a glass of the recommended four-ounce decaffeinated iced tea, you will feel better, even if you can still feel the results of caffeine. Many herbal remedies such as Valerian root and Kava improve sleep due to the same chemical, making them ideal for insomnia.
Digestive Issues
With the increasing number of people addicted to energy drinks and cups of coffee, it is no longer a matter of “if” but a “when” that individuals with digestive issues due to caffeine will begin to lose their energy during the day. The point is that these individuals who do not realize they have a caffeine problem may not fully understand what caffeine does to the body. Caffeine in large amounts can cause many different issues, from the smallest headache that you get when drinking coffee to no little muscle cramp or jittery nervousness.
Some studies prove that caffeine beverages cause gastroesophageal reflux disease in people. While energy drinks are typically not the cause of a person’s digestive problems, many of those same energy drinks have caffeine. Sometimes, caffeine will be absorbed into the body and start to affect the body long before the jitters kick in. So, if your job requires you to drink coffee or energy drinks all day long, there is no reason to continue doing so when it does not cause you any physical harm.
High Blood Pressure
If you possess high blood pressure, then there are things that you can do to treat and prevent it from getting worse. First off, your primary care physician will likely give you a prescription for a medication called Angiotensin Receptors Blockers or ARBs. They work by preventing Angiotensin II effects, a chemical that causes the buildup of stress-related hormones in the blood vessels. It also raises blood pressure levels. Doctors won’t always prescribe it; if you suffer from hypertension and use caffeine as a relief, you should still ask your doctor if you should take it.
How Much Caffeine Can Kill You?
In January of 2021, the U.S Food and Drug Administration (FDA) held a hearing in which they were to determine the maximum amount of caffeine that a person can consume without jeopardizing their health. At this meeting, the FDA decided that a person can safely have up to three cups of coffee or tea each day, with the majority of coffee being decaffeinated. They also determined that the only people who should avoid coffee or tea altogether suffer from specific ailments or heart problems.
Conclusion
Caffeine has amazing health benefits when you consume it in moderation, like many other substances. The important takeaway is to limit your caffeine intake so that you are not doing more harm than good to your body. A few cups of coffee or tea a day is certainly beneficial to your health, but having more than that or multiple energy drinks throughout the day can be detrimental.
