Caffeine withdrawal or Caffeine effects
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There’s nothing compared to a warm, freshly brewed cup of coffee in the morning. That rich aroma and instant energy coffee give you is something to look forward as the day begins.
Coffee has innumerable health benefits like memory uplift, improved cognitive function, decreased risk of diabetes and heart disease, and longer life expectancy. Get high-quality Espresso machines in Dubai from UAE Ekuep. Unfortunately, having too much coffee every day has the potential to turn you into a caffeine addict. Too much caffeine can hyperactivate your nervous system, affecting your body in many negative ways.
You may ask how do you know if you’re addicted? Well, if you can’t go a single day without a cup of coffee, or if its the only thing that gets you up in the morning, there’s big chance you’re addicted to caffeine. 90 percent of people consume some source of caffeine daily, either through coffee, tea or sodas. The recommended 400 mg for a healthy adult and 100 mg for an adolescent is safe to have, but even then how much caffeine is a lot, differs with respect to size, gender and your sensitivity to it.
Most health and nutrition experts suggest that any amount greater than 600 mg of caffeine a day (which equals four to seven cups of coffee) is an overdose for an average person.
Caffeine Effects
Here are 5 signs that indicate you are addicted to caffeine:
Caffeine withdrawal Headaches
You must be quite familiar with pounding headaches if you’re a regular coffee drinker. If skipping just one cup gives you a headache then you certainly are a caffeine addict.
Caffeine has the ability to slightly narrow blood vessels, restricting blood flow. This is one of the reasons why it relieves headaches and is used in some headache meds. For someone who is used to getting caffeine everyday, the absence of it can cause a headache, indicating a classic symptom of withdrawal. Stopping daily caffeine consumption produces changes in cerebral blood flow. In other words, caffeine slows the blood flow to your brain.
A research conducted by the John Hopkins Medicine Behavioral Pharmacology Research Unit showed that about 50 percent of people go through withdrawal headaches if they skip caffeine for one day. Though there are some regular caffeine consumers who never experience headaches when they don’t have caffeine.
High Tolerance
If you’re an addict, with time you’ll need more and more caffeine to get the same energy you used to with just one cup. So if you started with just one cup of coffee a day and now drink up to five cups to get the same effect, this means your body has built up a tolerance to caffeine.
It’s like any other drug. The more you keep using it, the more your body needs it to get moving. If one cup of coffee is not enough to make a good difference on your energy levels, or if you can drink a cup right before bed and have no problems sleeping, it’s a pretty clear sign your body has developed the high tolerance for caffeine and little doses don’t affect it anymore.
You have now reached a place where many get stuck, to either drink more to get the effects and go overboard or to cut back and feel the withdrawal symptoms.
Caffeine Irritability
Do you hate everyone and everything before your morning coffee? Well, you’re not the only one. If you notice that you’re crankier than usual, before having your morning coffee, it could be a sign that you’ve turned into an addict. Caffeine is a nervous system stimulant. It stimulates the release of dopamine(the pleasure chemical) in your brain that makes you feel good and improves your mood. For someone who’s used to getting stimulated through caffeine, the absence of it means the body is incapable of regulating mood itself. Hence that grumpy lethargic feeling.
Caffeine also stimulates adrenaline release, which itself can get addictive. Skimping on caffeine means less activation of your sympathetic nervous system, therefore no euphoria and alertness. Lower levels of serotonin and dopamine can lead to depressive symptoms. Moreover, if missing out on caffeine also messes with your sleeping patterns, it could make the feeling worse.
A research published in the New England Journal of Medicine, evaluated depression in moderate coffee drinkers. It was reported that 8 to 11% of healthy volunteers had symptoms associated with depression and anxiety.
If you’re addicted to caffeine and very used to a brain boost every single day, you are very likely to experience brain fog, trouble concentrating and difficulty in completing tasks without it.
Caffeine Irregular Heartbeats
Skipping a cup of coffee is equal to skipping a dose of a powerful stimulant. For someone addicted to caffeine, it could result in their heart rate speeding up and palpitations.
According to the University of Iowa Health Care, caffeine withdrawal causes palpitations, which is why people with heart problems should switch to decaf. If your heart doesn’t get the boost it’s used to, it can freak out a little bit.
Caffeine also elevates your blood pressure as it releases adrenaline, so staying devoid of caffeine for an addict would mean a drop in blood pressure. A decrease in blood pressure presents as lightheadedness, imbalance, weakness, or fatigue. Sounds familiar? If so, you might need to see your doctor, especially if you have a history of blood pressure problems in the family.
If you want to avoid the sudden increase in your blood pressure and heart rate after giving up caffeine, try reducing caffeine intake gradually instead of going “cold turkey.”
Is Caffeine Too Hard to Quit
If the mere thought of giving up on coffee feels like the end of the world, chances are you’re more addicted to caffeine than you thought, at least mentally.
Some pushy people might urge you to go cold turkey, but remember you will go through severe withdrawal symptoms if you take their advice. The expert recommended way is to take it slow, so as not to ‘shock’ your body. A John Hopkins study on caffeine withdrawal showed that a gradual approach was the ideal way to reduce withdrawal symptoms.
Completely shutting away coffee from your life may not be a good idea because it has some amazing health benefits if consumed in moderation. Gradually reduce your daily intake of caffeinated beverages by decreasing the size of each drink every day. You can start by reducing the serving size or the number of servings you take every day. For instance, if you usually consume 4 cups, consider drinking 3 the next day, and then 2, and so on.
Another way to cut down on caffeine is by slowly lowering the caffeine content of your beverage. Switch to the half caf, or decaf before giving up on caffeine entirely. Try cutting back on caffeine by 25 percent each week and you will be consuming 50 percent less caffeine within two weeks, and in a month none at all.
