Caffeine, commonly found in coffee, tea, cola, cocoa and energy drinks, has many effects on the body. When taken in moderation it can help you feel more alert and energized.
Unfortunately, overconsumption can have some unpleasant side effects – particularly if your metabolism is slow to process caffeine.
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Effects of Caffeine on Your Body: Increased Heart Rate
Caffeine increases epinephrine levels in your blood, which is the same hormone produced when under stress which causes an increase in heart rate and blood pressure.
Some individuals can tolerate high doses of caffeine without experiencing heart palpitations or other negative side effects, while others may experience these symptoms more frequently. If you suspect caffeine has any detrimental effect on your heart health, speak to a medical professional for further advice.
Although a temporary increase in heart rate should not have any long-term detrimental effects on your cardiovascular system, it’s important to remember that racing heart beats may indicate an underlying serious heart rhythm disorder. If you have any doubts, contact your physician right away for further evaluation and advice.
Effects of Caffeine on Your Body: Increased Blood Pressure
Your blood pressure in your arteries is affected by many factors. If you have high blood pressure, it could potentially damage your heart, kidneys and eyes.
If you have high blood pressure, medications may be required to manage it. You can also make lifestyle changes like changing what you eat and exercising more effective in order to lower your levels of sodium in the bloodstream.
Caffeine is a naturally stimulating stimulant that can raise blood pressure. The effects are rapid, with most people feeling the effects within 30 minutes to an hour after drinking the beverage.
Studies have demonstrated that caffeine can increase systolic and diastolic blood pressure (the maximum and minimum pressure during a heartbeat) by as much as 1-2 millimeters of mercury. It may also cause an occasional slight increase in your heart rate.
If you have high blood pressure and want to improve your health, one way to do this is by limiting caffeine intake through coffee, other caffeinated drinks and foods with caffeine and practice some cardio workout.
Effects of Caffeine on Your Body: Increased Urination
Caffeine causes your bladder to work overtime by raising blood pressure and making you feel alert.
Due to increased pressure, your bladder can overfill, making it harder for you to hold on until you need to go. This could lead to various issues like urinary tract infections or incontinence.
Studies have demonstrated that caffeine may actually exacerbate the symptoms of overactive bladder (OAB). The National Institutes of Health advises reducing your caffeine consumption to effectively treat OAB.
Researchers have noted that drinking caffeine may increase your likelihood of developing lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS). Studies found that men who drank more than two cups of coffee daily were twice as likely to develop LUTS than those who didn’t consume any caffeine at all.
Caffeine not only causes OAB, but it may also contribute to urinary incontinence by increasing the amount of urine your bladder produces. If you want to reduce these issues, start by cutting back on caffeine consumption gradually – start by reducing it by one drink a day and gradually cut it further until you are caffeine-free.
Effects of Caffeine on Your Body: Suppresses Hunger
Caffeine not only suppresses hunger, but it also raises your blood sugar and insulin levels. Therefore, it’s best to avoid caffeine after having eaten your meal, and ensure you get enough protein in your diet.
Your appetite is controlled by several hormones, including ghrelin which signals the brain to eat. Leptin, another satiety hormone released in the stomach, works to suppress your desire for food.
Some studies have demonstrated that drinking coffee before meals can help to suppress hunger. This could be because it stimulates the release of peptide YY, produced in the intestines.
Exercise can also be beneficial in curbing appetite when trying to shed some pounds, as it increases fat-burning. But be careful; too much caffeine could lead to heart issues, stomach upset and altered bowel habits.
Caffeine has different effects on everyone, so it’s important to stay hydrated and get plenty of rest if you want to minimize its negative impacts on your body. Furthermore, avoid caffeine if you have diabetes or any medical conditions which could interfere with its effects on you.
Effects of Caffeine on Your Body: Increased Nervousness
Caffeine has the capacity to stimulate your nervous system, potentially leading to anxiety. But it’s essential to note that caffeine itself isn’t responsible for this phenomenon.
Caffeine may exacerbate anxiety symptoms when consumed in excess. Therefore, if you’re concerned about your caffeine consumption, try cutting back on how much you drink.
Additionally, consulting your doctor about the appropriate amount of caffeine is wise. Too much caffeine can have negative consequences on your body such as raised blood pressure and heart rate.
Caffeine can interfere with sleep and make you more irritable, as well as affect neurotransmitters involved in anxiety such as serotonin and norepinephrine, increasing stress hormone cortisol which may further exacerbate symptoms of anxiety.
Mood Swings
Coffee is one of the world’s most beloved central nervous system stimulants. It can provide a quick energy boost, lift your moods, and enhance concentration.
However, too much caffeine can have adverse reactions such as anxiety, headaches, heart palpitations, nausea, restlessness, agitation, tremors and nervousness. These reactions mimic the body’s natural “fight or flight” response to threats which may lead to feelings of unease and stress.
Researchers have also observed that too much caffeine can cause serotonin and dopamine levels to drop, leading to depressive feelings. This is likely because serotonin and dopamine are neurotransmitters important for mood regulation.
It has also been known to affect the function of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), an important hormone for emotion regulation. If this alteration takes place, you may experience feelings such as irritability and depression.
Long term, cutting back on caffeine can be a beneficial change for many. But it may not be an easy transition at first. To ensure you stay motivated throughout the day, find non-caffeine alternatives to your morning cup of Joe or afternoon pick-me-up.
Decreased Sleep
Caffeine consumption, especially within hours before bedtime, can disrupt sleep and worsen its quality. In some cases, it may even prevent you from falling asleep at all.
Sleep deprivation can have a detrimental effect on your health, including your cardiovascular and circulatory systems, metabolic system and immune system. Furthermore, it increases the likelihood that you will develop diabetes.
To test the effects of caffeine on sleep, volunteers voluntarily recorded electroencephalographically (EEG)-derived sleep structure and intensity during a scheduled 8-hour nightly episode starting 8 or 15 hours after their last caffeine consumption. Furthermore, participants reported subjective sleep quality as well as any withdrawal symptoms upon wake-up.
Non-rapid eye movement (REM) sleep was observed to experience a reduction in EEG power density within the sigma frequency range (12-16 Hz) both when caffeine withdrawal was attempted and when caffeine consumption was enhanced. This finding may have implications for caffeine’s perceived alerting effects, which are known to be amplified during sleep pressure.
To investigate the effect of daytime caffeine consumption on REM sleep promotion, we compared salivary caffeine levels before and after 8-h sleep. Subjects consumed either a placebo drink or a cup of coffee with 60 mg of caffeine during this period.
In The End
I hope you enjoyed this post on the effects of caffeine, if you have any questions or concerns leave a comment below or contact me here.