Most coffee drinkers would agree that drinking coffee increases alertness and reduce drowsiness. I admit, I drink at least one cup of coffee on a daily basis, sometimes two. I was very interested in learning about the negative long term effects of drinking coffee and how it affected the brain. According to livestrong.com, "With moderate intake of caffeine, the body does not suffer adverse effects. However, many people consume much more caffeine per day than an average
amount. With excess amounts of caffeine over time, the body will start
to experience a wide range of health effects". Some of the health effects listed were: dehydration, fast heart rate, spike in blood pressure, insomnia, peptic ulcer irritant, depression, anxiety, headaches, and addiction. A description of the side effects are found below:
Dehydration: "Caffeine intake results in an increase in urination. Thus, it may cause
dehydration, notes the American Heart Association. Long-term dehydration
will impact overall health in many ways. It will sap a person's energy
level and decrease functionality of organs" (
Livestrong).
Fast heart rate: "Caffeine use, when consumed in excess, speeds up the heart. A long-term
effect of caffeine may be damage to the heart due to its accelerated
pace and inability to function normally. When a heart beats at a faster
pace than normal, it taxes and tires the entire body" (Livestrong).
Spike in blood pressure: " Long-term caffeine intake may cause ongoing spikes in blood pressure
levels, notes the Mayo Clinic. This may occur even in individuals with
normal blood pressure. Caffeine will boost both systolic and diastolic
blood pressure levels, especially when above-average amounts of it are
consumed" (Livestrong).
Insomnia: " Long-term use of caffeine may cause insomnia. Caffeine stimulates the
body and mind, making it difficult to calm down to the point where sleep
is possible. Long-term coffee drinkers have ongoing high levels of
caffeine; they are often found wide awake in bed, unable to sleep" (Livestrong).
Peptic Ulcer Irritant: " Caffeine is a peptic ulcer irritant. With long-term caffeine intake, an ulcer may become more problematic" (Livestrong).
Depression: "Depression is also linked to caffeine use, according to MedlinePlus.
Caffeine causes spikes and dips in mood and energy levels as the dose of
caffeine in the body gets higher and then wanes. This syndrome may
increase the risk of experiencing symptoms of depression" (Livestrong).
Anxiety: "Anxiety is also an effect of excess caffeine intake, notes MedlinePlus.
This anxiety may be transient or it may be a long-term effect of
caffeine use. Caffeine adds a nervous, jittery feeling to the body" (Livestrong).
Headaches: "
Caffeine may cause headaches. These headaches may be transient or they
may be a long-term effect of caffeine. Too much caffeine overstimulates
the nervous system. This eventually may cause head pain. Also,
withdrawal from the normal schedule of caffeine intake may cause
headaches, too" (
Livestrong).
Addiction: "Another long-term effect of caffeine use is addiction. Caffeine
withdrawal is difficult and unpleasant. The body quickly becomes
accustomed to a regular dose of caffeine intake. Thus, decreasing the
amount of caffeine consumed may create dramatic withdrawal symptoms" (Livestrong).
As I coffee drinker I have to ask myself: Do the negative effects outweigh the good? Should I continue drinking coffee? Or should I stop? Or should I limit myself to the amount of caffeine I intake per day?
Reference:
Bodeeb, Julia. "Caffeine Long-term Effects."
Livestrong. 21 Mar. 2011.
Web. 28 Oct. 2013. <http://www.livestrong.com/article/
97493-caffeine-longterm-effects/>.
Rachael S.W.
No comments:
Post a Comment