Is Your Caffeine Habit Affecting Your Health?
Most of us drink caffeine every day without a second thought. But for some people, caffeine dependence can have a real impact on health and wellbeing.
Is Your Caffeine Habit Affecting Your Health?
Caffeine is the world's most widely consumed psychoactive substance. For most people, moderate use is perfectly safe, and there's actually reasonable evidence that moderate coffee consumption has some health benefits. But for a significant minority, caffeine dependence can cause real problems.
Signs Your Caffeine Intake May Be an Issue
- You get headaches if you miss your morning coffee
- You feel anxious, jittery, or irritable, and you notice it correlates with your coffee intake
- You struggle to sleep even if you only drink caffeine in the morning
- You need increasingly large amounts to feel "normal"
- You've tried to cut down and found it surprisingly difficult
The Biology
Caffeine works by blocking adenosine receptors in the brain, adenosine is the chemical that makes you feel sleepy. Over time, with regular caffeine intake, your brain compensates by growing more adenosine receptors. This means you need more caffeine to feel the same effect, and feel worse without it.
Caffeine and ADHD
Interestingly, many people with undiagnosed ADHD self-medicate with large amounts of caffeine to help with focus and energy. If you're drinking very large amounts of caffeine, it may be worth considering whether there is something else going on.
How We Can Help
At BGM Medical, we offer support for caffeine weaning, a gradual, evidence based approach to reducing your intake without the worst of the withdrawal symptoms. We'll also help you understand whether caffeine might be masking another issue.