Caffeine & Mental Health
Coffee, tea, energy drinks, soft drinks, all of which I like to call the life juice. Now, I don’t know about you, but I have created my beautiful habitual routine of a morning that involves the decadent smell of freshly ground coffee beans in my favourite 16-ounce reusable Starbucks mug.
I never used to be one for coffee drinking, until I entered university. I didn’t drink coffee at all until my last year. I even worked as a Barista for three years without even knowing what my coffee tastes like. Shocking, I know…..
Over the years of deciding what type of caffeinated beverage I liked, I found myself growing dependent on my daily dosage of the coffee type of life juice. This turned into, two or three coffees (Double shot) and potentially one or two energy drinks per day. On top of this, I then thought that adding a further thermogenic pre-workout before my training regime was a great idea. It then went to on to show that I was feeling the side-effects after a few years of this routine. My anxiety grew stronger and stronger each day, I had jittery hands constantly, to which turned into the point of regular panic attacks.
What I would encourage, is to look into your family history. Do you have a high history of depression and anxiety running through your family line? Are you overly sensitive to products containing caffeine? If so, continue to read the below.
See what I did there, practically a poet! Back on track…
Most people are familiar with the main pharmacological movements of caffeine; it stimulates the nervous system, increases urine output.
Upside to Caffeine intake?
Studies have shown that caffeine promotes heightened awareness and attention once consumed.
When consumed in moderation it appears that there are no serious adverse health effects associated with its use by adults
It is absorbed within the blood stream within about 15 of consumption, making It readily available for a ‘quick fix’
So, what is the downside?
Withdrawal from caffeine can cause fatigue, decreased physical strength, anxiety, headache, nausea/vomiting etc.
Caffeine has a diuretic effect which can in turn cause dehydration.
Caffeine has a negative effect on endurance events due to the loss of calcium. Then then can lead to decreased muscle contraction, in turn a loss of magnesium, which has potential to lead to muscle cramping.
Caffeine can cause troubles in sleep patterns.
Caffeine can contribute to anxiety and panic disorder’s
Through caffeine’s manipulation on adenosine receptors, the body may experience a decrease in the production of erythropoietin. This is the hormone that indicates the production of red blood cells thus decreasing the body’s ability to carry oxygen (haemoglobin).
Caffeine can also counteract the ergogenic effect of creatine loading for sports performance
Symptoms include anxiety, anxiety, agitation, insomnia, dysphoria, and potentially effect cognitive function in the ability to converse.
Fun Facts;
The absorption is roughly the same regardless of whether caffeine is drunk, swallowed in capsules or eaten.
Countless things disturb caffeine metabolism; metabolism is increased users with habitual routines (such as myself), in people who smoke cigarettes, and even those you use over the counter drugs such as Tylenol. It can also affect people who exercise, and in people who eat a diet rich in cruciferous vegetables and/or flavonoids.
Caffeine is mainly metabolized in the liver.
The kidneys can also be involved in caffeine metabolism.
On average, it takes 3 to 5 hours to expel half of the caffeine ingested through the urine.
Studies show that caffeine can be metabolized at a similar rate in both men and women, however, should both a male and female athlete be competing in strenuous activities, there is a greater decrease in excretion in women in comparison to men.
Larger effects of caffeine appear to transpire in the sensitive folks. Higher sensitivity to the panicogenic substances effect those who consume high doses typically >400 mg+. Similar findings have also been made in patients with ‘performance social anxiety disorder’. Highest plasma absorptions are met within 15mins to 2hrs; however, this is dependant of the Gastric Emptying time of the individual.
In my personal opinion on all sorts of life juices are not to be Discouraging nor ignored. I personally like to limit my daily coffee to one per day, and have a routine of twice a year, where I go caffeine free for one month. I like to prove to the world that you don’t need to depend on your caffeine dosage to get you through. There are ways to get you through your day safe and sound, without risking those nasty jitters.
Some substitutes below are;
Consistent nutritional balance throughout the day (insulin effective)
Chamomile Tea
Kombucha
Green Juice – Spinach, Kale, Pineapple, coconut water, Apple and honey
Chai Tea
Chicory Root Coffee
So, all in all, the information provided to you as based on my own personal thought and research, to educate and inform the Big Red Family.
Thank you so much for reading, and enjoy the following recipes!
Katie Missingham - Nutritional Therapist – Big Red’s Nutrition