Jittery with Caffeine

While I’ve always loved the smell of coffee, I haven’t always loved its taste. I remember being in high school and just couldn’t get into it. Fall would come around, and everyone would be excited for those pumpkin spice lattes. I didn’t get it - they were not good. One friend I had at the time told me that someday I would like it. When I was stressed out enough and not getting enough sleep, I would learn to love coffee. I shook my head. No way.

...He was right. It was a slow process, but I have learned to love coffee. I started with those fru-fru drinks that have like 3% coffee and 97% sugar. I’m now down to cold brews with a little cream or almond milk (maybe someday I’ll like straight black). I am not dependent on it, but I love the process, taste, and effect it has. Going to class on those early mornings or those lagging afternoons? A cup of coffee helps. For those of you who don’t like coffee - don’t disregard this post. I’m talking about caffeine in general too. You might not like coffee, but you drink tea, or soda, or energy drinks. We all consume caffeine pretty regularly, so let’s talk about what it does to our brains - the good and the ugly.

If we’re being honest, caffeine is a drug - it works as a stimulant, increasing activity in your central nervous system. Caffeine can increase our mental alertness, focus, and energy levels. A study in 2012 proved that caffeine can improve performance on tasks that include vigilance, processing information, and response time. However, the amount of caffeine doesn’t necessarily change those production levels. So for those of you who drink 3 cups of coffee a day versus one cup, it’s not making all that much of a difference. You may think it is, but that is something called the expectancy effect. We think/know that caffeine will have a positive effect on our production, so we will naturally work harder to get there (Hartney, 2021).

Caffeine can have positive and negative effects on our mood. It can release norepinephrine, dopamine, and acetylcholine, all of which have a positive impact on our mood. However, too much caffeine can increase anxiety, make us nervous, increase restlessness and agitation, and bring about insomnia. 

So what is too much caffeine? About 400 mg of caffeine or less each day is acceptable for our health. To put that into perspective, that’s about 4-5 cups of coffee, 4 cups of tea, or 10 Coca-Cola drinks (Caffeine, 2020). I read that, and I think my eyes popped out of my head. That is a lot! Most of us are probably pretty safe when it comes to caffeine. However, just because that is the FDA acceptable amount, doesn’t mean we should drink that much every day. Pay attention to caffeine’s effect on you. If you notice irritation, jitteriness, a rapid heart rate, insomnia, and/or restlessness, it might be time to evaluate if caffeine is causing that. While caffeine can be helpful, we shouldn’t rely on it. Take inventory today. 

References:

Caffeine. (2020). Better Health Channel. Retrieved from https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/healthyliving/caffeine#how-much-caffeine-is-okay-each-day. 

Hartney, E. (2021). Caffeine: Effects, risks, and how to get help. Very Well Mind. Retrieved from https://www.verywellmind.com/what-are-the-effects-of-caffeine-on-the-brain-21842. 

Challenges/Points:

• Many of us use caffeine as a kick-start in our mornings or pick-me-up later in the day to increase production or mood.

• Caffeine can increase our production levels and focus; however, too much caffeine can increase irritation and cause health issues.

• Take inventory on how much caffeine you’re drinking and how it is making you feel.

Questions:

• How much caffeine are you consuming on a daily basis?

• How do you feel when you consume caffeine?

• Have you experienced any of the negative effects of caffeine? Which ones?

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