What a caffeine overdose can do to your body and mind?
What a caffeine overdose can do to your body and mind?
Tea and coffee are among the most popular beverages around the world. They are incredibly healthy and contain a natural stimulant called caffeine that helps boost metabolism, mood, alertness, and physical performance. Apart from tea and coffee, caffeine is found in energy drinks, soda, dark chocolate, and baked goods containing chocolate.While low to moderate amounts of caffeine is safe, high doses may be bad for your health. Caffeine overdose can have many side effects, especially if youover-consume it or have a sensitive stomach. In case you face medical issues due to caffeine overdose, it is always wise to have healthinsurance for quality and timely treatment without worrying about the hospital bills. You can easily buy health insurance online and stay financially protected.
Here’s some information for you on the side effects of consuming too much caffeine and coffee.
Side effects of consuming too much caffeine
- Insomnia: Caffeine boosts alertness and helps people stay awake. While this is apositive effect of this substance, it can be a curse as well. Studies have shown that high caffeine intake may make it difficult for you to fall asleep and decrease the total sleep time. However, low and moderate amounts of caffeine may not disrupt your sleep cycle.
- Anxiety: While caffeine increases alertness and energy levels, high doses of it may lead to anxiety, nervousness, and jitteriness. Caffeine-related anxiety disorder isbecoming increasingly common. If you are sensitive to this natural stimulant, its moderate intake may also have similar effects on you.
- Digestive discomfort: While caffeine helps move food through the digestive tract and stimulate bowel movement, large doses of it may lead to bowel discomfort and diarrhoea. Certain studies have also shown that caffeinated beverages, especially coffee, worsens GERD or gastroesophageal reflux disease.
- High blood pressure: Caffeine has a stimulatory effect on the nervous system and can raise blood pressure levels. High blood pressure may damage the arteries over time, restrict blood flow to your brain and heart, and increase the risk of heart attack and stroke. However, the effect of caffeine on blood pressure is temporary and more on those who are sensitive to it.
- Increase in heart rate: Caffeine may cause your heart to beat faster and may also cause an altered heartbeat rhythm. This is, particularly common in young people who consume energy drinks with extremely high amounts of caffeine. Therefore, if your heart rate becomes faster after drinking caffeinated beverages, check their intake.
- Headache: This is one of the most common side effects of excessive caffeine intake. While mild and occasional doses of caffeine may relieve a headache, its overuse can lead to headaches and migraines.
- Muscle breakdown: Excessive caffeine intake may result in rhabdomyolysis – a condition in which the muscle fibres enter the bloodstream. This often leads to kidney failure and other conditions. To alleviate the risk of this condition, limit caffeine consumption to 250 mg per day.
- Fatigue: While caffeinated beverages such as tea, coffee, and energy drinks helps boost energy levels, you may feel fatigued after some time. This happens when the caffeine leaves your system.
- Increased urination frequency: Caffeine stimulates the bladder and causes frequent urination and urgency. High caffeine intake may also lead to urinary inconsistence over time in people with healthy bladders.
- Allergies: People who are highly sensitive to caffeine molecules may suffer from allergic reactions, such as hives and pain. These can happen even if they consume very small amounts of caffeine.
Side effects of consuming excessive coffee in a day
Coffee contains caffeine and drinking too much of this beverage may harm your health in certain ways. Some side effects of consuming excessive coffee are:
- Restlessness: Drinking more than 4 cups of coffee a day may cause sleeplessness, nervousness, and restlessness in many.
- Upset stomach: If you have a sensitive stomach, you may experience nausea, vomiting, and upset stomach after drinking too much coffee.
- Highcholesterollevels:The beverage can increase cholesterol levels in the blood, especially if you drink unfiltered coffee. High cholesterol may clog the arteries and increase the risk of heart conditions.
- Weight gain: Consuming several cups of coffee with cream, milk and sugar every day may result in weight gain. Two cups of regular coffee a day can add up to 350 calories.
- Jitters: If you notice a rush of energy or coffee jitters, it’s time to limit your coffee intake. Caffeine stimulates the central nervous system and this may make you feel shaky.
Conclusion:
While caffeinated beverages such as tea and coffee offer many health benefits, make sure you consume them in moderation to avoid the harmful effects of caffeine. This is particularly important if you have high blood pressure, high cholesterol levels, anxiety issues, or a sensitive digestive system. Apart from checking your caffeine consumption,make sure you take healthinsuranceto avail of the best medical care without any financial strain. You can either do some research and buy health insurance online or take the help of an agent to choose the best health insurance plan.
Disclaimer: The above information is for illustrative purpose only. For more details, please refer to policy wordings and prospectus before concluding the sales.