Side effects of too much caffeine

Our hectic lifestyles and schedules have caused us to be addicted to caffeine intake in one form or the other. Be it in terms of coffee, tea, energy drinks, or chocolate bars, all of us consume caffeine in some amount. Most of these food items might increase your metabolism, uplift your mood and enhance your mental and physical performance, it may not be healthy.

Although it is safe to consume low to moderate levels of caffeine every day, higher levels of intake can lead to unpleasant and even dangerous side effects.

Insomnia

While caffeine intake for staying awake is one of the most popular of its uses, it can actually induce insomnia. Several studies have shown that a higher intake of caffeine negatively impacts the quality and quantity of your sleep. Thus, one should avoid consuming caffeine by early afternoon.

Addiction

One of the biggest side effects of caffeine is the addiction that it causes. As per studies, caffeine triggers a similar chemical in the brain as cocaine and amphetamines do. Even though it might cause the same level of addiction that these drugs do, it still causes severe psychological and physical withdrawal symptoms.

Anxiety

Caffeine increases alertness by blocking adenosine and triggers adrenaline. While adenosine makes you feel tired and adrenaline is the fight or flight hormone, too much caffeine can have different impacts. As such, higher doses of caffeine lead to anxiety and nervousness due to heightened hormone response.

Digestive Issues

Caffeine in limited quantities can improve gut motility, however, higher doses can stimulate bowel movements by increasing the movement of the food through the digestive tract. As such, higher content of caffeine often causes diarrhea or loose stools in some people.

Fatigue

While initially, caffeine intake might give you all the energy in the world, it can have an opposite effect as well. Once caffeine leaves your body, it causes rebound fatigue in your system and makes it difficult for you to sleep with a tired body.

Muscle Breakdown

Higher contents of caffeine might cause a breakdown of damaged muscle or the development of rhabdomyolysis. It is a serious condition where damaged muscle fibers enter into the bloodstream and cause disruption. Thus, intaking too much caffeine in a short amount of time can be harmful.

Rapid Heart Rate

Caffeine induces a stimulatory effect in the body which causes the heart to beat faster and leads to raised blood pressure. Both of these increase the risk of heart stroke or heart disease in the long run.