Whether you drink coffee, tea or soft drinks or eat caffeinated food like chocolate, you know the effects caffeine can have on your mind and body. Without a morning cup of coffee, for example, you might feel lethargic or suffer a headache. If you're trying to decrease or eliminate caffeine from your diet, be aware of the side effects that can result and learn avoid them.
Caffeine's Effects
Caffeine works in several ways to affect a person's mood, concentration and general mental function. Caffeine increases dopamine, which works as a stimulant that can lead to insomnia, and stress hormones, which can cause increased alertness within 30 to 45 minutes of consumption.
While caffeine is acceptable in moderation, people with certain conditions and disorders should seek a health care professional's guidance in determining how much is too much. For example, people with digestive conditions, high blood pressure and cardiovascular disease should limit their caffeine.
Side Effects of Quitting
When you reduce or eliminate your caffeine intake, you may experience a variety of symptoms. These include dizziness, headaches, inability to concentrate, fatigue, mood swings and heightened PMS symptoms. Studies have proven that caffeine withdrawal can even lead to irritability, decreased energy, sleepiness and flu-like symptoms, such as muscle stiffness and aches, and even nausea and vomiting.
Symptoms of caffeine withdrawal can surface within 12 to 24 hours after abstaining and will repeat between 20 and 51 hours. These withdrawal symptoms can last from two to nine days.
Tips on Quit
If you are trying to eliminate caffeine from your diet, do it slowly to avoid severe side effects. Keep a diary of how much caffeine you are eating and/or drinking to determine how much you should reduce. (One cup of coffee contains as much as 80 to 150 mg of caffeine. Soft drinks may have between 34 and 50 mg. The average consumer ingests about 200 to 300 mg of caffeine daily, or the equivalent of two or three cups of coffee.) Set a goal to lower your intake, but make the reductions gradually.
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