Entering adulthood, some of us has developed a morning routine which involves our very own trustee caffeine buddy. What started off as a first aid to our sleep deprivation during test preparation days, now has becoming our day-to-day saviour to keep us stay alert and pumped for the day we have awaits us. At this very moment, you’re probably sitting down with your favourite caffeinated beverages, or at least thinking about it. Would that be accurate?
Being one of our daily needs, we tend to take coffee for granted, to keep us awake and stay alert throughout the day. But, as it turns out, coffee does so much more than that to benefit us, in one way or the other. Organic, high-quality coffee has been shown to provide some health benefits. Surprise, surprise! The following are some of the health benefits that come from consuming coffee.
- Full of antioxidants which help reduce oxidation, cell damage, and ageing
- Reduce the risk of developing Parkinson’s disease
- Protect against type 2 diabetes, as well as against cirrhosis of the liver, gallstones, kidney stones.
- Increase mental attention in the short term, and can better cognitive function
- May protect against developing Alzheimer’s disease later in life
However, along with the intriguing health benefits, coffee is not without potential adverse effects. There is controversial evidence linking coffee consumption to heart diseases. Some studies reveal that consumption is associated with a significantly increased risk of cardiovascular disease. These same studies have shown a cholesterol-raising effect in some of the chemical compounds of coffee, such as determines, cafestol, kahweol and plasma homocysteine.
Consuming coffee, particularly in the evening or at night, can lead to sleep disturbance. Other than that, drinking coffee may also deplete water reserves in the body. Morever, coffee drinking should be heavily avoided by people at risk, or who have Osteoporosis. Studies show a link between drinking coffee and urinary calcium excretion.
While the FDA recognizes caffeine as "safe", it is still a drug that alters the nervous system, heart rhythms, and has been linked to irregular heartbeat. Some people experience withdrawal symptoms when they haven’t had coffee, which can lead to headaches, irritability, body aches, and other more extreme symptoms.
Addicted to Coffee?
As the latter statement shows that coffee alters the nervous systems that may result to withdrawal symptoms, this proves that it can be addicting. Furthermore, caffeine addiction can cause and exacerbate many different health problems. And, just like any kind of addiction, when we try to quit or cut back from coffee, there may be withdrawal symptoms included.
Caffeine intoxication and caffeine withdrawal can both very unpleasant, physically and psychologically, but either can easily be mistaken for a variety of other conditions. For example, people who are intoxicated with caffeine can exhibit similar symptoms as people with attention deficit disorders, whereas caffeine withdrawal shares similar symptoms with mood disorders.
So, what would potentially happen if a coffee addict cut back from their daily caffeine fix? Well, for those who are considered to be a coffee addict, they may experience one or more of these symptoms:
Headaches
Many pain medications contain caffeine, as it can aid with pain relief. In a sense, caffeine helps to lower inflammation and increase the strength of other pain medications. Caffeine also restricts blood vessels in the head, thus going without it can keep the blood vessels diluted which may cause a headache. However, with some patience, our body will readjust to it in a few days.
Change in Weight
Some of us may or may not realise that coffee consumption has an effect on our appetite — for some coffee temporarily suppress their appetite. Upon cutting back, it might be hard to resist the temptation of the delicious treats, as we just lost the appetite suppressant. Meanwhile, for others, cutting back from the whipped cream and sugar intake that’s inserted in the morning cup, could be doing a number on the waistline as well as saving time and money.
Feel Crappy
Aside from having headaches, those who have limited their caffeine intake have also reported other side effects. Some of them are side effects like depression, anxiety, dizziness, flu-like symptoms, insomnia, irritability, mood swings and sluggishness. The crappiness won’t stay for a long run, though… Just hold on tight for the next couple weeks, and getting off that crazy roller coaster will be a breeze.
In addition, quitting coffee may not be as simple as it sounds, because it has very much been a part of you. But if you’re doing it for a health reason or as recommended by a doctor, keep in mind that it takes time, though it certainly is attainable with some patience. There is a way to avoid, also to ease, the symptoms from interrupting your daily activities, such as: taking pain relievers, exercising, eating healthy, drinking plenty of water and rest.