How Caffeine Affects Our Bodies

Caffeine is that quick pick me up that so many of us use to get going in the mornings. Within an hour of caffeine being in our blood stream we feel awake, energized and ready to face the day.

Most of us rely on some form of caffeine to get us through the day to day grind, and statistics show nine out of ten Americans regularly rely on caffeine. While consuming a mug of coffee or two in the mornings or throughout the day will not necessarily hurt us, too much caffeine consumption can lead to health problems.

Drinking tea and coffee is a way of life in America, but for some American's sensitivity to caffeine can make them sick. My own mother found out in her fifties that she had developed an allergy to perked coffee, and had to switch to decaffeinated. When she would consume just one or two cups her heart would begin to race, and she would feel sick to her stomach.

Certain medications can also interact with caffeine. Some prescription heartburn medications warn you not to consume caffeine within an hour of taking it, and some heart and cancer patients must not consume caffeine at all. If you find caffeine consumption is beginning to interfere with your daily life, trying cutting down, switching to half-caffeinated coffee and then easing yourself into decaffeinated. This is a good way to ease the body into accepting less caffeine, and minimizing any potential shock from caffeine withdrawal.

While most Americans are content with several mugs of perked coffee a day, a growing trend of over using caffeine to cope with life is being seen. If you find yourself drinking four or more cups of coffee a day, it's a sign you need to cut down. By the time we consume 4-7 cups a day, our bodies are taking in 500-600mg of caffeine and the effects on our health begin to be noticed.

Irritability is often the first sign we have too much caffeine in our system. Feelings of restlessness, anxiety over the simplest matters are also strong indicators we need to cut down on our intake. If we begin to experience heartburn or any kind of stomach effects, we must seriously begin to look at and keep track of our caffeine intake.

In extreme cases of excess caffeine consumption we may find ourselves unable to sleep. Caffeine is a stimulant and if we have consumed a large amount during the day, it can keep us awake well into the night. A good plan is not to consume any kind of caffeine after 8pm at night.

When we begin to lose sleep due to caffeine consumption we begin on a vicious circle of cause and effect. Too much caffeine means we stay awake at night, and then we don't get enough sleep, wake up groggy and depend on our morning coffee to get us going for the day.

Understanding caffeine and its effects on the body is extremely important. People with small body mass will fee caffeine's effect much faster. Body weight, lifestyle and any health medications we are on, including vitamins and herbal supplements are all things we should consider before consuming that next mug of coffee!