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Is caffeine taking a toll on your body?
America is a caffeinated society.
The internet abounds with memes on what happens when you bother a person before they’ve had their first cup. It’s become such a part of our lives that people are building their daily coffee into their household budgets.
But caffeine has some pretty serious effects on the human body. In fact, it’s recommended that adolescents limit their caffeine intake and pregnant women avoid caffeine altogether. In addition, some people are more susceptible than others to the effects of caffeine, and it can interact badly with certain medications.
At this point, some people’s hands are shaking at the thought of giving up their beloved beverages, but according to the Mayo Clinic, “up to 400 milligrams (mg) of caffeine a day appears to be safe for most healthy adults.”
Although a certain amount of caffeine has been deemed “safe,” Kevin Langkiet, director of emergency services and critical care for Benefis Health System adds a warning.
“When we deal with medications,” he said, “the measurement of that drug has been so precise, and it’s gone through federal agencies that have said ‘this is how you measure it.’ When it comes to caffeine, there’s not a true definitive measurement for it.”
What does 400 mg look like? Well, caffeine levels in brewed coffee can vary widely.
Home-brewed coffee has anywhere from 95-165 mg of caffeine per eight ounce serving, and coffee house coffees can contain even more.
Starbucks’ nutrition information says their short (eight ounce) brewed coffees range from 130-190 mg. If you’re getting a venti, their large size, it’s more like 340-470.
Energy drinks also contain a wide range of caffeine levels from 71 to over 200 mg per serving. Soda runs anywhere from 22-55 mg per 12 ounce serving depending on the type and brand.
What about those energy shots? According to the 5-hour Energy website, their standard shot has 200 mg of caffeine, which is equivalent to an extremely strong cup of brewed coffee. By comparison, Starbucks’ quad espresso is 300 mg.
As caffeine levels in beverages get higher, it becomes necessary to take a look at what caffeine does to the body and what the effects of heavy long-term use can be.
“We have a gentleman who comes into the (emergency department) quite frequently,” said Langkiet. “He drinks a six pack of Mountain Dew—the 20 ounce—a day…And he comes in not feeling very well. He’ll sit there and go, ‘I don’t feel right. There’s something wrong.’”
With such a regular influx of caffeine, ill effects are common.
In the nervous system, caffeine makes it much easier for electrical impulses to be carried out. That’s where the feelings of alertness come from that so many people crave.
“If you can imagine…going through a toll gate, and what that caffeine does is makes that toll gate empty so that things go much faster,” said Langkiet. “So instead of being slowed down to a point that keeps things in a moderated tone, it just opens up the freeway so now it goes very hyper.”
Having those pathways in the brain wide open can lead to agitation, snap decisions, poor decision making and saying things to people you might normally keep inside.
Caffeine may give that “awake” feeling, but Langkiet warns, “The brain is firing rapidly and they bypass those little safety mechanisms called ‘common sense.’”
Caffeine causes the stomach to make more gastric juices than you need, which can cause stomach irritation, gastrointestinal bleeding and ulcers.
It also raises blood pressure, which leads to a diuretic effect.
“Your body tries to compensate saying you don’t need to be this high because it’s bad for your brain,” said Langkiet, “so let’s get some of that volume off of you so your blood pressure’s not so high, and the only way to get rid of that fluid volume is to go to the bathroom.”
As the body dehydrates and become chemically imbalanced, muscle twitches during physical exertion are common.
If the blood pressure is too high, the heart can’t fill with its whole volume of blood, which doesn’t provide enough blood to the brain. This deficit can lead to arrhythmia and cause dizziness or passing out during exertion.
In the emergency department, Langkiet has even seen people come in whose heart rates are 170 beats per minute that have to be re-synchronized with electricity.
Caffeine and sleep
“Just imagine all these floodgates opening up,” said Langkiet. “You’ve got your stomach opening up. Now you’ve got your kidneys opening up. You’re being more wide awake, and so you’re being hyper with your thought process.”
When the body is working overtime due to caffeine’s effects, it’s difficult for it to slow down enough for sleep. People make claims that they sleep just fine no matter how much coffee they drink, but Langkiet had a small caveat.
“People will say they can go to sleep, and they probably can go to sleep,” he said. “(But) it’s not a sound sleep, where we go into our REM (rapid eye movement) state. That’s the issue.”
The body needs that REM sleep to recover and heal. Poor sleep that’s not restful leads to tiredness, which leads to more caffeine consumption, which leads to poor sleep, and so on.
In the emergency department, Langkiet recommends no caffeine after 5 p.m., especially for people trying to heal from illness or injury.
“Energy drinks, I just say stay away from them,” said Langkiet. “There’s nothing there. If you need help, sleep better the night before. Get rest.”
Over time, the body grows accustomed to having caffeine, leading to some serious suffering when those caffeine levels dip too low.
Headaches are the most common symptom. Langkiet has had people come into the emergency department thinking they’re having a stroke, but it was really caffeine withdrawal.
“The body will actually crash,” he said. “The head, the cerebral pressure, the perfusion around the brain will actually alter trying to give the brain the nutrition so it can be hyper, and it doesn’t happen, so it increases the pressure. That’s why you have a headache.”
People can also have vision problems such as seeing halos around objects or dark spots in the vision. Blood pressure falling suddenly impacts the body, as well, as it isn’t getting the level of blood flow it’s used to.
“Your body’s telling you something,” Langkiet said. “It’s literally going through withdrawals.”
In fact, it takes the body so much time to readjust to not having caffeine that Langkiet recommends tapering off if you’re quitting rather than going cold turkey.
With heavy, long-term caffeine use, the blood vessels in the gastrointestinal (GI) system dilate and become engorged, making GI bleeding more likely. Intestines lose motility, which can lead to diverticulitis.
The liver and kidneys don’t get proper circulation and have to work harder to filter out toxins. Poor circulation can also cause hair loss all over the body and thickened skin, and constantly elevated blood pressure can contribute to heart attack and stroke.
The good news is, you don’t have to quit caffeine altogether to stay healthy. Keeping your intake under the recommended 400 mg per day and avoiding caffeine after 5 p.m. will help minimize the worst of the drug’s effects.
Change up your routine by drinking decaffeinated coffees and teas and caffeine-free sodas. If you do quit, Langkiet offers some alternatives to help you wake up in the morning.
Deep breathing, exercise and sunshine are all great ways to get your brain and body in gear. You don’t fall asleep all at once, so don’t expect to wake up all at once. Take a shower at whatever temperature helps get you moving.
“We have something here in Montana that we don’t use enough: fresh cold air,” said Langkiet. “Step outside and just take a couple fresh breaths of air. We have clean air, it’s nice and cool and it’s beautiful.”