Eight Negative Effects of Taking Excess Caffeine

10 minutes read.    

Taking caffeine in moderation will benefit your health, including improvements in physical endurance, mental alertness, vigilance, mood, and perception of fatigue.

However, results of some studies show that excessive intake of caffeine increases the risks of unpleasant and even dangerous side effects.

Coffees and Tea are healthy beverages for many people while some may not tolerate them.

They’re most commonly sourced from the coffee bean but can also be found naturally occurring in certain types of tea plants and cacao beans, and it is also an additive to soda and energy drinks.

You may experience unpleasant side effects even after drinking the amount of coffee or tea considered to be moderate. Why?

Studies have shown that your genes have a major influence on your tolerance to caffeine. Some can consume much more caffeine than others without experiencing negative effects.

In this article, you will learn the top eight negative effects of consuming excess caffeine or caffeine-containing beverages.

Feel free to skim through.

• Sleep disturbance
• Digestive issues
• Anxiety
• Muscle breakdown
• High blood pressure
• Rapid heart rate
• Fatigue
• Frequent urination
• Addiction
• Conclusion

Here’re the Top Eight Negative effects of consuming excess caffeine.

What’re the Side Effects of Drinking Too Much Caffeine?

1. Sleep disturbance (Insomnia)

Caffeine’s ability to help people stay awake is one of its most prized qualities.

On the other hand, too much caffeine can make it difficult to get enough restorative sleep.

Studies have found that higher caffeine intake appears to increase the amount of time it takes to fall asleep. It may also decrease total sleeping time, especially in the elderly

However, low or moderate amounts of caffeine don’t seem to affect sleep very much in people considered “good sleepers,” or even those with self-reported insomnia.

You may not realize that too much caffeine is interfering with your sleep if you underestimate the amount of caffeine you’re taking in.

Although coffee and tea are the most concentrated sources of caffeine, it is also found in soda, cocoa, energy drinks, and several types of medication.

For example, an energy shot may contain up to 350 mg of caffeine, while some energy drinks provide as much as a whopping 505 mg per can.

Importantly, the amount of caffeine you can consume without affecting your sleep will depend on your genetics and other factors.

In addition, caffeine consumed later in the day may interfere with sleep because its effects can take several hours to wear off.

Research has shown that while caffeine remains in your system for an average of five hours, the time period may range from one and a half hours to nine hours, depending on the individual.

One study investigated how the timing of caffeine ingestion affects sleep.

Researchers gave 12 healthy adults 400 mg of caffeine either six hours before bedtime, three hours before bedtime, or immediately prior to bedtime.

Both the time it took all three groups to fall asleep and the time they spent awake at night increased significantly.

These results suggest that it’s important to pay attention to both the amount and timing of caffeine to optimize your sleep

2. Digestive issues

Many people find that a morning cup of coffee helps get their bowels moving.

Coffee’s laxative effect has been attributed to the release of gastrin, a hormone the stomach produces that speeds up activity in the colon.

However, decaffeinated coffee has been shown to produce a similar response.

Given this effect, it’s not surprising that large doses of caffeine may lead to loose stools or even diarrhea in some people. And may contribute to symptoms of food MAPs

Although for many years coffee was believed to cause stomach ulcers, a large study of more than 8,000 people didn’t find any link between the two.

On the other hand, some studies suggest that caffeinated beverages may worsen gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) in some people. This seems to be especially true of coffee

In a small study, when five healthy adults drank caffeinated water, they experienced a relaxation of the muscle that keeps stomach contents from moving up into the throat — the hallmark of GERD.

Since coffee can have major effects on digestive function, you may want to cut back on the amount you drink or switch to tea if you experience any issues.

3. Anxiety

Caffeine is known to increase alertness.

It works by blocking the effects of adenosine, a brain chemical that makes you feel tired.

At the same time, it triggers the release of adrenaline, the “fight-or-flight” hormone associated with increased energy

However, at higher doses, these effects may become more pronounced, leading to anxiety and nervousness.

In fact, caffeine-induced anxiety disorder is one of four caffeine-related syndromes listed in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM), which is published by the American Psychiatric Association.

Extremely high daily intakes of 1,000 mg or more per day have been reported to cause nervousness, jitteriness, and similar symptoms in most people, whereas even a moderate intake may lead to similar effects in caffeine-sensitive individuals.

Additionally, modest doses have been shown to cause rapid breathing and increase stress levels when consumed in one sitting.

One study of 25 healthy men found that those who ingested approximately 300 mg of caffeine experienced more than double the stress of those who took a placebo.

Interestingly, cortisol levels were similar between regular and less frequent caffeine consumers, suggesting the compound may have the same effect on stress levels regardless of whether you drink it habitually.

Nevertheless, these results are preliminary.

Coffee’s caffeine content is highly variable. For reference, a large (“grande”) coffee at Starbucks contains about 330 mg of caffeine.

If you notice that you often feel nervous or jittery, it might be a good idea to look at your caffeine intake and cut it back.

4. Muscle breakdown

Rhabdomyolysis is a very serious condition in which damaged muscle fibers enter the bloodstream, leading to kidney failure and other problems.

Common causes of rhabdomyolysis include trauma, infection, drug abuse, muscle strain, and bites from poisonous snakes or insects.

In addition, there have been several reports of rhabdomyolysis related to excessive caffeine intake, although this is relatively rare.

In one case, a woman developed nausea, vomiting, and dark urine after drinking 32 ounces (1 liter) of coffee containing roughly 565 mg of caffeine. Fortunately, she recovered after being treated with medication and fluids.

Importantly, this is a large dosage of caffeine to consume within a short period of time, especially for someone who isn’t used to it or is highly sensitive to its effects.

In order to reduce the risk of rhabdomyolysis, it’s best to limit your intake to about 400 mg of caffeine per day, unless you’re used to consuming more.

5. High blood pressure

Overall, caffeine doesn’t seem to increase the risk of heart disease or stroke in most people.

However, it has been shown to raise blood pressure in several studies due to its stimulatory effect on the nervous system.

Elevated blood pressure is a risk factor for heart attack and stroke because it may damage arteries over time, restricting the flow of blood to your heart and brain.

Fortunately, caffeine’s effect on blood pressure seems to be temporary. Also, it seems to have the strongest impact on people who aren’t used to consuming it.

High caffeine intake has also been shown to raise blood pressure during exercise in healthy people, as well as in those with mildly elevated blood pressure.

6. Rapid heart rate

The stimulatory effects of high caffeine intake may cause your heart to beat faster.

It may also lead to altered heartbeat rhythm, called atrial fibrillation, which has been reported in young people who consumed energy drinks containing extremely high doses of caffeine.

In one case study, a woman who took a massive dose of caffeine powder and tablets in an attempted suicide developed a very rapid heart rate, kidney failure, and other serious health issues.

However, this effect doesn’t seem to occur in everyone. Indeed, even some people with heart problems may be able to tolerate large amounts of caffeine without any adverse effects.

In one controlled study, when 51 heart failure patients consumed 100 mg of caffeine per hour for five hours, their heart rates and rhythms remained normal.

Regardless of the mixed study results, if you notice any changes in your heart rate or rhythm after drinking caffeinated beverages, consider decreasing your intake.

7. Fatigue

Coffee, tea, and other caffeinated beverages are known to boost energy levels.

However, they can also have the opposite effect by leading to rebound fatigue after the caffeine leaves your system.

One review of 41 studies found that although caffeinated energy drinks increased alertness and improved mood for several hours, participants were often more tired than usual the following day

To maximize caffeine’s benefits on energy and avoid rebound fatigue, consume it in moderate rather than high doses.

8. Frequent urination and urgency

Increased urination is a common side effect of high caffeine intake due to the compound’s stimulatory effects on the bladder.

You may have noticed that you need to urinate frequently when you drink more coffee or tea than usual.

Most research looking at the compound’s effects on urinary frequency has focused on older people and those with overactive bladders or incontinence.

In one study, 12 young to middle-aged people with overactive bladders who consumed 2 mg of caffeine per pound (4.5 mg per kilogram) of body weight daily experienced significant increases in urinary frequency and urgency.

For someone weighing 150 pounds (68 kg), this would equate to about 300 mg of caffeine per day.

In addition, high intake may increase the likelihood of developing incontinence in people with healthy bladders.

One large study looked at the effects of high caffeine intake on incontinence in more than 65,000 women without incontinence.

Those who consumed more than 450 mg daily had a significantly increased risk of incontinence, compared to those who consumed less than 150 mg per day

If you drink a lot of caffeinated beverages and feel that your urination is more frequent or urgent than it should be, it may be a good idea to cut back on your intake to see if your symptoms improve.

9. Addiction

Despite all of caffeine’s health benefits, there’s no denying that it may become habit-forming.

A detailed review suggests that although caffeine triggers certain brain chemicals similar to the way cocaine and amphetamines do, it does not cause classic addiction the way these drugs do.

However, it may lead to psychological or physical dependency, especially at high dosages.

In one study, 16 people who typically consumed high, moderate, or no caffeine took part in a word test after going without caffeine overnight.

Only high-caffeine users showed a bias for caffeine-related words and had strong caffeine cravings.

Additionally, the frequency of caffeine intake seems to play a role in dependency.

In another study, 213 caffeine users completed questionnaires after going 16 hours without consuming it. Daily users had greater increases in headaches, fatigue, and other withdrawal symptoms than non-daily users.

Even though the compound does not seem to cause true addiction, if you regularly drink a lot of coffee or other caffeinated beverages, there’s a very good chance you may become dependent on its effects.

Related: What are Detox Drinks and their Benefits?

Related: How to make Ginger Tea in your home?  Benefits and Risk

Conclusion

Taking caffeine in moderation will benefit your health, including improvements in physical endurance, mental alertness, vigilance, mood, and perception of fatigue.

However, results of some studies show that excessive intake of caffeine increases the risks of unpleasant and even dangerous side effects. This includes:

• Sleep disturbance
• Digestive issues
• Anxiety
• Muscle breakdown
• High blood pressure
• Rapid heart rate
• Frequent urination
• Frequent urination and urgency
• Addiction

Studies have shown that your genes have a major influence on your tolerance to caffeine. Some can consume much more caffeine than others without experiencing negative effects.

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