Is your caffeine consumption under control?

Caffeine! Glorious Caffeine!

From office workers to tradies, from uni students to busy Mums, there is one thing most of us have in common. We get through the day by relying on that sultry, addictive mistress: caffeine.

It could be a 'milky cap' from the office samovar or a cool Red Bull on the way to the site in the morning. Caffeine is a naturally occurring drug found in more than 60 plant species and ends up in countless products. Even some medicines contain a shot of caffeine.

Caffeine is actually classed as a psychoactive because (judging by most of our bosses in the morning) it can put you in a good mood immediately. While it's relatively harmless, there are some health warnings we need to consider so we don't go too loco on the good stuff. 

How much is too much?

Medical research shows that most adults can have around 400 mg of caffeine a day without negatively affecting their health. Going beyond that can start messing with your junk – literally. For men, fertility can be affected, especially when you add a cigarette. Not to mention the rest of us should be watching our blood pressure, bones, behaviour and cancer risk.

Pregnant or breastfeeding women should stay away from the pick-me-ups, otherwise we'll have hopped up babies on our hands. Sorry to all the folks with blood pressure problems, too – caffeine will only make matters worse.

You can overdose on caffeine, though it's very rare. You'd have to drink the equivalent of 80 cups of strong coffee in a row ... and no essay or report is worth that much coffee!

Riding the 'brown serpent': Health effects of too much caffeine

In the short term...

Excessive caffeine consumption is associated with many physical health effects, including:

• Temporary changes to the heart - and not in a poetic sense;
• Headaches;
• Excessive urination due to the diuretic effect of caffeine;
• Nausea and vomiting;
• Increased secretion of gastric acids;
• Muscle tremors (involuntary muscle movements);
• Insomnia (inability to sleep); and
• Appetite suppression; and
• Bone mineral density loss (for women especially!).

Obviously these effects vary from person to person. If you find that you are bouncing off the walls after one cup of coffee, then you know your system is sensitive to it. If you are sensitive to caffeine, then it can also exacerbate anxiety.

Anyone who's had an Italian espresso will tell you that caffeine shouldn't be underestimated. Not to mention its effect on your trip to La La Land. Medical research has confirmed that caffeine disturbs your sleep, so keep the coffee mania to the morning, if you must have it.

If you're undertaking in vitro fertilisation, too much coffee may be associated with poor results, so give yourself the best chance and keep the caffeine to a minimum.

Gimme some good news

While caffeine might be rough on blood pressure, it is not associated with cardiovascular disease or fibrocystic breast disease (and the jury is still out on gastro-oesophageal reflux disease). Caffeine has even been used in the past to relieve migraine headaches.

Obviously, caffeine's strongest point is its ability to provide alertness and stave off fatigue, albeit in the short term. But too much pick-me-up can end in a caffeine crash and lead to tiredness – exactly what we were trying to avoid in the first place.

One of the most exciting facts to come out of more than a dozen medical studies is that caffeine consumption lowers the risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus amongst both men and women, obese and non-obese individuals.

And while we wouldn't use it as a medication against disease, it has also been associated with reducing the risk of stroke in women and Parkinson's disease in men. It's not time to party yet, though. Unfortunately, women with a high caffeine intake who use hormone replacement therapy are almost four times more likely to develop Parkinson's disease. So moderation is the key.

Getting back on the wagon

No one should be going mental on caffeine, so if you're on more than 600 mg daily, it's time to get back on the wagon. To avoid withdrawals, start by cutting out one caffeine-loaded drink a day.

It may be hard at first, but you'll thank us later.

More information

Related Articles:

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• Can consuming caffeine while breastfeeding harm your baby?
• Cut the caffeine to cut the sugar and keep the taste in soft drinks
• Caffeine the hallucinogen?
• Caffeine negatively affects children: A majority consume caffeine daily
• Caffeinated alcoholic beverages a growing public health problem
• Booby trap: Caffeine and breastfeeding
• Caffeine and kids: Knowing when to say when
• The caffeine buzz: Feels great, but is it good for your health?

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