Caffeine is a stimulant. It can increase alertness and be a cognitive enhancer. It stimulates the brain and elevates the mood while prolonging the feeling of fatigue. Caffeine is addictive. For some, they come to depend on the pick-me-up caffeine offers them. It’s found in coffee, soft drinks, and teas. It’s also found in chocolate. There are numerous drinks now made with higher amounts of caffeine in them to help people to have more energy or to wake them up after a bad night of sleep.
Caffeine can wreck havoc on the body when taken in large doses. Many who try to stop consuming caffeine will end up with withdrawal headaches, making it harder to quit. Too much caffeine may cause restlessness, shakiness, and insomnia. As someone with tachycardia, I feel the effects of drinking caffeine on my heart specifically. I fall into the category of also being the type of person who will have migraines from trying to stop drinking it, even though I know it would benefit my heart health greater if I do.
Consuming caffeine can also cause dehydration, dizziness, and anxiety. People often make the mistake of grabbing a cold soda on a hot day instead of water. They feel it will quench their thirst better when it actually will do the opposite.
Sometimes the level of acidity in caffeinated products also increases the level of gastric secretions. This can cause irritation of the intestinal lining of the stomach, causing upset stomachs, loose bowels, ulcers, gastritis, and poor nutrient absorption.
If you’re interested in decreasing your caffeine intake, I would offer the suggestion of a gradual decrease. You can substitute your caffeinated drinks with herbal teas, which have natural caffeine.
