Dangers of Caffeine

For the past few weeks, I haven't felt quite right. I thought it was part of the virus/bug I had. I felt tired, weak, and had was really nauseous. It seemed like it only got worse when I ate something and for some reason, I even got severe stomach pain.

After going through the "sick" feelings for about two weeks, I decided that perhaps it was something more than just the normal virus making me feel this way. I began to do a little research. I evaluated my everyday life to see what I was doing that could possibly contribute to the way I feel.

I came across something very surprising. It very well may be that I drink way too much caffeine. Let me explain, I'm not one to drink water. (Yeah, shame on me.. I know) But honestly, most people I know drink a little bit but not the required amount. I start my morning with a pot, yes pot, of coffee. Then, I drink soda. (Bad habits) Toward the afternoon, I make about a half of a pot of coffee and drink it as I'm helping my daughter with her homework. Once it's gone (and I don't always finish every pot I make), I might drink water or juice.

I decided last night that maybe the stomach pains and feeling of nausea was from too much caffeine. As I'm writing this, I'm amazed by how bad my diet really is. I never actually realized it. It was easy to get into this routine with my past experiences with eating. As some of you know, I am currently recovering from a full mouth extraction and getting dentures. (No the diet is not the cause) Over the past five years, my diet changed from solids to liquids because I couldn't chew. Therefore, coffee helped take away the hunger feeling and gave me the energy I needed to get through the day. The end resulted in how I'm living now.

So, if you're like me... before your problem becomes worse or even your health... you may want to continue reading about the Dangers of Caffeine. (I didn't realize how bad it actually is for you)

1. Caffeine can help contribute in Panic Attacks. When drinking caffeine, it wakes us up. (One reason people love to drink it) It causes the "fight-or-flight" response in our body. When consuming high amounts of caffeine, fight-or-flight instinct gets reduced to panic attacks. Some reaction that can occur are your hands becoming sweaty, your heart quickens, you experience shakiness, and then even may feel like something bad is going to happen. (Panic attack)

2. Caffeine is addictive. Yes, not sure if you knew this but it is. It's just like any other type of drug out there. Our bodies get used to the caffeine we ingest every day. Once there's an ongoing pattern, we even crave the caffeine. If the craving isn't addressed... we can have negative side affects like headaches, being tired, irritable, and even feel depressed.

3. Caffeine contributes to dehydration. Even though coffee, soda, and any other drinks that contain caffeine are liquid... caffeine can dehydrate you. So, in reality... it's not a great thing. I'm sure you agree.

4. Caffeine can be connected to stomach cramping and feeling nausea. When drinking caffeine in a short amount of time (depending on your tolerance) this can make you nauseous. Some people drink coffee in the morning, maybe a soda at lunch, and drink tea for the remaining parts of the day with little to no water in between. This is an over load of caffeine. And not so great for your body. It can cause anxiety, jitters, headaches, lightheadedness , in addition to the nausea.


So from doing this research, I know I'll be slowing down and watching my intake of caffeine. I deal with anxiety issues and depression. This started even before I began my intake of so much caffeine. The caffeine just makes those symptoms worse. I know I'll struggle with finding other (non caffeine) drinks to drink during the day.... but I got to find out if this is the reasons why I feel sick.

How much caffeine do you consume in a day? Did you find this post useful?