Each day many of us rely on a morning cup of coffee or a hit of caffeine to prepare us for our busy day. However, not many of us are aware of what caffeine is, what products it can be found in and the effects it may leave on our bodies. Caffeine is naturally found in certain leaves, beans and fruits of over 60 plants worldwide. These natural products are then harvested and processed to produce caffeinated foods and drinks. Caffeine can be found in coffee, tea, guarana, cocoa, chocolate, cola drinks, energy drinks and even decaffeinated versions contain a little residual caffeine. You can also find caffeine in foods, supplements and medications. Caffeine is rapidly and completely absorbed through our gastrointestinal tract and can be detected in our blood plasma within 5 minutes of consumption (instant injection) and will peak in concentration after 30-50 minutes.

So how much caffeine are we actually having? In the average serving size of 250ml:

Currently there is no regulatory guidance on how much caffeine is too much, due to the considerable variation of impacts on individuals. Toxicity however, can easily be identified by the following symptoms:

• headaches
• light-headedness
• anxiety
• agitation
• tremors
• tingling
• confusion
• nausea
• bowel incontinence.

It is widely believed that 400mg per 8 hours can be toxic These negative effects are due to a disruption of our nervous systems’ stress hormone response, also known as ‘fight or flight’. This physiological reaction is a survival mechanism that forces you to either stand up and fight or run for the hills when faced with a threat. This is great when you are being chased by a bear, but not so much when you are responding to an email. Adrenalin and Cortisol are the main hormones involved in our ‘fight or flight’ response and they can increase our blood pressure, pulse rate and raise our blood sugar levels un-necessarily.  In addition, blood supply to the intestines is decreased, which slows down our digestion and elimination processes. Finally, caffeine interferes with absorbing the nutrients from our foods including, Calcium, Vitamin D and our B Vitamins. It may be beneficial to reduce caffeine consumption for those who have symptoms of anxiety, insomnia, panic attacks, restless leg syndrome, menopausal hot flushes, palpations, arrhythmias, gastrointestinal reflux disorder, heartburn, diarrhoea, IBS, Polycystic kidney disease or urinary tract infections. Many women will also feel the need to limit their consumption prior to the build-up of menstruation, as it heightens the impact of PMS. Many of the caffeinated energy drinks that are available on the market have alarming potential health effects. These beverages contain caffeine plus high amounts of sugar and herbal extracts designed to increase energy such as guarana. Serious caution should be taken with regards to the negative health benefits, including behavioural and cognitive issues and potential association with future use of overstimulation products and should absolutely be avoided when consuming alcohol.