Caffeine: How to Hack It and How to Quit It

what is caffeine?

Caffeine is the stimulant in your coffee, tea, chocolate and soft drinks that reduces tiredness, increases alertness and gives you a boost of energy. it can also cause insomnia, headaches, dehydration, and high blood pressure, if care is not taken. For many, caffeine is a tool that helps them wake up, perk up, and focus. hack your benefits and it can help you get through the day.

Caffeine is a white, bitter substance found naturally in more than 60 plants, including coffee beans, tea leaves, and cocoa pods used to make chocolate. the United States. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) considers caffeine to be both a food additive and a drug.

Reading: Best way to stop drinking coffee

The amount of caffeine in your food and drink varies. For coffee and tea, the amount of caffeine per cup depends on the brand, the type of beans or leaves used, how it is prepared, and how long it is steeped. coffee can have as little as two milligrams of caffeine (decaf) per cup and as much as 200 milligrams per cup. your typical tea has around 40 milligrams of caffeine, but can range from nine to 110 milligrams. twelve ounces of soda typically has 30 to 60 milligrams of caffeine. eight ounces of an energy drink is between 50 and 160.

what effect does caffeine have on the body?

Caffeine passes into the bloodstream from the stomach and small intestine. Once in your bloodstream, caffeine stimulates your central nervous system (your nerves, brain, and spinal cord) to make you feel more awake and alert. caffeine reduces fatigue and improves focus and concentration. it also causes the release of acid in the stomach, and you may have heartburn or indigestion after consuming caffeine.

When you drink or eat caffeine, dopamine signaling in your brain increases. dopamine is a chemical that helps control motivation, emotions, and movement. you feel more alert and awake when signaling increases.

how much caffeine is too much?

The average American adult consumes 200 mg of caffeine per day. this is the equivalent of two five-ounce cups of coffee or four 12-ounce colas. consuming up to 400 mg or four cups of coffee does not cause problems for most people. But caffeine affects people differently, depending on their size, gender, and sensitivity. if you are sensitive to caffeine, even moderate amounts can cause insomnia (difficulty sleeping), rapid heart rate, anxiety, and feeling restless. health and nutrition experts agree that consuming more than 600 mg of caffeine per day (equivalent to four to seven cups of coffee) is too much.

what are the symptoms of having too much caffeine?

Symptoms of too much caffeine may include:

headache, nervousness, dizziness.
have “jitters” or feel shaky.
insomnia or “intermittent” sleep at night.
rapid heart or abnormal heartbeat.
increased blood pressure.
dehydration.

who should avoid caffeine?

It is not safe for everyone to have caffeine in their diet. ask your healthcare provider how much is okay for your unique body. you may want to avoid caffeine if:

have any sleep disorders, such as insomnia.
have ulcers or gerd.
are pregnant.
are breastfeeding.
have migraines or chronic headaches.
You have high blood pressure.
take certain stimulants, antibiotics, asthma and heart medications. these medications can interact with caffeine.
is a child or adolescent.
having anxiety.
You have a fast or irregular heartbeat.

Is caffeine addictive?

many people develop tolerance to caffeine. this means that your body adapts and gets used to drinking caffeine every day. Over time, you may need to continue to increase your caffeine intake to achieve the desired effects of alertness and ability to focus.

Your body may depend on caffeine, but technically it’s not an addiction. dopamine increases, but the level is small. Illegal stimulants like methamphetamine (“meth”) and mdma (“ecstasy” or “molly”) cause a high that interferes with the reward circuitry in your brain. you become “addicted” to ecstasy and “dependent” on caffeine.

how long does caffeine last in the human body?

The effects of caffeine can be felt as soon as 15 minutes after consuming it. the level of caffeine in the blood peaks about an hour later and stays at this level for several hours for most people. six hours after the caffeine is consumed, half of it is still in your body. it can take up to 10 hours to completely remove caffeine from the bloodstream.

how is caffeine used in medicines?

Caffeine is a common ingredient in many prescription and over-the-counter headache, pain reliever, and cold medications. Through caffeine’s effects on your central nervous system, it helps these medications work more effectively. helps your body absorb headache medications faster.

If you are concerned about your caffeine intake, check the product label on over-the-counter medications or the information sheet that comes with your prescriptions to determine if a medication contains caffeine. The FDA requires that medicine labels list the amount of caffeine they contain.

Caffeine is also found in some herbal products that people take as supplements, including guarana, yerba mate, kola nut, and green tea extract. these products are not required by law to list their caffeine content on the label, and there is no set standard for caffeine content.

what are some tips for giving up caffeine?

slowly reduce the amount of caffeine in your diet. don’t make the mistake of stopping completely. You may experience withdrawal symptoms and go back to drinking coffee or soda or taking a headache medicine that contains caffeine to make the symptoms go away. this starts the dependency cycle again. Avoiding withdrawal symptoms is one of the most common reasons people continue their caffeine habit.

To successfully reduce your caffeine intake, gradually reduce the amount of coffee, tea, soda, and energy drinks you drink each day. start substituting cold caffeinated beverages for water. water is a healthy option and satisfies the need to drink a liquid. water also naturally removes caffeine from your body and keeps you hydrated.

If you’re a coffee drinker, gradually switch from regular coffee to decaf. first alternate between decaf and regular, then slowly switch to more decaf and gradually decrease regular coffee. Gradually reducing your caffeine intake over a period of two to three weeks will help you successfully change your habit without causing withdrawal symptoms.

what are the symptoms of caffeine withdrawal?

If you have developed a caffeine dependency, an abrupt reduction can cause withdrawal symptoms that may include:

headaches.
tired.
difficulty concentrating.
nausea.
muscle pain.
irritability.

In general, the more caffeine you’re used to consuming, the more severe your withdrawal symptoms will be. withdrawal symptoms begin 12 to 24 hours after the last caffeine intake and can last two to nine days.

Caffeine can be a useful tool for an adult who needs help waking up and concentrating. but it can also cause problems if you are not careful with it. don’t use too much caffeine or you could become dependent or have insomnia or headaches. otherwise, enjoy that coffee or chocolate!