Is Caffeine Bad For You?

If you’re one of 125 millions Americans who consumes coffee every day, you may want to think twice before downing that fourth or fifth cup.

A recent study from La Trobe University in Australia found that caffeine can induce hallucinations. People who consumed five or more caffeinated beverages daily and self-identified as “stressed out” were more likely to hear noises than those who weren’t stressed and overloading on caffeine.

 

Caffeine Breakdown

Caffeine is the most commonly used mind-altering drug in the world. And we all know why we love it: within 15 minutes, caffeine stimulates the central nervous system and increases alertness—simply put, it wakes us up.

Coffee is America’s caffeine source of choice, though it’s also found in tea, soft drinks, chocolate, and some non-prescription medications. According to the Coffee Research Institute in 2006, 54% of the adult population in the U.S. drinks coffee daily, averaging 3 cups a day. Add to them the people who claim to only drink it occasionally, and you’re at 80% of American adults who look to the brown beans to stay awake.

 

Caffeine Addiction

Americans alone consume an estimated 45 million pounds of caffeine each year. And 20% of us consume over 350 mg daily—easily enough to arouse dependence.

Crave coffee in the morning? Just an overnight absence of caffeine is thought to induce withdrawal for big caffeine drinkers. But many of us high-level consumers don’t recognize our caffeine dependency because we’re already pouring the next cup.

 

Links between Hallucinations and Caffeine

The Australian researchers found that caffeine and stress have another effect on the mind: they make it more likely a person listening to white noise will believe he or she is hearing snatches of music. “High caffeine levels in association with high levels of stressful life events interacted to produce higher levels of ‘hallucination,’” say the researchers.

While the Australian study had some inherent problems (namely, self-reporting and the small number surveyed), the findings were consistent with an earlier study that linked caffeine and hallucinations.

In 2009, researchers showed that those who drank 7 cups of instant coffee were three times more likely to hallucinate than low-caffeine users, those who had only one cup. That’s the same caffeine you’ll get from 6 cups of strong tea, 9 soft drinks, 4 Red Bulls, or 3 cups of brewed coffee—the average for daily coffee drinkers.

The researchers hypothesized that the increase of hallucinations in coffee drinkers could be caused by drinkers’ increased release of cortisol, a stress hormone. And individuals diagnosed with anxiety or panic disorders, it turns out, are especially sensitive to caffeine.

 

Pregnant—Or Hoping To Be?

Women, in particular, have a few extra reasons to keep an eye on their caffeine intake. Women are known to metabolize caffeine about 25% faster than men, and are also more likely to admit to a caffeine addiction.

If you’re pregnant—or if you’re using oral contraceptives—caffeine will stay in your body longer. The FDA advises pregnant women to avoid caffeine, as high levels are linked to an increased chance of prematurity, lower birth weights, reduced head circumference, and lower growth rates.

And if you’re trying to get pregnant, you might want to avoid it, too. Researchers at Yale found that women who were high-level caffeine users had a 27% lower chance of conceiving each month compared to those who didn’t consume caffeine.

 

But It’s Not All Bad

Caffeine may be getting a bad rap, but other studies have shown that coffee and tea may see health upsides, too. Coffee and tea drinks have a lower risk of serious health issues like diabetes, heart disease, Parkinson’s disease, colon cancer, and cirrhosis of the liver—though scientists still aren’t sure whether the health benefits are in the caffeine or antioxidants found in the drinks.

Caffeine has also been shown to benefit athletes by enhancing endurance if ingested 30 minutes to an hour prior to a workout—with the caveat that consuming it while working out can lead to dehydration. And along with its mood-lifting effects, coffee has also been found to treat headaches and prevent cavities.

And at the least, unlike other mind-altering drugs, caffeine isn’t going to kill you. The fatal dose of caffeine has been calculated to be more than 10 grams—the equivalent of drinking 80 to 100 cups of coffee very quickly.

Nonetheless, consuming caffeine—like many things—seems best in moderation.

 

Just How Much Caffeine Is In That?

Typical Caffeine Content of Common Foods and Medications

Photo courtesy of Midorisyu. Table from John Hopkins Bay View Medical Center.

About the Author

Melinda is a nonprofit marketer and Texas newbie with a love of caffeine and social media. She’s a recent graduate from Miami University after completing an internship—or three—with TDM founders, and is now navigating the professional world. Tweet at her at @MelindaPrice.