Is Coffee Contributing to Your Anxiety ?
The Best Part About Waking Up, Coffee
Coffee, Your favorite morning beverage. Starbucks just released their fall beverage line up and the sinfully delicious Pumpkin Spice latte is back! How many have you had already? According to surveys around 64% of Americans drink coffee daily. We love the flavors, the warmth, and most importantly we love the boost of energy it gives us in the morning. With coffee and lattés being so scrumptious they must be an absolute good, right? Well…not necessarily.
We are sorry to say that this cozy beverage may be worsening your anxiety. If we remove the delicious mocha powder, varieties of sweet flavored syrups, foam, and cream, what are we left with? Savory black coffee and a cup full of caffeine.
What is Caffeine? & What Does Caffeine do to Your Body?
Caffeine is a naturally occurring stimulant that is found in the leaves and fruits of some plants. Although, most often sourced from coffee beans it can also be found in many tea leaves and cacao beans. Due to caffeine’s ability to combat fatigue and drowsiness about 1.6 billion cups are served per day.
Caffeine’s works by blocking adenosine receptors in the brain. This action increases brain and nervous system activity, leading to an increase in circulating chemicals such as cortisol and adrenaline in the body. So what does this mean?
When used in moderation caffeine may offer some benefits such as:
Increased mood and alertness
Improved exercise performance
Improved ability to remain awake and mentally alert after fatigue
Faster information processing speed and reaction time
Side Effects of Caffeine or Anxiety?
Have you ever told someone “I’m not completely awake, I haven’t had my first cup of coffee yet this morning”? Caffeine is well absorbed by the body. Thus, you experience the “boost” of energy your looking for rather promptly, typically within 45 minutes and effects last can last 5-12 hours. According to the FDA healthy adults consuming 400 mg/day of caffeine, equivalent of 4 cups of coffee -Not accounting for your extra espresso shots, do not experience adverse affects. However, the FDA points out that there is a wide variation in how sensitive individuals are to the effects of caffeine and their metabolism rate (break it down). Understand that while caffeine is boosting your alertness, it is also boosting everything else. Many side effects of caffeine consumption overlap with symptoms of anxiety.
Mild caffeine consumption may cause:
Rapid/Irregular heartbeat (palpitations)
Restlessness and excitability
Irritability
Sleeplessness
Frequent urination
Muscle twitches or tremors
Symptoms of anxiety:
Feelings of fear, dread, and uneasiness
Excessive worry
sweating
Restlessness
Tenseness
Rapid heartbeat
Does Caffeine Cause Anxiety?
There is no definitive evidence that coffee and caffeine cause anxiety. However, there are genetic studies that found adenosine receptor genes may play a role in the development of anxiety. Because caffeine works by blocking adenosine receptors some individuals may have an increased risk of anxiety disorders and caffeine intake may compound upon that risk.
While you can not get anxiety from caffeine directly, drinking coffee can make anxiety symptoms worse. If you notice an increase in your anxiety due to caffeine, or it’s making you feel anxious, speak to your doctor.
Here at Metamorphosis Psychcierge we take a holistic approach to treatment. This includes exploring your diet and lifestyle to develop the best treatment plan. If you are looking for the support of an empathetic mental health professional request a consultation today. Our home-visit and TelePsych concierge model will provide you with the accessibility that you need to make your mental health a priority.
Dr. Moore looks forward to discussing how the psychcierge lifestyle can get you on the road to mental prosperity.
