Caffeine is a mild stimulant present in many beverages and some foods, including coffee, tea, soda and chocolate. When used in moderation, caffeine may produce some antidepressant effects that may benefit people with mild depression. However, high doses of caffeine may worsen depression by causing insomnia and other conditions. Also, moderate and severe cases of depression may require additional treatments. Talk to your doctor before using caffeine if you have a chronic health problem or are taking medication.
Effects and Mechanisms
Caffeine may produce an antidepressant effect by enhancing mood and energy. Specifically, caffeine ingestion stimulates the central nervous system and increases your levels of mood-related neurotransmitters serotonin and dopamine, according to "Psychology Today." Caffeine intake, regardless of the source, shared a strong inverse relationship with suicide rates in women, according to a Harvard Medical School study published in "The Archives of Internal Medicine." However, certain people are more sensitive to the effects of caffeine than others, and as with other drugs that affect the brain, you may develop addiction and tolerance to caffeine. This means you may experience withdrawal symptoms if you stop using caffeine, and over time, caffeine may not provide the same "lift" as before.
Recommendations
Some health experts, including Judith Orloff, M.D., assistant clinical professor of psychiatry at the University of California, Los Angeles, recommend using caffeine as a mild antidepressant if you respond well to it. According to Orloff, mild depressions often respond well to drinking the equivalent of 3 cups of coffee daily. Says Orloff, caffeine doses should be spaced throughout the day and should not exceed the equivalent of 4 cups. High doses of caffeine may increase the risk of side effects and result in caffeine tolerance, which may dampen caffeine's mood-elevating effects. MayoClinic.com also notes that high caffeine doses of more than 500 to 600 mg daily may cause nervousness and insomnia, which can worsen depression.
Combined Effect with Conventional Antidepressants
Some research suggests that caffeine may enhance the therapeutic effects of conventional antidepressant medications. A study published in "Journal of Experimental and Clinical Medicine" in 2010 concluded that while very high doses of caffeine may worsen depression among patients taking antidepressants, evidence suggests that a caffeine dosage of 10 mg per kg of body weight may possibly augment antidepressant therapy due to caffeine's beneficial effects on the brain's dopamine system. However, further research is required to confirm these findings, and taking caffeine with antidepressants may not work for everyone. According to MayoClinic.com, some people may experience insomnia as a side effect of antidepressant medications and caffeine may increase this side effect. Since caffeine can cause nervousness, it may also be a good idea to limit caffeine intake if you're being treated for an anxiety disorder as well as depression.
Precautions
It is important to consult your physician before ingesting caffeine if you're being treated for heart disease, high blood pressure, a gastrointestinal disorder or another chronic condition, according to Orloff. Certain medications and herbal supplements, including antibiotics, theophylline and echinacea, may interfere with caffeine. In otherwise healthy people very sensitive to caffeine's effects, even moderate or low doses may cause side effects. Besides insomnia and nervousness, caffeine may also cause stomach upset, heart palpitations and muscle tremors. It's also important to note that if you have depression and self-medicate with caffeine, abruptly quitting caffeine may worsen depression, according to Mayo Clinic psychiatrist Daniel K. Hall-Flavin, M.D. If you have depression and want to stop using caffeine, it is best to gradually reduce intake to reduce psychological withdrawal symptoms, says Hall-Flavin.
References
- "Psychology Today"; Coffee as an Antidepressant: Its Pros and Cons; Judith Orloff, M.D.; May 2010
- "MayoClinic"; Caffeine: How Much is Too Much?; March 2011
- "Journal of Experimental and Clinical Medicine"; Caffeine-induced Augmentation of Antidepressant Therapy; Pravin Popatrao Kale, et al.; December 2010
- "MayoClinic"; Antidepressants: Get Tips to Cope with Side Effects; December 2010
- "MayoClinic"; Caffeine and Depression: Is There a Link?; Daniel K. Hall-Flavin, M.D.; October 2009
- "Archives of Internal Medicine"; A Prospective Study of Coffee Drinking and Suicide in Women; Ichiro Kawachi, M.D., et al.; 1996
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