The adrenal glands, located on top of the kidneys, secrete hormones responsible for dealing with stress. Hormone production by the adrenal glands is impacted by your diet. Food and beverages that contain caffeine have a negative impact on your adrenal glands. Caffeine stimulates the activation of your adrenal glands, causing hormones to be released. Overproduction of hormones can lead to the depletion of your adrenal glands.
Adrenaline
Adrenaline is a hormone produced by the adrenal glands that triggers something called the "fight or flight response." The fight or flight response is your body's way of preparing itself to react to a stressor. The release of adrenaline causes your attention to heighten, your muscles to contract and your heart rate to elevate. This gives your body the energy to take on a stressor or flee from it. Since caffeine triggers the release of adrenaline in the absence of stress, it reduces the amount of adrenaline available in times of stress.
Adrenal Fatigue
Adrenal fatigue is a condition characterized by physical and mental exhaustion. This condition results from a significant inequity in the supply and demand of hormones produced by your adrenal glands. In addition to adrenaline, your adrenals produce cortisol, epinephrine and nor-epinephrine, which are also needed to combat stress. When the demand for these hormones supersedes the amount available in your adrenals, adrenal fatigue results. One way to prevent adrenal fatigue through diet is to limit the amount of caffeine in your diet. It may be necessary to eliminate caffeine from your diet altogether if you suffer from adrenal fatigue.
Energy Level
Caffeine is consumed by 90 percent of people worldwide, according to the University of Rochester. It is one of the most popular drugs in the world due to its widespread availability and immediate impact. Caffeine is most potent within an hour after it enters your body. Depending on the amount of caffeine you consume and the frequency that you consume it, the effects of caffeine may last between four and six hours. Although caffeine does combat fatigue initially, it leaves you feeling more exhausted once it leaves your system.
Stress Response
The impact of caffeine on the urinary excretion of epinephrine, norepinephrine, and cortisol, was the focus of a study published in the July-August 2002 issue of "Psychosomatic Medicine." Researchers found that caffeine increased the amount of epinephrine released from the body through urine by 32 percent. Additionally, there was some evidence to suggest coffee drinkers had more pronounced responses to stressors as a result of their caffeine consumption. Consistent overreaction to stress can increase your risk for coronary heart disease.
