Caffeine is used by many people as a way to get their day started or as a mid-day pick-me-up. Because caffeine promotes increased energy and focus, coffee and tea are commonly drank to finish repetitive tasks or enhance sports performance. But caffeine can affect people in different ways depending on their current health status. If you think caffeine is impacting you in a negative way, check with your doctor.
Identification
Health writer Dianne Hales notes in her book "An Invitation to Health" that caffeine is the most used mind-affecting drug in the world. Caffeine is a stimulant that helps to relieve drowsiness, improve performance and increase the capacity for work. Hales states that 80 percent of Americans drink coffee at an average of 3.5 cups per day. Coffee contains caffeine at about 100 to 150mg per cup, tea contains 40 to 100mg and cola contains about 45mg.
Impact
Caffeine does affect people in different ways. Richard S. Surwit, Ph.D., explains in his book "The Mind-Body Diabetes Revolution" that both personality and stress levels come into play when determining how caffeine impacts you. Caffeine stimulates the nervous system, so if you already suffer from high stress you may feel stress even more so after drinking coffee or black tea. On the other hand, if you are a low-stress person, the impact on your nervous system will be less pronounced.
Test
To determine the effect caffeine has on you, Surwit recommends an experiment. Purchase a blood sugar testing kit and check your blood sugar first thing in the morning before breakfast. Check it again two hours after eating and drinking a caffeinated beverage. Stop drinking caffeine for a week, and then repeat the previous blood sugar test. If your blood sugar is lower at the end of the week after eating a meal, you may be sensitive to caffeine.
Considerations
If you suffer from low blood sugar or diabetes, caffeine may not be safe. Check with your doctor to determine if drinking caffeine impacts your condition. If you suffer from insomnia or have trouble getting to sleep at night, it's best to refrain from drinking caffeine after noon. Cutting down or eliminating caffeine can be tough on your body, so slowly weaning off coffee or tea may reduce withdrawal symptoms.
References
- "An Invitation to Health"; Dianne Hales; 2010
- "The Mind-Body Diabetes Revolution"; Richard S. Surwit, Ph.D.; 2005
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