Caffeine & It’s Adverse Health Effects
March 25, 2008 by Liz Harper · 3 Comments
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When I read Kel’s article about the caffeine I decided I wanted to write a post about adverse health effects of caffeine. So I quickly set to work, reading and researching. (i.e. trying to come up with heaps of evidence to support my dislike for caffeine).
I consulted books such as “The Great American Detox Diet
As you probably already know, caffeine is a natural substance found in the leaves or seeds or fruits of some plants. It is present in coffee, tea, chocolate, energy drinks, some soft drinks and some medications. The caffeine stimulates our central nervous system and that acts on our brains like adrenalin, increasing alertness, heart rate, respiration, basal metabolic rate and the production of stomach acids and urine. Even though it doesn’t get stored by the body (it is metabolized by the liver and excreted in urine), the effects of caffeine can last for up to 6hrs.
As Kel mentioned, excess caffeine can cause nausea, dizziness, headaches, muscle tension, sleep disturbances and irregular heartbeats. The latter is probably why the heart foundation only suggests 1-2 cups of caffeinated drinks per day and has a statement on a page in their site saying “Too much caffeine can cause problems if you tend to get abnormal heart rhythms and it can raise your heart rate and blood pressure.”
