Do you consume coffee or tea on a consistent basis? Do you make too many frequent visits to the office pantry and take large amounts to coffee to stay awake? Or you a chocolate addict or consume a large amount of cocoa?
If the answer to all these questions is yes. Then this post is just for you. All of the above substances have the element of caffeine.
So, what is caffeine?
Caffeine is a naturally occurring substance that can act as a stimulant to the central nervous system. It excites the nervous system making one more alert and active. That is the primary reason why we get rather energized with the consumption of coffee and tea. The same is the case with chocolates and other products that have cocoa in them.
How much consumption is too much?
We as Indians love our coffee and Chai, and we consume them in plenty across the space of the entire day, it is ingrained in our bodies natural mechanism. We drink it first thing in the morning, in the afternoons and in the evening too.
As working individuals, it is almost a norm that at times we consume energy drinks to keep up with the work, stay awake for longer, pull all-nighters and much more. The energy drinks to have a high dosage of caffeine.
The effects of caffeine depend on a variety of factors, such as weight, age, and environmental conditions and it is best that the average healthy body of a full-grown adult can consume up to 400mg of caffeine per day but then it depends largely on the environmental conditions too.
Is caffeine a drug?
Here the answer is a little tricky based and can be answered based on the usage of the caffeine content. Like everything in nature, anything that is used in limits – is not harmful and has beneficial effects.
In moderate amounts, it is a stimulant that you can enjoy with the consumption of coffee, tea or chocolate. In medical terms it is a drug that can be used to stimulate the central nervous system, can be used as a bronchodilator for respiratory purposes.
On the other hand, a consistently increased usage can be detrimental in the long run; when an excessive amount of caffeine is consumed by the body, there are very high possibilities of sleep disruption, anxiety triggers, insomnia, headaches and other health ailments being caused. It is considered as a drug of abuse.
So, depending on the conditions there is a possibility of all three definitions for caffeine.
Additionally,
- Caffeine consumption in young adults must be limited as it can play with a central nervous system of the kids and lead to problems such as anxiety, loss of sleep and stomach aches too.
- Caffeine consumption in pregnant women too needs to be very limited, since it can go through to the fetus and disrupt the early brain growth and development, change sleeping patterns and trigger further complications.
- Too much of energy drinks in the office to pull long hours in the office can change the sleep patterns and cause you stress.
Also Read: Higher risks of being awake at night