Coffee, tea, chocolate, energy drinks, caffeine and people
Most of us treat caffeine like electricity: We don’t care to know how it works; we just flip the switch and the power turns on.
Here’s what happens when you flip the caffeine switch…
Are energy drinks as safe as a cup of coffee? It depends. Consider this…
Both statements are true:
Okay, so what gives? These sound like conflicting statements, but the devil’s in the details.
The energy drink industry likes to promote the first statement, which is partially true: ounce for ounce, some energy drinks really are as mild as coffee; but others are many times more caffeinated. So it depends on the brand of energy drink. And in most cases, the label does not indicate the amount of caffeine a drink contains.
The second statement, that large doses of caffeine create health risks, is also correct – and how these highly-caffeinated energy drinks are promoted and consumed makes them drastically different from coffee or tea.
If you want to consume caffeine safely, then you need to know how much caffeine you’re consuming – whether it’s in the form of an energy drink, energy shot, coffee, tea, or other substance.
You’ll find more details on caffeine’s overall effects, and how different individuals react to caffeine, in Chapters 8 through 11 of Caffeine Basics.
Next: Find out what the American Beverage Association, an industry lobbying group, tells consumers about energy drinks.
If you consume caffeine every day, in a regular fashion, you’ve either got a habit or are addicted – pick the term you prefer.
Experts quibble over whether to call caffeine addictive or just habit-forming. The difference is somewhat a matter of semantics, but not entirely.
An addiction suggests self-destructive behavior, one that poses a threat to individuals or society, as in a heroin or cocaine addiction. For most of us, caffeine doesn’t match that type of downward spiral. Caffeine’s generally not emotionally or physically destructive, though it can be in some people, and that’s when experts consider it an addiction.
Caffeine does act like other addictive substances by tripping the reward and pleasure circuits of the brain (which explains a lot about its popularity). It is undeniably habit-forming, but most of us don’t experience adverse effects from typical doses. Caffeine can even have benefits, such as lifting depression and reducing certain cancer risks, or enhancing certain mental and physical tasks.
Whatever you call it, if you’re hooked on caffeine, don’t panic: clinically speaking, caffeine is only mildly addictive or habit-forming. Most people can easily quit caffeine, if they survive the withdrawal stage. Though intense, withdrawal symptoms typically pass in a matter of days.
How has your caffeine consumption changed? If you do have a caffeine habit, chances are you now take in more caffeine than when you first started. That’s normal. It’s known as developing tolerance. When you hit that sweet spot of daily consumption, not too strong or too weak, you’ve found your setpoint, which is covered in Chapter 7.
So if you do have a caffeine jones, relax. You’re in good company. But if you’ve not developed or don’t want a caffeine habit, some experts say there’s no reason to start one.
It’s not easy to tell if someone’s on caffeine.
Caffeine’s not like alcohol; it may elevate your mood, but people don’t get giddy or use it to escape from their troubles. Caffeine doesn’t make you slur your words or walk funny.
It’s typically used to sustain or enhance functionality. We trust our lives to people on caffeine: airline pilots, teachers, firefighters, even the President of the United States. In dangerous situations, we might even prefer that these people be on caffeine, to boost their alertness and performance.
Caffeine is also self-regulating, as discussed earlier, which prevents most of us from spiraling into dramatically destructive scenarios. Once our hands start to shake, we turn off the caffeine tap.
True enough. But caffeine does have a real effect on reward circuits of the brain, one that is consistent with addiction. Breaking the caffeine habit includes the same physical and mental withdrawal symptoms that define a substance as addictive. When your hands shake, yet you’re still pouring caffeine, that’s a sign your habit is out of control.
Let’s revisit what caffeine does to our neural wiring: Caffeine stimulates dopamine, a source of feel-good effects. According to some experts, it does so in areas of the brain separate from where cocaine and harder stimulants activate the neural wiring. So, caffeine activates some reward circuits, but it may do so in a manageable way.
Perhaps it’s best to view caffeine as a mildly addictive substance, one that presents benign effects or adverse risks, depending on the user and quantity ingested. And keep in mind that caffeine is biphasic: low to moderate doses create profoundly different effects from those of high doses.
What are the symptoms of caffeine addiction? As the next section shows, there is a beast known as Caffeine Use Disorder, and you only need three symptoms to qualify…
When does caffeine cause someone to lose control? For many of us, caffeine is no more habit-forming than relying on a morning shower to wake up.
But compulsive caffeine consumption – to the point where sleep is disrupted on a regular basis, or hands tremble – suggests a physical and a psychological dependence, perhaps even a mental health disorder.
The word “addiction” is an emotionally charged grenade, packed with social stigma and misconceptions. Many health professionals now use the term disorder, as in “Caffeine Use Disorder”– a condition where sufferers continue to use caffeine, even though it adversely affects them in some way. (It’s also been called caffeinism.)
But Caffeine Use Disorder isn’t fully recognized – yet. When the bible of addiction, The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorder by the American Psychiatric Association, updated the 2013 edition (DSM-5), it placed Caffeine Use Disorder in the “conditions for further study” category. More scientific studies are needed, said the task force. Because caffeine is so commonly used, and to prevent over-diagnosis, Caffeine Use Disorder needs to have a higher threshold of diagnostic criteria than those used for other abuse substances.
Nevertheless, the proposed definition for Caffeine Use Disorder is illuminating. It identifies 9 symptoms, and says the first three or more are needed to present a diagnosis of Caffeine Use Disorder. Some of us may recognize particular symptoms in ourselves, such as: a strong craving for caffeine; unsuccessful efforts to cut back or stop caffeine use; and tolerance marked by the need for more caffeine to reach the same effect. See if any of these conditions apply to you or someone you know.
You need at least the first three symptoms (within a 12-month period). Plus, there must be a problematic pattern of caffeine use leading to clinically significant impairment or distress, according to the proposed definition for Caffeine Use Disorder.
1. A persistent desire or unsuccessful efforts to cut down or control caffeine use.
2. Continued caffeine use despite knowledge of having a persistent or recurrent physical or psychological problem that is likely to have been caused or exacerbated by caffeine.
3. Withdrawal, as manifested by either of the following:
a. The characteristic withdrawal syndrome for caffeine.
b. Caffeine (or a closely related substance) is taken to relieve or avoid withdrawal symptoms.
4. Caffeine is often taken in larger amounts or over a longer period than was intended.
5. Recurrent caffeine use resulting in a failure to fulfill major role obligations at work, school, or home (e.g., repeated tardiness or absences from work or school related to caffeine use or withdrawal).
6. Continued caffeine use despite having persistent or recurrent social or interpersonal problems caused by or exacerbated by the effects of caffeine (e.g., arguments with spouse about consequences of use, medical problems, cost).
7. Tolerance as defined by either of the following:
a. A need for markedly increased amounts of caffeine to achieve desired effect.
b. Markedly diminished effect with continued use of the same amount of caffeine.
8. A great deal of time is spent in activities necessary to obtain caffeine, use caffeine, or recover from its effects.
9. Craving or a strong desire or urge to use caffeine.
Having these symptoms is no guarantee you’ve got a caffeine disorder, and this is not intended to be medical advice. But if you think your caffeine habit is disrupting your life, you may want to consult your doctor.
Coming up: Quitting caffeine? Get prepared for some painful withdrawal symptoms…
Can you get drunk on caffeine?If you’ve ever slammed down a few too many coffees or Red Bulls and felt jitters or rapid heartbeat, you’ve experienced caffeine intoxication. You don’t even have to be a regular user: just a big blast of caffeine, or several blasts in a short period of time, can do it.
Caffeine intoxication is not the same thing as caffeine addiction. Addiction symptoms arise out of regular usage over a long period of time. Caffeine intoxication happens more immediately, when the caffeine has just been ingested or is still floating around in your system. Once the caffeine wears off, so does the intoxication. Here’s how to tell if someone may be experiencing caffeine intoxication…
Experts say to be diagnosed with “caffeine intoxication,” a person must display at least five of these symptoms, to the point where they impair a person’s social, work or other life functions.*
You, your kid, your parents – anyone (habitual user or not) can experience caffeine intoxication by taking more caffeine than the body can handle. Common sources like energy drinks, 5-Hour Energy shots, and too many Cokes and coffees can do it. Because each person’s metabolism is different, there’s no set amount of caffeine to trigger caffeine intoxication. Just three cups of coffee in grandma, for instance, or a supersize Coke in a small child, might push their caffeine limit, but it all depends on the person. Consult a medical professional if you think caffeine intoxication might be a problem.
Next: Important info about caffeine safety and toxicity…