Anxiety and coffee: Is there a connection?
| Jan 8, 2019, 12:49 IST
There’s a reason why we drink coffee to wake our system up early in the morning. It’s the same reason why we notice a jitteriness right after drinking a cold brew coffee. Coffee is known to be a booster for our energy (both mental and physical.) But a random bout of jitteriness is also a symptom of anxiety. So, it’s safe to assume that coffee can give you the same symptoms people with anxiety experience.
In a poll that’s conducted every year by the American Psychiatry Association, said 39% of the participants experienced more anxiety than they did the previous year. An average of 3.3 cups of coffee a day for coffee drinkers could be a reason for the rising anxiety among them.
“Caffeine is an adenosine receptor antagonist,” explains Mary Margaret Sweeney, Ph.D., an instructor at the Johns Hopkins Medicine Behavioral Pharmacology Research Unit. Our body has a chemical; Adenosine which when bound with its receptors makes us drowsy. But when it is hit by something like caffeine, the effect is reversed and we experience a sudden ‘boost.’
Research states that doses that go over 250 grams are more likely to trigger anxiety. So, if a person is already suffering from anxiety, it would be wise if they stayed away from it.
However, Sweeney concludes that it is not necessary to give up coffee altogether, as it easily absorbed by the body. Alternatively, she suggests, reducing the amount of coffee consumed or trying out a different brand.
If you ask us, we like the idea of herbal or fruit infused teas!
In a poll that’s conducted every year by the American Psychiatry Association, said 39% of the participants experienced more anxiety than they did the previous year. An average of 3.3 cups of coffee a day for coffee drinkers could be a reason for the rising anxiety among them.
“Caffeine is an adenosine receptor antagonist,” explains Mary Margaret Sweeney, Ph.D., an instructor at the Johns Hopkins Medicine Behavioral Pharmacology Research Unit. Our body has a chemical; Adenosine which when bound with its receptors makes us drowsy. But when it is hit by something like caffeine, the effect is reversed and we experience a sudden ‘boost.’
Research states that doses that go over 250 grams are more likely to trigger anxiety. So, if a person is already suffering from anxiety, it would be wise if they stayed away from it.
However, Sweeney concludes that it is not necessary to give up coffee altogether, as it easily absorbed by the body. Alternatively, she suggests, reducing the amount of coffee consumed or trying out a different brand.
If you ask us, we like the idea of herbal or fruit infused teas!