Are You Addicted to Coffee?

Caffeine is the most common mood altering drug in the world. Coffee is a powerful stimulant and its effects are almost instant. Because of this quality, its consumption can lead to addiction.

Coffee makes you feel more alert, awake and energized. Caffeine can also be found in dietary products, soft drinks and tea. In fact, most dietary products are based on caffeine. And 70% of all soft drinks have caffeine in them. Root beer, orange soda, cream soda, and lemon-lime drinks contain caffeine in amounts similar to those in cola drinks.

3 cups (8 ounce per cup) of coffee is a safe intake. Anything above that can lead to side effects like tremors, insomnia and sudden fatigue once the caffeine level in your blood stream wears off.

No wonder that some people act like it is a matter of life and death when they ask for a cup of coffee. I get this, I really do. In fact, when I come home from work there better be some coffee for me or all hell breaks loose.

Mood altering effects of caffeine depend on the amount of caffeine consumed and consumer’s tolerance to caffeine.

How Can You Detect Caffeine Addiction?

There are several symptoms of caffeine addiction. The most common are:

• Headaches, insomnia and low level of concentration
• Inability to cut down or quit

Caffeine addiction is not nearly as dangerous as drug addiction and can be cured relatively easy. However, caffeine withdrawal has some symptoms that are not very pleasant. Some of those are nausea, vomiting, depression, drowsiness.

You should really bring your intake of caffeine down to a moderate level.