Coffee and Cognitive Functions

Although legally sold all over the world, caffeine is the most popular psychoactive substance worldwide. According to Healthline, Food and Drug Administration (FDA) estimates that about 80 percent of US adults take some form of caffeine on a daily basis.

As caffeine acts as a central nervous stimulant, people usually take it to feel more alert and energetic. Caffeine can improve mood and help people feel more productive. However, big consumers often experience that they get too anxious, irritable, and have problems falling asleep. Knowing the symptoms of caffeine and its long-term effects on your body may help find out what a reasonable daily consumption of coffee is, avoiding the unpleasant symptoms of overconsumption

Alertness and Mood

The best-known, most noticeable and appreciated effect of consuming caffeine is the instant increase of alertness levels. People will normally feel more awake and less tired, once they have just consumed coffee and other caffeine-containing products. Caffeine can improve mood and help people feel more productive and increase excitability in the brain.

The substance may even counteract fatigue, headaches, and drowsiness, and therefore health practitioners in the US often prescribe it to patients off-label.

Attention and performance In moderate quantities, that’s the equivalent of three to four cups daily, caffeine can strengthen mental performance. Caffeine has been reported to influence neurotransmitters that play a role in mood and mental performance including norepinephrine, dopamine, and acetylcholine.

As a number of studies have indicated, caffeine was shown to improve performance on a range of different tasks, including vigilance, response times, and information processing.

Long-Term Benefits

Apart from the instant benefits a caffeine consumer can experience, the substance has been reported to have a series of long-term beneficial effects. People who drink coffee regularly have a lower risk of developing Alzheimer’s and dementia, and cut suicide risk reportedly by 45 percent.

Dependence and withdrawal symptoms However, a high consumption of caffeine can cause addiction, which on its turn can lead to many unpleasant symptoms during the withdrawal phase. Caffeine withdrawal usually begins within 12 to 24 hours after consuming the last dose.

In other words, caffeine works as any other substances which are classified as ‘’drugs’’ or ‘’narcotics’’: the more you use it, the more its tolerance increases, one will need a bigger quantity to reach the same effects; upon a longer period of abstention, the user experiences a withdrawal phase, comprising of negative symptoms, which are quite the opposite of the positive effects presented above.

Caffeine intoxication is recognized as a disorder in the DSM-5, an indication that excessive consumption is to be regarded as psychologically unhealthy. Caffeine intoxication is defined as the consumption of more than 250 mg of caffeine followed by at least five symptoms that can include restlessness, excitement, insomnia, diuresis, stomach upset, tachycardia, and psychomotor agitation. These symptoms must result in significant distress and impairment in functioning and must not be due to another medical condition.

Those symptoms may include:

• Headaches
• Lack of energy
• Tremors
• Irritability
• Anxiety
• Fatigue and drowsiness
• Problems concentrating
• Low mood

For example, too much caffeine can give you headaches. This is primarily linked to caffeine withdrawal. The blood vessels in your brain become used to caffeine’s effects so if you suddenly stop consuming caffeine, it can cause a headache.

In some people, sudden withdrawal may cause tremors. Although it’s extremely rare, it’s also possible to overdose on caffeine. Symptoms of an overdose include confusion and hallucinations.

Conclusion

A moderate consumption of coffee can be beneficial and help us feel in the right mood to carry out tasks at work or at school. However, one should be aware of the negative symptoms of overconsumption, which may include anxiety, irritability, insomnia and render someone quite dysfunctional in any interaction with third people.

References

Caffeine: Everything You've Been Afraid To Ask

Elizabeth Hartney https://www.verywellmind.com/what-are-the-effects-of-caffeine-on-the-brain-21842

The Effects Of Caffeine on Your Body Ann Pietrangelo and Kristeen Cherney - https://www.healthline.com/health/caffeine-effects-on-body#