The relationship between coffee and stress: how does caffeine affect the health?
Although we do not generally consider caffeine to be a drug, it actually is. And the worst thing is that we are addicted to it. We consume it in smaller proportions like in coffee, tea, and chocolates, but we don’t know are the very dangerous side effects that caffeine poses to our body and mind. What is the relationship between coffee and stress?
Caffeine has been directly related to the mental health. Extensive research is being done on the effects of caffeine on mental health. Both positive and negative results have come out.
Let’s talk about some of the basics that we know so far.
Effects of coffee on human body
Coffee causes the body to release many enzymes. These enzymes are related to mental health and have some effects on it. Caffeine affects the hormones in your body. There is a reason why you suddenly feel so energetic after drinking a cup of coffee and why this energy stays for some hours.
Following are the hormones that are directly affected by coffee.
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Cortisol
Cortisol is the stress hormone in the body. Coffee can increase the Cortisol level in your body which means that you will be living more stress. This stress may lead to even more severe more problems like unhealthy weight gain, heart diseases, diabetes and mood swings.
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Adenosine
Adenosine is responsible for the feeling of calmness in the body and mind. Coffee however can absorb this enzyme and make the body more alert, which we refer to as energy. This energy may boost up for some time, but it is very dangerous in the longer run. It can very easily cause sleep disorders. Sleep disorders such as insomnia lead to mental problems like stress, anxiety and depression.
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Dopamine
Coffee gives an instant boost to dopamine level however when the effect of caffeine wears off you end up feeling low and more tired. Dopamine is the hormone which is behind the motivation of the human mind. Coffee creates a fake dopamine level for some time but when its gone the situation gets even worse. Dopamine manipulation may lead to stress and anxiety.
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Adrenaline
Adrenaline is known to give you an instant boost. Coffee is filled with Adrenaline. It will give you an instant boost, but it has very drastic effects on you later. You may feel depressed and fatigues later. And the worst thing that you can do to handle this situation is to consume even more coffee because it will just destroy your sleep pattern and you will end up feeling agitated and sleepless in the night.
Effects of coffee on you
Coffee has many effects on you, some positive and some negative.
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The sleep patterns
The most prominent affect coffee has it on the sleep pattern. No wonder we need it when we wake up in the morning. We want the sleep to go away. Coffee can make you stay awake for longer time. However, it does not affect the stages of sleep unlike the other stimulants. Therefore, if you really need to stay awake then coffee is a much better choice than the other stimulants.
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Weight
As said above coffee increases the cortisol level and research has found out that increased level of cortisol may increase the cravings of fat and carbohydrates. Therefore, the person will be eating more foods high in fats and carbs. This may lead to a weight gain because the fat is being stored in the abdomen.
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Can affect the physical activity
You feel an instant boost after having a cup of coffee but when the magic is gone, you feel even more lazy and the physical exercise may become even more difficult. Hence high intake of coffee may lead to a decrease in the physical exercise.
Coffee can a very good drink when you need an instant boost but consuming it more than the appropriate limit may lead to problems. Excess of anything is bad. Consume it in a limited amount and you will be good to go.
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