Caffeine
caffeine; drugs; stimulants; withdrawal; sleep; problems;
Contents
We all know caffeine is that stuff in coffee; some people even think caffeine is coffee!! This is your opportunity to find out more about caffeine, how much is enough and what it does for you
What is caffeine?
Caffeine is a chemical found in many different plants from all over the world, and it is a stimulant, which means that it speeds up the brain and nervous system.
Caffeine is found in:
- the coffee bean, originally from Arabia
- the tea leaf from China
- the kola nut from West Africa
- the cocoa bean from Mexico
- the ilex plant from Brazil
- the Cassina (or Christmas berry tree) from North America.
These plants are now grown in many other places in the world. Extracts from these plants are used in many foods and drinks, such as tea, coffee, chocolate and cola-flavoured drinks.
The history of caffeine
Caffeine has been used as a stimulant for a very long time. There are records of tea drinking in 2737 BC, coffee drinking in 1000 AD, and milk chocolate bars were being made in the 1800s. There have been worries about the use of caffeine for at least 300 years. The health effects of caffeine have been studied a lot.
The effects of caffeine
The main effect of caffeine is that it stimulates the central nervous system.
With small amounts:
- you feel more awake and alert
- your heart beats faster
- you can stay awake longer (if taken before you try to go to sleep)
- you make more urine
- your hands shake slightly
- you have a smaller appetite.
With larger amounts, you may:
- become anxious and restless
- have difficulty concentrating
- get headaches
- have difficulty getting to sleep
- become confused and sometimes even have hallucinations (only from very large amounts).
Children and young people taking a lot of caffeine (maybe in cola drinks or 'energy' drinks) may have behaviour problems and trouble concentrating at school. This might be wrongly thought to be Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD).
Long-term effects
If you have more than 600 mg of caffeine a day for a long time, you may:
- find it very difficult to sleep
- worry a lot
- be depressed
- have stomach upsets.
Caffeine and sleep
If you have caffeine before you go to bed it usually:
- makes it harder to go to sleep
- makes you sleep for a shorter time
- changes the amount of deep sleep and 'dream' sleep you have, so that you do not feel so rested when you wake up.
How much caffeine do we consume?
You may not consume any caffeine in your diet. However, of all caffeine consumed in the world, 54% is in coffee, 43% is in tea and the other 3% is in other sources, such as cola drinks and medicines. Most of the caffeine in many young people’s diets is in cola drinks.
How much caffeine is in what?
These are approximate levels only. The amount depends on how the drink is made, what it is made from and how strong it is.
Coffee
| Filtered coffee (250ml) |
200 - 250mg of caffeine |
| Percolated coffee (250ml) |
100 - 150mg of caffeine |
| Instant coffee (250ml) |
80 - 150mg of caffeine |
| Decaffeinated coffee (250ml) |
4 - 8mg of caffeine |
Tea
| Tea (250ml) |
20 - 200mg of caffeine (usually 20 - 50mg) |
| Iced Tea (350ml) |
12 - 28mg of caffeine |
Other Drinks
| Cola drinks (375ml) |
30 - 75mg of caffeine (High caffeine drinks will have more caffeine, check the label!). |
| Energy’ drinks (375ml) |
150mg or more |
| Hot chocolate (250ml) |
about 10mg of caffeine |
| Chocolate bar (200gms) |
60mg of caffeine |
- Guarana is a plant growing in South America (especially Brazil). Guarana contains guaramine which is the same as caffeine.
- Each guarana bean contains an amount of guaranine which is equivalent to about 3 times as much caffeine as a coffee bean.
- Drinks containing guarana often contain a lot of guaranine and the effects are the same as drinking a lot of caffeine.
How much caffeine is too much?
It is difficult to say exactly how much is too much caffeine, because we are all individuals and will have different reactions and responses to particular foods or substances. Some people seem to be able to tolerate much more caffeine than others. However, 250mg (approximately) will probably cause some mild effects. Most researchers say that 600mg per day is ‘safe’, but many people have problems from this much caffeine, and would feel better if they had much less caffeine.
If you notice any of the following happening to you (and you have a relatively high intake of caffeine) it may be wise to reduce your intake:
- anxiety, irritability
- difficulty concentrating, feeling confused
- difficulty getting to sleep or staying aslee
- fast or irregular heartbeat.
If someone is pregnant, doctors recommend less than 200mg per day. This low level of caffeine does not appear to harm a developing baby.
Caffeine withdrawal
If you decide that you are taking too much caffeine, you could start cutting down or even stop all together! Because people become physically dependent on caffeine, you may experience withdrawal symptoms if you stop it all at once, and if you have been used to receiving your regular 'dose' for some time. These may last for a few days, but they will soon stop.
Some of the withdrawal symptoms include:
- irritability
- headaches
- tiredness
- feeling unwell
- general aches and pains.
If you are having trouble with stopping taking caffeine, talk to a drug counsellor or a health worker. If you do not have a high caffeine intake and you experience any of these symptoms, it is important to seek medical advice.
Caffeine and exams
- A small amount of caffeine, such as the caffeine in one cup of coffee or tea, seems to help many people to 'perform' better than having no caffeine. If people usually have a cup of tea or coffee to start the day, they do not manage so well if they miss that drink.
- Large amounts of caffeine may make a person feel more awake, or stop them falling asleep, but they cannot study well or do exams better. In fact the anxious feelings due to the caffeine may make them do worse than usual.
Mel says:
"If having a coffee with a friend is part of your social life, you don’t need to think about giving it up. You can still enjoy your coffee, but you could try decaffeinated coffee or tea some of the time. The odd cup of the ‘real deal’ is okay too. It’s all part of you looking after your body."
References
Drug Info Clearinghouse - Australian Drug Foundation Fact sheet 'Caffiene'.
http://www.druginfo.adf.org.au/article.asp?ContentID=caffeine
National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre 'Caffeine'
The information on this site should not be used as an alternative to professional care. If you have a particular problem, see a doctor, or ring the Youth Healthline on 1300 13 17 19 (local call cost from anywhere in South Australia).