Caffeine Intolerance
Caffeine is so readily available in coffee, tea and chocolate that we
have come
to accept it as harmless but the truth is that caffeine is a powerful
drug which
effects both your body and your mind. For example:
- It has the strange quality of at first decreasing the heart rate
and then
increasing it about an hour after intake. - It has a powerful effect on the nervous system and can in small
doses
help improve concentration but the reverse takes place with a higher dose.
Even a relatively moderate amount, two to three cups of tea a day, leads to observable effects and caffeine abuse can result in symptoms that mimic mental illness. Children, because they have smaller bodies, are a greater risk from caffeine toxicity and insomnia in children could be linked to the amount of cola drinks they consume.[1,2]
Products containing caffeine are often used to boost energy which takes place as a result of caffeine's ability to stimulate adrenal gland activity. This constant abuse of the adrenal glands can lead to a state of burn out where the adrenal glands quite simply become exhausted. Fatigue, although it can have many causes, can often be the result of diminished adrenal function.
No amount of additional coffee or chocolate will help. Sadly caffeine is also habit forming and tolerance develops so that more and more is required to obtain the desired effect.
The symptoms that have been linked to a sensitivity to or a high intake of caffeine include:
Agitation --- Anxiety --- Depression --- Disorientation --- Dry mouth Headache --- Increased need to urinate --- Insomnia --- Nausea --- Palpitations --- Restless legs syndrome --- Rhinitis --- Stomach problems --- Tinnitus --- Urticaria.
Further information can be found in Change Your Diet and Change Your Life.
References
1. A Pilot Study of Some Physiological and Psychological Effects of
Caffeine
Bolton S et al
Journal of Orthomolecular Psychiatry Vol.13:1
2. Caffeine: Psychological Effects, Use and Abuse
Simon R A
Journal: Immunology Allergy Clinic NA 16(1)