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Caffeine and Eating Disorders
Read more about Caffeine Addiction here
Chemical name: Methyxanthines
Caffeine acts in your body to:
Caffeine can cause:
Misc. Information
Read more about Caffeine Addiction here
Chemical name: Methyxanthines
Caffeine acts in your body to:
- Stimulate the central nervous system, alertness increases
- Stimulate the heart muscle, heartbeat picks up
- Stimulates stomach acid secretion
- Stimulate urine production
- Dilates blood vessels
- Increase the loss of calcium and magnesium in the urine
- Inhibit the amount of calcium and iron absorbed from your diet
Caffeine can cause:
- Nervousness
- Trembling
- Irritability
- Muscle tension
- Insomnia
- Tremors
- Gastrointestinal distress - nausea, upset stomach, diarrhea
- Rapid heartbeat
- Low potassium in the blood
- Depression
- Headaches
- Migraine headaches
- Elevated blood glucose
Misc. Information
- Studies have linked excessive caffeine intake with heart disease, elevated cholesterol, fibrocystic breast disease, cancer of the bladder, gallstones, and cardiac arrhythmia's - no conclusive data is available.
- Studies show that greater than 2-3 cups of coffee/day may accelerate bone loss from the spine and total body in women who's intake of calcium is low.
- Studies have shown that in people who suffer from anxiety and panic attacks, the more caffeine they consume, the more anxiety and depression they feel. Suddenly stopping caffeine can worsen anxiety.
- Depression has been associated with levels of caffeine above 4-5 cups/day. Eliminating caffeine has been shown to help lift depression in as little as 1 week.
- Caffeine has been associated with increased seizures in epileptics.
- Too much caffeine can increase your chance of having headaches by 20-30%.
- Excessive caffeine intake may increase consumption of alcohol.
- A study at the University of Michigan Eating Disorder program found that patients who ingested high levels of caffeine (>750 mg/day) had 2x the number of binges, and a greater use of diet pills and laxatives.
- Withdrawal from caffeine can cause fatigue, headaches, depression, anxiety, decreased ability to do tasks, and a disruption in normal life
- No more than 200-250 mg of caffeine is recommended per day.
- Caffeine can interfere with the ability of some medications to do their job.
- Don't take calcium or iron supplements with coffee or tea.
