According to holistic health expert Dr. Dimple Jangra, caffeine is often considered the world’s most widely used psychoactive substance and its effects on the body can be significant. Although caffeine, found in coffee, tea and carbonated beverages, is generally safe in low to moderate amounts, consuming high levels can cause unpleasant and even dangerous side effects.

“Caffeine is delicious; it makes you addicted. But I would never recommend it to my patients,” Dr. Jangra told her followers on Instagram.

Why is caffeine not good? For you?

Tea and coffee are both incredibly healthy beverages, but are packed with caffeine, which boosts your mood, metabolism, and mental and physical performance. While studies have shown that it is safe for most people when consumed in low to moderate amounts, higher doses can cause unpleasant and even dangerous side effects.

According to Dr. Jangda, three reasons why you should avoid caffeine include:

stops blood flow

“Caffeine is a vasoconstrictor, meaning it restricts blood flow to your brain and to your skin. And when the effects of caffeine wear off, it creates fatigue in the brain,” she said.

Studies have shown that long-term consumption of caffeine in high amounts can cause vascular resistance, leading to arterial stiffness and brain vasoconstriction. Regular consumption of two to four cups of caffeine per day reduces blood flow to the brain by 22-30 percent.

In the long run, drinking too much caffeine in a day can cause skin discoloration over time.

dehydration

Caffeine is highly dehydrating in nature. “It dehydrates your skin, making fine lines and wrinkles more prominent,” Dr. Jangda said. Caffeine is a mild diuretic, so it increases urine production and causes fluid loss.

When consumed in large amounts, caffeine passes through your intestine into the bloodstream, and eventually, it reaches your liver, where it is broken down into several compounds that affect the functioning of organs like your brain. . Then it has a diuretic effect on your kidneys, especially in high doses.

Caffeine causes redness and swelling in your skin due to dehydration.

premature Ageing

Caffeine also disrupts your circadian rhythm – the natural 24-hour cycle of physical, mental and behavioral changes that your body goes through. “If you consume caffeine after 11 o’clock or afternoon, it impairs your sleep quality and accelerates the aging process,” Dr. Jangra said.

Studies have shown that caffeine contributes to premature aging by increasing cortisol levels, which can break down collagen and elastin in the skin. This may lead to wrinkles, fine lines or breakouts.

Other side effects of consuming too much caffeine

Some other terrible side effects include:

increases anxiety

Too much caffeine in your system works by blocking the effects of adenosine, a brain chemical that makes you feel tired. Additionally, it triggers the release of adrenaline, the “fight-or-flight” hormone associated with increased energy, causing extreme anxiety and panic.

digestive problems

While caffeine can stimulate your bowel movements, large doses can cause diarrhea or diarrhea and even constipation or ulcers in some people.

muscle breakdown

Excessive caffeine in your system causes rhabdomyolysis, a serious condition in which damaged muscle fibers enter the bloodstream, leading to kidney failure and other problems. Common causes of rhabdomyolysis include trauma, infection, drug abuse, muscle strains, and bites by poisonous snakes or insects.

Additionally, there have been several reports of rhabdomyolysis related to excessive caffeine consumption.

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