Coffee, Cola, Energy Drinks and Caffeine Abuse

Caffeinated Beverages Harm the Health if Abused

Aug 30, 2009

Caffeine is addictive. Even if a person drinks only one large cup of coffee per day, to go a day without can bring on caffeine withdrawal symptoms.

Tolerance to intake levels of caffeine differs widely from person-to-person. A healthy adult may experience positive effects from a small amount of caffeine such as increased alertness or a heightened ability to concentrate. For others, small quantities of caffeine can cause insomnia, irritability, nervousness and headaches.

Health Canada

Scientists at Health Canada have looked at numerous studies on the potential adverse effects of caffeine in many areas including:

Their scientists found that the general (healthy) adult population is not at risk for potential effects from caffeine so long as their daily intake is limited to 400mg. They agreed with some studies that too much caffeine intake can seriously affect bone density. Individuals who get an adequate level of calcium on a daily basis have greater protection against the negative effects of caffeine.

Children are at increased risk for behavioral effects from caffeine as are women of childbearing age as there may be reproductive effects.

Northwestern University Caffeine Abuse Study

In 2006 researchers at Northwestern University found that the average age of patients suffering from caffeine abuse is 21 years of age. These statistics came from reported cases to the U.S. Regional Poison Control Center between 2001 and 2004. Their findings were presented at the 37th Annual Scientific Assembly of the American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP).

Lead researcher, Danielle McCarthy stated in an ACEP news release that part of the problem around the use or abuse of caffeine is that people do not think of caffeine as a drug, they think it's a food product.

In this study, 31 patients were hospitalized from medical complications from taking in too much caffeine. Some symptoms of caffeine abuse included: palpitations, sweating, nausea, diarrhea, chest pains and neurologic symptoms. None of these patients got ill as a result of drinking too much coffee or tea, in most cases caffeine was ingested through energy drinks and other similar beverages that are caffeine-enhanced, or the caffeine was ingested by way of a dietary supplement.

What Has Caffeine?

Caffeine is in a multitude of beverages, foods and in medications. Some caffeine beverages include: coffee, a variety of teas including green tea, most soda pops and in high concentrations, energy drinks. Cocoa has caffeine which is found in numerous products. According to WebMD®, caffeine is in the following over-the-counter drugs:

Caffeine is in other over-the-counter medications as well as in some prescription medications such as: Cafergot Tablets and Norgesic Forte; Norphadrine Forte.

Recommendations

Health Canada recommends that children under the age of 12 take in no more than 2.5 milligrams per kilogram of body weight.

Women of childbearing age are recommended to drink no more than 300 milligrams of caffeine a day. This equals just a little more than two cups of coffee (each cup containing 237 ml., or 8 oz. of coffee).