Coffee Is Friend or Foe For Health: Brewing A Cup Of Anxiety or Health?

Panic attacks are on the rise and studies have shown that many doctors relate it to over stimulation of stimulants in everyday products: one being coffee. Psychologists have even started questioning patients with acute anxiety as to how much coffee they consume in the morning and if the attacks come shortly afterward.

More Coffee is what the doctors are ordering to help seek relief from caffeine induced stress. How is that? Well doctors are hoping that the symptoms with intentional consumption will shed light on the true undertones of the heightened anxiety right before an attack. By monitoring physical reactions and responses to testing, doctors can rule out pounding heart and sensitivity to heightened pulses as just part of their coffee buzz.

Coffee consumption is at an ever increasing level with consumers. Coffeehouses are around every bend and coming out with new flavors and enticements seemingly daily. There has to be side effects to this mass consumerism of the steaming concoctions.  It seems simultaneously that there are increasing number of anxiety related disorders so researchers are looking at the correlation that could be in our own homes and treated more so than prescribing medications with side effects.

Caffeine as a foe
Scientists at the American Psychiatric Association have recognized that caffeine affects our bodies in a consistent way, so much that they have added 3 new disorders based on coffee side effects: intoxication by caffeine, anxiety related to caffeine, and sleep affected disorders rooted in caffeine.

Caffeine is becoming the most consumed mind altering drug in the world. These are not simply beverages scientists at well known research centers have proclaimed; these are vehicles and vessels for “psychoactive” drugs.

Coffee and Caffeine get the most attention as over 85% of adults drink it and the American Coffee association forecast that coffee consumption will rise another 9% in 2012.

Caffeine as a friend
Caffeine can be a friend or foe for health, as benefits include an increased sense of pleasure, energy and extreme focus with motor tasks. That’s something most people can be increasing addicted to, and therein lays the problem. Mix that with heightened alertness and improved memory, it’s a welcome foodstuff. But we pay the price with too much of a good thing.

Caffeine consumption, when it surpasses your tolerance levels, causes a jittery nervousness and if you are predisposed to an anxiety disorder, it’s a recipe for a disaster. Without moderation and awareness a full blown panic attack can ensue. Start slowing by monitoring your coffee intake and then skipping days and your reactions can tell you if coffee has become a friend or foe, if the latter, follow up with professional help. You may be able to avoid long term medication and treatment for something simply treated by avoidance of an everyday substance.

The article is authored by Davis Miller. Davis is a fitness freak who loves to blog on fitness, grooming, style and nutrition.