1. Reduced anxiety
The stimulating effects of caffeine can cause jitteriness, heart palpitations, and even panic attacks—all indicators of anxiety. Decreasing caffeine consumption can help alleviate these symptoms by diminishing the body’s “fight or flight” response, as reported by health news platform WebMD.
“The natural effects of caffeine stimulate a host of sensations, such as your heart beating faster, your body heating up, your breathing rate increasing—all things that mimic anxiety,” Susan Bowling, a psychologist at the Women’s Health Center at the Wooster Branch of Cleveland Clinic, told Health. “Psychologically, it’s difficult for your mind to recognize that this is not anxiety because it feels the same.”
The National Library of Medicine lists restlessness, nervousness, headaches, sweating, and insomnia as common signs of caffeine-induced anxiety.
Consuming more than 400 milligrams of caffeine per day (four to five cups of coffee) might heighten the risk of anxiety and panic attacks in individuals who are sensitive to it, according to the U.S. Food & Drug Administration.
|
A person performing latte art. Illustration photo by Pexels |
2. Improved sleep quality
Caffeine is well-known for enhancing alertness, but it can also disturb sleep patterns, even if ingested six hours before sleep.
Research published in the National Library of Medicine demonstrates that caffeine intake shortened total sleep time by 45 minutes, reduced sleep efficiency by 7%, and increased sleep onset latency by 9 minutes and wakefulness after sleep onset by 12 minutes. The duration and proportion of light sleep were extended, while deep sleep was curtailed with caffeine intake.
The research concluded that to avoid reductions in total sleep time, coffee should be consumed at least 8.8 hours before bedtime.
3. Reduced bathroom visits
Another study indicated that caffeine increases diuresis and lowers the threshold sensation at the filling phase, resulting in an increased flow rate and voided volume. Thus, caffeine can lead to early urgency and frequency of urination.
4. Decreased breast soreness
Dr. Anita Johnson, chief of surgery at Cancer Treatment Centers of America in Atlanta, Newnan, told Fox 5 Atlanta that 87% of women experience breast pain, and “the number one cause is caffeine-.”
Therefore, cutting caffeine from your diet may lessen breast soreness.
5. Slower skin aging
Dr. Paul Nassif, a skin specialist and founder of Nassif MedSpa UK, explained to Cosmopolitan that caffeine reduces the rate at which the body produces collagen, a protein that provides skin its firmness and elasticity.
Enhanced nutrient absorption Healthline reported that one study discovered that consuming a cup of coffee with a hamburger meal decreased iron absorption by 39%.
Another study demonstrated that consuming a cup of instant coffee with a bread meal diminished iron absorption by 60-90% compared to consuming water with the same meal.
The stronger the coffee or tea, the lower the iron absorption.
