Is too much caffeine making you anxious and jittery?

"I convert caffeine to code" read someone's social media bio. A very well constructed line. Pithy and witty. But the fact is that too much of it, and the body might just convert caffeine to anxiety.

Now I am sounding concerned here, because not many know that too much caffeine is implicated in the exacerbation of anxiety, and might actually trigger anxiety and panic attacks.

Studies have shown this clearly, yet the connect is ignored completely. So much so that psychiatrists also rarely enquire about caffeine intake when assessing patients. I do with my clients, as sleep and stress are directly connected to weight gain and loss, so caffeine intake plays a part too.

Now to be fair on its own, caffeine may not create anxiety, but if you already have anxiety (and who doesn’t these days) it can make symptoms worse, either by robbing you of proper sleep or triggering your flight or fight response.

Its primary effect is to relieve fatigue and enhance mental performance, but excessive intake leads to caffeinism, which shows up as restlessness, agitation, excitement, rambling thought and speech, and insomnia.

The mechanism

Basically caffeine inhibits the calming neurotransmitter GABA that is essential for feeling happy and relaxed; low GABA is associated with anxiety and panic attacks.

Caffeine can also more than double our blood levels of the stress hormones cortisol and epinephrine. So much for downing multiple cups of joe for stress relief! 

Similarly there’s evidence that when consumed regularly, caffeine eventually leads to depletion of serotonin, the calming hormone, too.

Some theories suggest caffeine might also cause reactive hypoglycemia (when blood sugar drops too low), which can leave one feeling jittery, sweating, irritable, and confused - a lot like an anxiety attack.

Finally caffeine also leads to dumping of many nutrients from our body. For example, it depletes magnesium, a mineral that has a profound effect on our mental well-being. And its deficiency is linked to panic attacks.

Spot caffeine

Today it’s easier than ever to overdo caffeine consumption. In fact, caffeine is the most widely used (often unwittingly) psychoactive drug in the world. It is found in a lot more foods than most people know about, including coffee, tea, cocoa beverages, chocolate and soft drinks, including colas, non-cola aerated drinks and iced teas.

So how much is safe to consume? Up to 400 milligrams (mg) of caffeine a day appears to be safe for most healthy adults. That's roughly the amount of caffeine in four cups of brewed coffee. Then there are enough sports (stimulant) drinks in the market which deliver as much as 80 mg of caffeine per can.

One ounce of dark chocolate has on an average 20-30 mg. Look out for coffee ice cream and frozen yoghurt, and caffeine is also present in some prescription or over-the-counter drugs like cold, allergy and pain medications, besides being a common ingredient in many fat loss supplements.

I know someone who actually starts each day with a diet cola and continues drinking throughout the day, in addition to rounding off most meetings with coffee and then also popping in a couple of mini dark chocolates after meals to satisfy her sweet cravings.

That’s caffeine consumption way beyond what a body can handle. So it is not just about giving up coffee, but about being careful of caffeine from all sources. As without realising, slowly the dependency gets real, and symptoms assertive.

What really worries me is that children today are downing caffeine early and in much bigger doses than before. Beware as caffeine's effects are dependent on body weight, the drug packs a more powerful punch for children, giving them an amplified version of alertness, anxiety, nervousness and insomnia.

Another worry is the possibility that excess caffeine consumption problems (like osteoporosis) may not reveal themselves until these kids are adults.

Signs to look out for

Signs that you could be over-caffeinating are palpitations, headaches, muscle twitches and spasms, racing heartbeat, dizziness, and frequent GI issues. Insomnia is a clear telltale sign too as caffeine interferes with sleep by blocking the molecules in the brain called adenosine that make us sleepy.

This doesn't mean that caffeine is all bad (in fact it helps cut cancer, prevent stroke and lower our risk of Parkinson's and dementia), but in small amounts.

Excess is best avoided, and is definitely not worth the little kick it delivers in the beginning. Besides aggravated anxiety, addiction is another serious possibility that one must avoid at all costs.

Also read: How India discovered coffee