Reported to be the most commonly consumed psychoactive substance on earth, 90% of Americans report using

caffeine on a daily basis1. We are in love with the mental boost it gives and habitually take it, usually without much
thought. The Coffee Statistics Report2 for 2010 reports more than 400 billion cups are consumed worldwide every
year. Outside the U.S., tea, with about half as much caffeine is popular.
While coffee drinking accounts for the majority of caffeine intake (75%) in the U.S., caffeine is found in many other
foodstuffs (tea, chocolate, cola and other beverages) as well as over the counter medications.
Join the online Caffeine Support Groups for free and talk to others who are facing the same challenges you are.

Addictive properties
One of the difficulties with caffeine addiction is that most people don’t think of caffeine as a drug, at least not like
they think of nicotine or alcohol. But the morning coffee that “gets us going” is having the same effect that any drug
has – the overnight lack of caffeine is creating withdrawal symptoms. It should be obvious that after a good night’s
sleep, the last thing someone ought to need is a wake up.
In fact, caffeine consumption causes the lack of mental alertness the habitual drinker is prone to. It is far from
normal to have the peaks and sags of attention and energy that is the hallmark of a caffeine addict. Without repeated
administration of caffeine, energy drops and mental sharpness flags. Just like other addictive drugs, caffeine creates
its own problems, and just like other drugs, the “cure” for those problems is more of the drug.

Good news
The best news is that caffeine and coffee/tea addiction is easily remedied for most people. Reducing daily intake
below recommended levels may be as simple as drinking decaffeinated coffee and switching to a non-caffeinated
cola. After just a few days, the need for the caffeine boost diminishes and goes away. The most serious effects of
withdrawal are relatively minor, with headache and a depressed mood topping the list.
The withdrawal symptoms that do appear are manageable for those who understand them to be the result of caffeine
addiction. By observing the hold the drug has on you, you can harness a bit of useful anger – and this can carry you
through the few days it takes to get the drug out of your system.
Perhaps the real reason coffee and caffeine addiction is so prevalent is because society accepts it. In a sense, caffeine
slips under our radar. The remedy is education. More than any other addictive substance, knowledge is power.
Caffeine is produced by plants as an insecticide. Over 60 plants produce it to fight off insects. For human
consumption, we concentrate the Error! Hyperlink reference not valid., either through extraction (coffee brewing)
or add it directly (sodas and other foods). When taken in these unnaturally high amounts, caffeine has the typical
effects of any Error! Hyperlink reference not valid., both beneficial and harmful.

Beneficial effects
Caffeine increases the absorption and distribution of some analgesics in the brain. This makes it a useful additive for
some headache medications. It also has vasoconstrictive properties which can help reduce some forms of headache
directly.
Caffeine increases alertness and fights off fatigue. This is the most popular use. With continued use, this goes away
along with any benefit.
Join the online Caffeine Support Groups for free and talk to others who are facing the same challenges you are.
Caffeine can help alleviate symptoms of asthma, although many other Error! Hyperlink reference not valid. much
better.
While there is evidence that coffee can help with some medical conditions (reducing the incidence of diabetes and
some cancers) this is probably not due to caffeine but other ingredients. One exception seems to be a reduction in
Parkinson’s disease in men. According to Harvard Medical1, the sex difference may be related to how men and
women metabolize caffeine differently.

Harmful effects
Although caffeine is used in weight loss because it has a diuretic property, any weight loss is temporary and using
caffeine in this manner can lead to dehydration. In fact, caffeinated beverages usually lead to more water loss than
the amount in the beverage. The result is that a caffeinated cola may temporarily quench thirst, but then lead to more
thirst (from water loss) later on.
Caffeine crash - This is the inevitable downside of using caffeine to stay away or alert longer than normal. The
body’s reserves are depleted and a sudden, overwhelming fatigue can hit. For those using caffeine to stay awake
while driving, the “crash” can be a fatal side effect.
Increased heart rate and blood pressure - For those who are at risk for stroke or cardiac problems, coffee and
caffeine may be life threatening. Most doctors will recommend a reduction or elimination of caffeine in these
patients.
Insomnia and tremor are dose dependent, but they may appear in susceptible people even at ‘normal’ intake levels.
Caffeine is a psychoactive compound. It can trigger anxiety attacks in those who are at risk.
Although coffee as a remedy for drunkenness is a myth, caffeine can keep someone drinking longer before they
succumb to alcohol. This combination can lead to alcohol poisoning as more alcohol is consumed beyond the point
where someone would normally pass out.
With 80% of Americans Error! Hyperlink reference not valid. daily (the average adult gets more than 200mg) it
can be difficult to avoid Error! Hyperlink reference not valid. entirely. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
treats caffeine as a regulated substance. It is used both in medicines and foodstuffs. Labeling laws require that the
amount of caffeine be listed on any food packaging sold in the United States. But how much is too much? Which
foods contain harmful amounts of caffeine?

Daily intake
Because genetic makeup, age, and other factors affect each individual’s ability to metabolize caffeine, no exact
amount is safe for everyone. Generally, one or two cups of coffee a day are not considered harmful. This doesn’t
mean a jumbo-ultra-maximum cup. The standard cup of coffee is only 8 ounces. Tea and coffee also vary in the
amount of caffeine they contain. For instance, a 16 ounce Grande from Starbucks has about 330mg; already more
than the 200mg ‘safe’ amount.
Join the online Caffeine Support Groups for free and talk to others who are facing the same challenges you are.
Can tolerance and withdrawal occur at the 200mg level? Yes. Again it depends on the person and their body’s
ability to remove the drug. At 600mg, even healthy people with the best genetics will suffer from too much caffeine.

Average amounts of caffeine by product type

The FDA publishes the caffeine levels in common products. Some of the more
popular items are:
• Coffee, brewed – 115 to 175mg per 8oz
• Coffee, instant – 65 to 100mg per 8oz
• Coffee, espresso – 100mg per 2 oz
• Tea, brewed – 40 to 60mg per 8oz
• Tea, iced - 47mg per 8oz
• Jolt, or enhanced colas – 100mg per 12 oz
• Red Bull – 80mg per 8 oz
• Dr. Pepper – 61mg per 12 oz
• Coca-Cola – 64mg per 12 oz
• Pepsi – 43mg per 12 oz
• Mountain Dew – 55mg per 12 oz
• Barq’s Root Beer – 23mg per 12 oz
• Hot Cocoa – 1 to 8mg per 5 oz
• Starbucks Coffee Ice Cream – 40 to 60mg per cup
• Dannon’s Coffee Yogurt – 45mg per 8 oz
• Bittersweet Chocolate – 5 to 35mg per oz
• Chocolate Ice Cream – 2 to 5mg per 50grams
• Chocolate Brownie – 8mg per 1.25 oz
• Milk Chocolate – 1 to 15mg per oz
• 100 Grand Candy Bar – 11.2mg per bar (43g)
Over The Counter
Caffeine is also found in many over the counter medications. The only way to really track this is to read labels.
Headache preparations often have caffeine, as well as products like NoDoze. Even supplements sold for weight loss,
water retention, and so-called “energy boosters” will often contain large amounts of caffeine.

Tolerance
With a week of steady use, the body actually changes its makeup and the receptors that caffeine interacts with
change in number and function so that the initial effects of small caffeine doses are no longer felt. The rush and
nervous energy seen with the first few uses of the drug goes away after tolerance occurs.
The other side of the equation is that these same body changes have to happen in reverse when caffeine is removed
from the diet. A good rule of thumb is that it takes as long to get rid of withdrawal symptoms as it does to heal a
bruise. Just as a bruise takes time to heal and repair tissue, resetting tolerance level also requires actual changes in
cells.
Caffeine dependence can occur in some users but by definition it is not a true addiction, though many people may
feel addicted to it and consistently fail in their efforts to stop or control their intake.
Not all health care organizations agree on capacity for caffeine dependence, a point well-illustrated in the American
Psychiatric Association’s (APA) Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. This manual omits listing
substance dependence on caffeine as a potential diagnosis. The World Health Organization, on the other hand,
includes caffeine dependence in its Classification of Mental and Behavioral Disorders (ICD-10).