Without coffee...

Who loves their coffee?

Apparently I most certainly do. After only two days of abstaining from caffeine I am cranky, tired and headachey.

Here are a few facts that I hunted down to keep me motivated form The Journal of the American Dietetic Association and The Australian Guide to Healthy Eating:

•  Caffeine is the most popular and widely used drug in the world

• Use of caffeine can have a number of disturbing physical effects on some people, such as:

anxiety

irritability

increased breathing and heart rates

restlessness, excitability, dizziness

headaches and lack of concentration

gastrointestinal pains

dehydration.

·      Caffeine can readily cross the placenta and can affect foetal heart rate and breathing.

·      Caffeine, at doses greater the 150mg/day, is associated with delayed conception, increased risk of spontaneous abortion and low birth weight.

·      With regular use (just 350mg/day) over time a person's body can become used to functioning with caffeine present. They may become physically or psychologically dependent, or both, on caffeine.

•  A person who is dependent on caffeine is likely to suffer withdrawal symptoms within 24 hours of their last dose. Headache is the most common caffeine withdrawal symptom, but others include fatigue, sweating and muscle pains. 

 There is no safe level of drug use. Use of any drug always carries some risk—even medications can produce unwanted side effects. It is important to be careful when taking any type of drug.