People are fond of drinking tea, coffee and energy drinks. Yes, they are instant energy boosters as well as boost your mind to work more effectively. Millions of people depend on caffeine especially office workers have a habit of many cups of tea and coffee to keep themselves alert and reduce fatigue. They forget that Caffeine is an addictive drug. Many people even believe that caffeine intake increases their memory power. But, if you drink too much coffee or tea, then this will not benefit you instead could have a bad effect on your body. There are many side effects of consuming too much caffeine such as sleeping difficulty and increased heart-rate. You may be feeling jittery and shakiness in your body and wants to flush out the extra caffeine from your system.
The good news is, yes! There are certain steps through which you can help flushing the caffeine from your body. But the bad news is, you cannot do much about it, it gets flushed out naturally from your body over a certain period.
Caffeine’s Overdose and Effects
You may be wondering now, what is the level of healthy and overdose level of caffeine intake?
Well, any healthy adult should not consume caffeine more than 400 mg per day. If you want to understand it easily then it is equivalent to 4 cups of brewed coffee. Under this level, generally, there are not many harmful effects, but for certain people, this level may be higher as per their body and trigger some common harmful effects.
Common side Effects because of Overdose of Caffeine:
- faster heartbeat
- Insomnia
- Increased blood pressure
- Jitters and Uneasiness
- Nausea
- Disturbed stomach and diarrhoea
- Headache
These effects can last for many hours. These side effects can be decreased by eliminating the source of caffeine. Drinking lots of water can further help you in detoxifying your caffeine naturally.
Stop Consuming Caffeine
If you notice the symptoms discussed above, you should immediately stop caffeinating. There are certain foods and beverages like tea, coffee, soda, energy drinks, som ice creams, dark chocolates and some desserts.
Also, there are certain supplements, medication and other personal care products that may have caffeine in them. For instance, headache relievers or any pain relievers like Aspirine have 45-65 mg of Caffeine in a single tablet.
Other than this, there are many pre-workout supplements and performance-enhancing products that can have a high presence of caffeine in them. There may be even 250-300g of caffeine in just 10 grams of the supplement.
Waiting for Diminishing of Effect
Caffeine’s harmful effects are noticed usually in the first 30-45 minutes after the consumption of any caffeinated drink or food. This effect can last for at least 3-5 hours. But it can even last for several hours for caffeine to get out of your body completely. If you are having sleep disorders, it is recommended not to consume caffeine at least 6-8 hours before bedtime.
Stay hydrated
One of the most essential things to stay alive is water. Drinking more and more water is very important to stay hydrated throughout the day. Certain reports confirm that drinking more water helps in relieving the jitters caused because of high caffeine. Also, dehydration may cause symptoms even worse. There are other many benefits of staying hydrated, and one must remain hydrated. The increased intake of water can help you stay hydrated while waiting for the flushing of caffeine from your system.
People who are not used to caffeine may experience more urination and frequent stools. Generally, this case is not much noticed in the people who regularly drink tea and coffee. Staying hydrated can help you to get rid of these problems.
Other Tips:
- Walking and light exercise can help you in relieving from caffeine’s common side effects.
- Deep Breathing just for 5 mins and meditation will calm your mind and anxiety.
- Fibre-rich food: Eating slow-digesting and fibre-rich foods, such as beans, lentils nuts, whole grains, etc.
The Bottom Line: Once, you have consumed lots of caffeine, it is not easy to get rid of it. You should avoid the overconsumption, and wait for its reducing effect. Substitute your drinks with other herbal foods and beverages.