Caffeine does have its cognitive perks — including boosting alertness, energy and feelings of well-being — but overuse can cause a range of unpleasant side effects, including troubled sleep, jitters, irritability and gastric distress.
“There are concerns about increasing anxiety for some people,” said Dr. Clark. This is “because caffeine is a stimulant and it stimulates some of the chemicals in your brain, speeding everything up.” “Even in moderate amounts it can cause jitteriness and anxiety,” said Dr.
Caffeine has also been shown to exacerbate anxiety disorders and can potentially trigger a manic episode in someone with bipolar disorder.
Worsening symptoms
Several studies have also shown a connection between coffee intake and an increase in depression. According to one 2014 review in the journal Rivista di Psichiatria, caffeine consumption could make depression worse in people who already have mood disorders.
But, drinking coffee can make anxiety symptoms worse. Research shows that in people with panic disorder, caffeine consumption raises the risk of having a panic attack and increases levels of anxiety. People with anxiety should consider avoiding or limiting coffee and other caffeinated drinks.
Quitting caffeine can reduce anxiety levels
That burst of energy for which people love coffee in part stimulates our fight or flight response.
One published study showed a correlation between drinking more coffee and a reduction in the severity of depression symptoms. A separate study focused on middle-aged adults produced similar results. It appears that drinking coffee can help people diagnosed with depression.
Interestingly, it turns out there was a reason for that: Caffeine helps the brain release dopamine into the prefrontal cortex, a brain area important for mood regulation. Caffeine may also help the storage of dopamine in the amygdala, another part of the brain important for anxiety regulation.
Caffeine's jittery effects on your body are similar to those of a frightening event. That's because caffeine stimulates your “fight or flight” response, according to a 2006 study, and research from 2018 has shown that this can make anxiety worse and can even trigger an anxiety attack.
Reduced anxiety and stress: Caffeine can increase feelings of anxiety and stress in some people. By quitting caffeine, you may find that you feel calmer and more relaxed, which can have a positive impact on your mental health.
In addition, research suggests that caffeine causes increased turnover of several feel-good neurotransmitters, including serotonin, dopamine, and noradrenaline — all of which are involved in depression. These effects may also help explain why caffeine acts as a mild antidepressant for many people.
Coffee and its dopamine-releasing properties ultimately make us feel happier because it is able to tap into virtually every reward system our brain has evolved, writes Gary L. Wenk in Psychology Today. So there's a reason why you catch yourself going for a second, third or seventh cup—it really does make you happier.
EFSA evaluated a significant number of studies and concluded that caffeine increases both selective attention (focusing on the relevant stimulus) and sustained attention (maintaining focused attention over an extended period of time)1.
Drinking coffee can boost your happy hormones
Coffee contains caffeine, which is a stimulant that can boost mood and energy levels. The caffeine in coffee works by increasing the levels of certain chemicals in the brain, such as dopamine and norepinephrine, which can lead to feelings of happiness and euphoria.
A lower risk for nutrient deficiencies, better sleep, and improved fertility are only a few of the perks of cutting caffeine.
The severity of symptoms vary from individual to individual, and most commonly include a headache, fatigue, decreased energy/activeness, decreased alertness, drowsiness, decreased contentedness, depressed mood, difficulty concentrating, irritability, and feeling foggy/not clearheaded.
Caffeine is a stimulant, which means it increases activity in your brain and nervous system. It also increases the circulation of chemicals such as cortisol and adrenaline in the body.
Beef and Foods Rich in Vitamin B Ease Anxiety
You can take a vitamin B supplement or eat foods that are rich in B vitamins to ward off anxiety. These foods that help with anxiety include beef, pork, chicken, leafy greens, legumes, oranges and other citrus fruits, rice, nuts, and eggs.
Caffeine has also been shown to increase serotonin levels in the limbic system, a relatively primitive part of our brain involved in regulating basic functions such as hormonal secretions, emotional responses, mood regulation and pain/pleasure sensations.
It was previously reported that caffeine has the capability to reduce brain serotonin synthesis by inhibiting tryptophan hydroxylase, the rate-limiting enzyme for central serotonin biosynthesis (Lim et al., 2001), and/or to reduce brain serotonin/dopamine ratio by blocking adenosine α1 and α2 receptors within the CNS.