When I first started drinking coffee during my junior year of high school, I didn’t enjoy it. I only drank it when I needed an extra energy boost, and it seemed to really help despite the awful taste. However, it didn’t take long for me to acquire the taste of coffee, and soon enough I was drinking it because I actually liked it. Today, if you’re ever looking for me, there’s a strong possibility I’m at Dunkin Donuts. The strange part is that I’ve been noticing coffee doesn’t seem to “help” me anymore; it’s almost like I’m immune to the side effects of the caffeine. Could this be true?
Yes. Researches believe that drinking coffee all the time can actually cause you to build up a tolerance to it, making it less effective the more often you drink it. A study was conducted on 379 volunteers, half who were heavy coffee drinkers (1-6 cups a day) and half were low coffee drinkers, or didn’t drink coffee at all. The subjects were asked to go without drinking coffee for 16 hours. Then, half of the people were given “a 100mg espresso-sized dose of caffeine” while the other half of the people were given a placebo dose. According to the study, “the medium/high caffeine consumers who received placebo reported a decrease in alertness and an increase in headache, neither of which were reported by those who received caffeine.” This lead the investigators to believe that regular coffee drinkers “need” coffee to make them feel “normal”; if they drink a lot of coffee regularly and then stop, they will feel more tired.
100 million Americans drink coffee daily and it is estimated that as a nation, we spend $18 billion a year on “specialty coffee drinks” alone. Despite the fact that there’s clear evidence that drinking coffee from time to time increases alertness, Americans are incorporating it into their daily routine. While drinking it daily does not have the same impacts on each individual, the less you drink it, the better; you will be less likely to become “addicted” and you will continue to feel the side effects of caffeine. So where do we draw the line? Have I reached the point where I “need” coffee just to get by? Withdrawal from coffee addiction can cause bad headaches, but if I want to “feel the effects of coffee again,” I might have to do just that. Coffee can only help so much, and if we’re all “immune” to the side effects, we may seek more dangerous caffeine alternatives (such as energy drinks). So next time you’re going for your second cup of coffee to keep you awake for that all-nighter, think again – the more you coffee drink, the less it actually helps!
I actually have a relative who drinks coffee in order to go to bed faster. It was mind boggling at first but I came to understand that he might be weird after all. On a serious note, understanding that stimulants can placate people as a side effect makes me think about the general economic rule which shows that everything has its tipping point; any further addition after the tipping point will be counterproductive. This article explains how too much coffee decreases productivity http://en.rocketnews24.com/2013/06/11/coffee-makes-you-sleepy-nutritionist-explains-the-surprising-truth-about-caffeine/ .
I definitely feel like drinking coffee on a daily basis keeps me feeling normal versus actually making a difference in how awake I feel. Caffeine aids me in other ways now, like keeping me warm on a cold winter day or helping me get rid of that annoying headache. If you’re really in need of some energy, try any coffee shop’s Caramel Macchiato, they usually do the trick for me. If you stumble across Starbucks, pick up their strongest drink: the Red Eye. Intensified with extra espresso shots, it’s bound to wake you up. As much as I love the extra boost coffee gives me, the energy feels quite artificial. Nothing will ever be as refreshing as a good nap. But, as Zooey Deschanel once said, “One cup of coffee = 3 hours of sleep.”
Hi Kara! This was an interesting read. Over finals week last semester I would drink so much coffee every day and once exams were over, I started developing headaches every morning that I didn’t have caffeine! This led me to stop drinking coffee unless I really needed it. I did some research and I’ve found some good coffee alternatives (that are also healthy for you too!). Here is a link that has some alternatives that are worth trying! Here isthe link. I found this comic on the Oatmeal with some fun facts about coffee too. Here.
Kara,
I too was a heavy coffee drinker (1-2 cups per day) and started drinking coffee at a young age(probably around when I was 16). Like you, I did not enjoy it at first but I slowly developed a liking for the taste! When I tell people that I actually like the taste of coffee, some people give me a look of disgust because they are usually the ones who only drink coffee so that they can have that boost of energy. I too felt like I needed coffee just to feel normal. Getting coffee every morning became a part of my daily routine and if I didn’t have it, my whole day seemed mixed up. I did use to be a coffee addict but luckily not anymore! Another student in our class wrote a blog about how consistent coffee drinking actually prevents your brain from creating the chemical that allows you to relax. This can mess up your sleep schedule. As of today I have not had coffee for one week and I am feeling a lot better than I thought i would! I read on a website that drinking too much coffee can also lead you to making unhealthier eating choice, which, for us college kids, can lead to or “freshman 15” and “sophomore 30” that everyone worries about! The website I found has some great info, you should check it out when you have a chance: http://healing.about.com/od/foodaddictions/a/kickcaffeine.htm
It also has great tips on how to get rid of coffee addiction!