If you do eat or drink too much caffeine, it can cause health problems, such as: What are the side effects from too much caffeine?įor most people, it is not harmful to consume up to 400mg of caffeine a day. You may continue to feel the effects of caffeine for four to six hours. Within one hour of eating or drinking caffeine, it reaches its peak level in your blood. May interfere with the absorption of calcium in the body.Increases the release of acid in your stomach, sometimes leading to an upset stomach or heartburn.Is a diuretic, meaning that it helps your body get rid of extra salt and water by urinating more.Stimulates your central nervous system, which can make you feel more awake and give you a boost of energy.The amount of caffeine in different drinks can vary a lot, but it is generally:Ĭaffeine has many effects on your body's metabolism. Most people consume caffeine from drinks. So do energy drinks and 'energy-boosting' gums and snacks. For example, some pain relievers, cold medicines, and over-the-counter medicines for alertness contain synthetic caffeine. There is also synthetic (man-made) caffeine, which is added to some medicines, foods, and drinks. Cacao pods, which are used to make chocolate products.Kola nuts, which are used to flavor soft drink colas.Increases in oxytocin, a neurotransmitter that heightens feelings of trust and emotion, and a decreases in cortisol, a brain chemical linked to stress, have been tied to our in-person interactions with animals there's a chance similar effects could be at play with our reactions to cute-animal videos, but research is needed to investigate exactly what's going on.Caffeine is a bitter substance that occurs naturally in more than 60 plants including: after than before.' One important caveat: The study didn't measure whether the videos actually had those effects, only whether the participants felt that they did. The cat video fans said they felt 'significantly lower levels of depletion. In a study published in June 2015, which surveyed 7,000 cat video enthusiasts, respondents said that watching internet cat videos raised their energy levels, heightened their feel-good emotions, and minimized their negative feelings, as reported by LiveScience. (Videos of other cute animals could also do the trick, a 2012 study found.) Those are what regulate sleep and wakefulness, setting a normal schedule for our bodies and minds.Ĭats may be unusually lazy, but some people find that their furry antics provide not only a way to boost mood, but to combat sleepiness as well. In a 2014 study, those exposed to special formulations of blue light reported feeling less tired and had quicker reaction times and fewer lapses of attention during memory tests.īright light also activates the hypothalamus, a part of the brain that controls our circadian rhythms. That's why a dose of sunshine is ideal, while the less-bright lights of indoors aren't quite enough to keep you from dozing off at your desk. Studies indicate that exposure to blue light during the day - a type of visible light that comes from natural sources like the sun and artificial sources like TVs, laptops, smart phones, and LED lighting - immediately improves alertness and performance.īut to keep us perky during the day, we need more than a softly glowing screen (which may be plenty to keep us wired when we're trying to sleep at night).

If you're dragging at work, a quick step into sunshine may be all you need to recharge.

Best way to stay awake without caffeine