Are You Sensitive to Coffee?
So, you are a certified coffee drinker! But for some reason, you have recently felt something weird every time you drink a cup. What could it be?
If you often find yourself experiencing strange post-caffeine effects like headaches, tremors, faster heartbeat, and even anxiety, these are probably because of a change in your body’s way of metabolizing caffeine. In other words, you have the so-called caffeine sensitivity.
What is Caffeine Sensitivity?
Caffeine sensitivity is determined by the human body’s efficiency in processing and metabolizing caffeine. It is not the same as caffeine tolerance which refers to the response of the body to caffeine over time.
The good news is that caffeine sensitivity isn’t always a bad thing. Most of the time, it is just how your body adapts to caffeine in your system.
But if you start feeling things all of a sudden that didn’t happen before after you get your coffee fix, it might be time to reconsider those cups.
Caffeine Sensitivity Levels
Caffeine consumers are often categorized into three. The first group is made up of people who experience intense caffeine reactions even in small amounts.
The second group is those who go overboard because even large amounts don’t affect them. The final group is people who are somewhat stuck between the two other categories.
Scientifically speaking, people can be divided based on the three caffeine sensitivity levels:
- Normal Sensitivity
The majority of the population has normal sensitivity. With this, a person can consume a maximum of 400 milligrams of caffeine in one day without experiencing any unpleasant effects.
If you love to consume caffeine every morning and you can go on with your day without feeling the negative things associated with caffeine, such as palpitations, jitters, and anxiety, then, you belong to this group of coffee drinkers.
- Hyposensitivity
A certain percentage of the whole population is found to be hyposensitive. People who belong to this group can consume caffeine at a dosage higher than usual without any adverse effects noticed.
If you often drink a cup later in the afternoon or the evening and still go to sleep without any issue, you are considered hyposensitive to your favorite coffee.
- Hypersensitivity
People who belong to this category tend to suffer from amplified caffeine effects even in small amounts, such as 100mg. When you experience negative effects such as headaches, palpitations, insomnia, and tremors after just a sip or two of coffee, your body probably metabolizes caffeine longer than normal.
Common Symptoms and Signs of Coffee Sensitivity
Although caffeine sensitivity is not detrimental per se, it may still cause discomfort and inconvenience to a person. The following are some of the coffee symptoms and signs of coffee sensitivity:
- Abdominal cramps
- Nervousness or anxiety
- Elevated blood pressure levels or heartbeat
- Uneasy and jittery feelings
- Headache
- Involuntary muscle cramps
- Insomnia or trouble sleeping
- Upset stomach
Which level of caffeine sensitivity do you belong to?