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HOW DO YOU FEEL?
by Income MARKETING Opportunities EZWORKSYSTEMSCaffeine Allergy: 
Top 20 Symptoms
Allergic to caffeine? It seems like you aren’t alone as hundreds of people have now testified to strange reactions experienced after caffeine consumption.
Headache
This article has been compiled from anecdotal evidence. Some people do not metabolize caffeine as well as others. Others are also sensitive to Adrenalin. It pays to know your limits with caffeine. If you suspect that caffeine is causing problems, this can be tested by eliminating it from the diet.
Some time ago, we published a short post about the possibility of allergic reactions to caffeine.
That post received hundreds of comments from those who claimed to have experienced some type of adverse reaction to caffeine.
We have painstakingly sifted through all those comments, compiling the top 20 caffeine allergic reactions in order from most common to least common.
In most cases, these symptoms were reported after only having a little to moderate amount of caffeine through coffee, tea, soda and/or energy drinks.
Most Common Allergic Reactions to Caffeine
Skin problems such as hives, eczema, rashes, acne, severe itching
Headaches or migraines
Anxiety and panic attacks
Can’t focus or concentrate
Tongue, glands, or throat swelling
Heart racing or palpitations
Angry, irritable, bad mood
Fatigue
Dizziness
Extreme jitters
Chest Pain
Depression
Numbness in face, hands, or feet
Muscle pain
Shortness of breath or tightness of chest
Delusions or hallucinations
Flu/ cold-like symptoms
Vision problems
Cold sweats
Eyes swollen shut
Need to quit caffeine? Get expert help here.
WHAT IS CAFFEINE ALLERGY?
a caffeine allergy can be deceptive. “The allergic person may experience typical symptoms associated with an allergy which includes sneezing, difficulty breathing, hives and itchy or swollen mouth and tongue, heart palpitations, dizziness or eczema, but these physical cues are often accompanied by psychiatric responses. Depending on how much caffeine is consumed, symptoms of caffeine allergy – also termed by some as a cerebral allergy – can range from mild to severe which include lack of concentration and comprehension, aggression, hyperactivity and disorganized thought processes.
“Students may diagnose their symptoms as a sign of overtiredness making them reach for yet another cuppa or energy drink, which may provide minor relief, but it just continues to jeopardize the body,” cautions van Aswegen.
She says a caffeine allergy is difficult to detect and can take several hours for symptoms to become apparent. Caffeine is also the last thing you associate the response with. Doctors in turn also rarely diagnose caffeine allergy because few know of it and aren’t likely to ask about your caffeine consumption.
Although many people drink coffee, energy drinks, and cola, which contain large doses of caffeine, some may not realize that they are actually allergic to it. Symptoms may vary depending on how strong a person’s allergy to caffeine is.
“How you react to caffeine has a lot to do with how much caffeine you are used to drinking. People or students in this case who aren’t used to consuming lots of caffeine on a regular basis can be much more sensitive or allergic to its negative effects. The converse may also be true. According to medical literature, the longer a person is exposed to an allergen, the greater the chances of developing an allergy to the substance.
“Once this happens, those allergic to caffeine can’t adequately metabolize it. Consequently, they experience hypersensitivity or inflammation in certain organs. So, it pays to know your limits with caffeine.”
Her advice to students studying for end-of-year exams is as follows:
Ditch the caffeine for H2O. Water gives the brain the electrical charge it needs for all brain functions including thought and memory processes
Eat a well-balanced diet of fruit and vegetables at least a week prior to and during exam time
Take a five-minute break every hour to allow your body to produce more glucose – the fuel you need for studying. Rather opt for snacks such as almonds, blueberries, avocados, fatty fish and yogurt
Get enough sleep and avoid the all-nighters. Studies show that all-nighters impair reasoning and memory for up to four days. Review the toughest material right before going to bed the night before the test which makes it easier to recall the information later
Avoid distractions such as listening to music, SMSing or tweeting while studying as this will limit your ability to retain information
“By drinking three caffeinated energy drinks a day, students could be ingesting more than 500mg of caffeine or 1.5 times the amount of caffeine that is regarded as safe for adult consumption. Two to three cups of coffee (300mg of caffeine) a day is considered safe and teenagers should limit themselves to no more than 100mg of caffeine a day,” says van Aswegen.
Is this Scientific Evidence?
At least one scientific study has shown that people can have anaphylactic reactions to caffeine and is confirmed by a skin prick test.1
There is evidence regarding the inability to process caffeine as some people lack the genes responsible for this or the genes aren’t being expressed as they should be. This allows caffeine to build up in a person’s body rather than being broken down properly. These people are described as hypersensitive to caffeine.2
The above data is entirely based on anecdotal evidence, so don’t take it as gospel or scientific, but rather consider these caffeine allergy symptoms as possible since they were reported by a large number of people. If a person suspects a caffeine allergy, he/she should cease caffeine consumption immediately and then assess as to whether it was indeed the caffeine. The symptoms should subside after caffeine is eliminated.
Did you know that rutaecarpine can remove caffeine from your system faster? Find out how here.
There is a fine line between what would be called caffeine sensitivity and what would be called caffeine allergy, but overall we’re dealing with the body not being able to correctly process the caffeine molecule, so whether it’s called sensitivity or allergy is up for debate.
caffeine-allergy
Skin rashes are common.
Most people in the original article reported several of the above symptoms and some of the caffeine allergy symptoms were quite bizarre. The symptoms that were the strangest included itchy ears & anus suffered by one poor soul and a sweaty butt crack reported by another…
Caffeine allergy has also been linked to a form of ADD and dementia in adults. The claim is that caffeine-induced anaphylaxis impairs people’s abilities to concentrate and remember things. (Src.)
Could It Be Mycotoxins?
Mycotoxins are essentially chemicals produced by fungi and they can produce all kinds of negative reactions when ingested by humans. A recent study3 from the University of Valencia in Spain found that commercially sold coffee is often contaminated with mycotoxins. They’ve identified 18 different mycotoxins that are commonly found in coffee and found that the levels in decaffeinated coffee are often higher than that of regular coffee.
If you have a reaction to coffee but not other caffeinated products, there’s a good chance that you are sensitive to mycotoxins and not the caffeine.
What To Do If You Are Suffering
- Explore our extensive Caffeine in Food database as well as our Caffeine in Beverages database in order to be aware of all the products that have caffeine listed as an ingredient along with the amount they contain.
- Eliminate these products from your diet. There may be a period of caffeine withdrawal where you actually feel worse.
- Assess whether your symptoms have disappeared. It may take up to 2 weeks for all of caffeine’s effects to wear off.
Please note: A surprising number of products contain caffeine, and some have a lot more than what you think.
Even decaffeinated drinks still contain caffeine – although only a small amount such as decaf brewed coffee.
Education is the best way to prevent an allergic reaction to caffeine.
Get Help Quitting Caffeine
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EZWORKSYSTEMS
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Created on Oct 19th 2019 05:09. Viewed 657 times.
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Income MARKETING Opportunities
EZWORKSYSTEMSCaffeine allergy has also been linked to a form of ADD and dementia in adults... There is a fine line between what would be called caffeine sensitivity and what would be called caffeine allergy- Caffeine allergy is difficult to detect and can take several hours for symptoms to become apparent. Caffeine is also the last thing you associate the response with. Doctors in turn also rarely diagnose caffeine allergy because few know of it and aren’t likely to ask about your caffeine consumption. Students in this case who aren’t used to consuming lots of caffeine on a regular basis can be much more sensitive or allergic to Caffeine Negative Effects. Oct 19th 2019 05:22 |
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Income MARKETING Opportunities
EZWORKSYSTEMSIf you can't get out of bed in the morning without the scent of fresh brewed coffee to wake you up, you're not alone. A whopping 2.25 billion cups of coffee are consumed around the globe each year... Coffee Drinkers? How many cups of coffee does the average person drink on a daily basis? While some adults drink more and some drink less, the average person drinks 2.7 cups of coffee every day of the week; What's the most popular time of day for drinking coffee? Breakfast, of course. But what's the best time of day to drink coffee? Though you might be tempted to reach for a cup of coffee as soon as you wake, you want to hold off. Research shows that drinking coffee between the hours of 12 p.m. and 1 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. helps your body to more effectively minimize the effects of caffeine... Do men or women drink more coffee? On average, 66% of women and 62% of men say they drink coffee daily. Women average 2.9 cups while men down 2.6, Which age group consumes the most coffee? Older Americans are the biggest coffee drinkers, with 74% of seniors aged 55 and up having at least one cup of coffee per day. The 18- to 34-year-old crowd drinks the least amount of coffee. Does income impact coffee consumption? The size of your paycheck may be linked to how much coffee you drink. About 58% of workers earning less than $30,000 annually drink coffee, compared to 66% of those who earn more than that amount. But surprisingly, on average, those with the lesser income drink over a cup more each day. What do millennials like to drink when it comes to coffee? The newest generation of regular coffee drinkers is driving an upward trend of gourmet coffee consumption. More than one-third (36%) imbibe the gourmet stuff (like cappuccino and lattes), and 22% of people in the 18-24 age bracket drink espresso. And they're more likely than their older peers to drink their coffee away from home. What's the average price of a cup of coffee? Coffee can be an expensive habit and on average, Americans pay $3.28 for a cup. The amount deemed too much for a standard cup of Joe? $3.67. How much caffeine is in a typical cup of brewed coffee? An 8-ounce cup of brewed coffee has anywhere from 95 to 200 mg of caffeine. Instant coffee has slightly less, at 27 to 173 mg per 8-ounce cup. What percentage of Americans say they're addicted to coffee? Just like nicotine, caffeine can be a hard habit to break. Overall, 26% of coffee drinkers say they're addicted to java, and that number jumps to 46% among people who have at least three cups each day. How much coffee does the U.S. import each year? Americans love their coffee and to keep pace with demand, the United States imports over 27 million 60kg bags of the stuff annually. Which country likes coffee the most? When it comes to where coffee is most popular, it's not the U.S. that takes the prize. It's actually the Netherlands, followed by Finland. How large is the U.S. coffee industry? Retail coffee revenues total $36 billion in the U.S. each year. The industry has grown by 3.8% since 2010. Which country produces the most coffee? Coffee is grown in 70 countries worldwide but only one has the honor of being the largest coffee producer. Brazil is the clear winner, contributing 40% of the world's coffee production, while Vietnam comes in a distant second. 'free money-saving tips, reviews from CreditDonkey, Oct 20th 2019 14:31 |
References
1. Infante, S., Baeza, M. L., Calvo, M., De Barrio, M., Rubio, M., & Herrero, T. (2003). Anaphylaxis due to caffeine. Allergy, 58(7), 681-682. study link
2.Hinrichs, R., Hunzelmann, N., Ritzkowsky, A., Zollner, T. M., Krieg, T., & Scharffetter‐Kochanek, K. (2002). Caffeine hypersensitivity. Allergy, 57(9), 859-860. study link
3. García-Moraleja, A., Font, G., Mañes, J., & Ferrer, E. (2015). Simultaneous determination of mycotoxin in commercial coffee. Food Control, 57, 282-292.