What are the effects of caffeine on your health? I guess I drink way too much Dr. Pepper, and I wondered what I am doing to myself.

A.

Caffeine is a central nervous system stimulant. It speeds up thinking and increases arousal. It also increases heart rate, blood pressure and the rate of breathing. Caffeine increases the production of stomach acid, increases blood sugar levels and is diuretic. Side effects of caffeine include insomnia, restlessness, nervousness, headache, agitation, tremor, twitching, palpitations, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, stomach pain and tinnitus. An overdose of caffeine may cause insomnia, difficulty breathing, seizures, heart arrhythmias and fever.

Caffeine may contribute to a number of health problems including anxiety, depression, chronic fatigue syndrome, fibrocystic breast disease and premenstrual syndrome. Elimination of caffeine has been shown to be helpful in decreasing the symptoms of all of these conditions. Caffeine should be avoided if you have high blood pressure, stomach ulcers or sleep problems.

Besides the effects of caffeine on your health, the sugar contained in your soft drink can also have detrimental effects. Excess intake of refined sugar can play havoc with blood sugar levels and make both hypoglycemia and diabetes worse. In addition, excess sugar may aggravate acne, chronic yeast infections, chronic fatigue syndrome, depression, gallstones, irritable bowel syndrome, periodontal disease and premenstrual syndrome as well as making you more prone to frequent colds and to developing kidney stones. The combination of caffeine and sugar appears is strongly associated with depression. In addition, a large intake of soft drinks may decrease the intake of healthy foods and drinks and contribute to depletion of nutrients and fluid in the body.

To prevent health problems, you will want to decrease your intake of caffeine and sugar, and increase your intake of water, vegetable and fruit juices. Start by replacing one glass or can of soft drink with a glass of water, and continue decreasing your intake until soft drinks are an occasional beverage.

Our website, has quite a bit of information on caffeine. Enter caffeine into the search function on the main page and follow the links it provides.

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* The information presented in this web site is intended to inform and educate. It is not intended replace a qualified medical practitioner to diagnose or treat medical conditions.