How Caffeine Effects Your Brain: Truths and Myths
Medically Reviewed by Dr. Parris Kidd

It suddenly seems as though there’s a new coffee shop on every corner, selling highly caffeinated drinks packed with sugar and fat. As a society, we are going from drinking 1-2 cups of coffee a day to 1-2 cups – three or four times a day. It’s the new comfort food, especially in cold weather.

In order to make it in today’s fast-paced world, you’ve got to stay focused with plenty of energy – both physical and mental energy. It’s easy to see why your body craves caffeine in the short term, especially if you’re sleep-deprived and feeling down.

As energy levels dip because of an overstressed lifestyle, though, have you ever wondered what all that caffeine is doing to your brain?

Many people don’t know of an alternative to caffeine.

Negative Effects of Caffeine on the Brain 

Granted, caffeine can lead to temporary increased alertness, and sports medicine research does promote it as an athletic performance enhancer under certain conditions. However, excessive caffeine every day also constricts blood flow to your brain¹ and many other organs.

A daily cup of joe probably isn’t a problem, but more than 3-4 cups of caffeine, which is metabolized in your hard-working liver, may raise a few issues.

Adenosine is a chemical in the brain that causes drowsiness by slowing down nerve cell activity – and it’s the key to understanding caffeine dependence. When we are tired, adenosine triggers the brain to slow down so we will go to sleep and naturally rejuvenate our own brain function.

Caffeine blocks the effects of adenosine² by occupying the adenosine receptor sites and preventing the brain from seeing it. So even if you are tired and in need of sleep to revitalize brain chemistry, caffeine tricks the  brain into thinking it is wide awake.

Additionally, caffeine causes the release of adrenaline from the adrenal glands, putting the body into a stressful fight or flight mode, whereby:

• Your pupils dilate
• Your heart beats faster
• Blood vessels on the skin constrict to slow blood flow from cuts
• Blood flow increases to working muscles
• Blood pressure rises
• Blood flow to the stomach slows
• Your liver releases sugar into the bloodstream for extra energy
• Muscles tighten up, ready for action

Caffeine also increases dopamine levels in the same way that amphetamines do. Dopamine is a brain neurotransmitter that activates the pleasure centers of the brain. While caffeine’s effects are far less than amphetamines, it is a similar process.

Long-term Effects of Caffeine: Bad for Your Brain?

Excessive caffeine use is associated with serious dehydration (which can harm your body in numerous ways), added stress on your heart, high blood pressure, jitteriness and headaches.

Truth is, depending on your own body chemistry, when the effects of the caffeine wear off, you can actually feel fatigued and moody. So, you consume more caffeine to re-energize. Soon enough, you’re hooked on the stuff – and it takes more and more to achieve that same feeling.

After years of studying brain scans at Amen Clinics, it is clear that reduced cerebral blood flow is the opposite of what you want for optimal brain function. “In fact, decreased cerebral blood flow lowers cognitive function and can exacerbate emotional and mental health problems,” says Dr. Daniel Amen.

So, how can you enjoy all-day alertness and productivity without the caffeine jitters?

BrainMD is proud to offer its premium, all-natural, all day energy supplement…

 

Focus & Energy

BrainMD’s Focus & Energy was designed to promote sharpness, improve mental and physical productivity, and prevent fatigue without lowering blood sugar.* Unlike many other dietary supplements, Focus & Energy provides nutritional and medicinal plant concentrates that are traditionally used as adaptogens and are clinically researched for these benefits.*

Focus & Energy is formulated specifically to reinforce the brain and body’s ability to fight fatigue and adapt to stress.* Its 55 milligrams of choline makes a substantial contribution to the recommended intakes.* It contains a potent green tea extract, high in EGCG and other polyphenol antioxidants, chosen specifically to intensify blood flow that enables oxygen and nutrient delivery to the brain.*

Focus & Energy also contains three highly concentrated plant adaptogens, renowned for helping brain and body cope with mental or physical stress:

• Ashwagandha is an Ayurvedic medicinal revered over thousands of years for its mental sharpening benefits.* Modern clinical research reveals it is also superb for coping with stress³ and occasional anxiety.*
• Rhodiola thrives in the most extreme Siberian climates and is a favorite in the East. This concentrate is doubly standardized and has shown strong anti-stress benefits in clinical trials.*
• Asian (Panax) ginseng leads all other ginsengs for its almost immediate mental focus benefits.* This concentrate is loaded with 15% brain-active ginsenosides and has been subjected to intensive research, with excellent results.*

If you’re looking for a safe, effective, and natural way to support your mental focus while conserving your mental and physical energy, Focus & Energy is an excellent choice.* And unlike the energy rush, you can get from your stimulant of choice (coffee, diet soda, caffeine pills), there’s no dramatic drop in mood and energy with this dietary supplement.*

Focus & Energy is safe, natural, and non-habit-forming.*

Try it today!

 

At BrainMD, we’re dedicated to providing the highest quality supplements to improve your physical health and overall well-being. For more information about Focus & Energy  and our full list of brain healthy supplements, please visit us at BrainMD.

*These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA. This content is for informational purposes only. It is not meant to substitute for medical or healthcare advice from a physician, nor is it intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Consult your healthcare provider before beginning a new health regimen.

 

References:

1. Addicott, M. A., Yang, L. L., Peiffer, A. M., Burnett, L. R., Burdette, J. H., Chen, M. Y., Hayasaka, S., Kraft, R. A., Maldjian, J. A., & Laurienti, P. J. (2009). The effect of daily caffeine use on cerebral blood flow: How much caffeine can we tolerate? Human Brain Mapping, 30(10), 3102–3114. https://doi.org/10.1002/hbm.20732
2. Ribeiro, J. A., & Sebastião, A. M. (2010). Caffeine and adenosine. Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease, 20(Suppl 1), S3–S15. https://doi.org/10.3233/JAD-2010-1379
3. Baker, C., Kirby, J. B., O’Connor, J., Lindsay, K. G., Hutchins, A., & Harris, M. (2022). The perceived impact of ashwagandha on stress, sleep quality, energy, and mental clarity for college students: Qualitative analysis of a double-blind randomized control trial. Journal of Medicinal Food, 25(12), 1095–1101. https://doi.org/10.1089/jmf.2022.0042