Wednesday, 14 January 2009

Caffeine to hallucinations


Recent studies show that those who consume more than seven cups of coffee a day triple their chances of experiencing hallucinations to those who drink only one. Contrary to popular beliefs, caffeine is not only solely found in coffee. Carbonated drinks, tea, energy drink and even chocolate contain this substance. 

However, the cause of these hallucinations cannot be purely blamed on caffeine intake. Stress, the major reason why most of us drink coffee in the first place forces us to release a chemical called cortisol, which causes us to hallucinate. Also, factors such as childhood trauma could be linked to the hallucinations as it the caffeine might magnify the hallucinations. 
Simon James, a PhD student in psychology, argues that even if caffeine can increase your risk of hallucinations, it plays a minuscule role compared to other outside factors in a person's life. Researchers are investigating up on this to find out whether the other ingredients in caffeinated drinks might lead to the same problems. 
Although the article isn't biased, it hints at us that we should all probably try to reduce the amount of caffeine we take in each day and perhaps try an alternative: sleep. Or plan out our time a bit more wisely. 

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