Caffeine is one of the most well-known psychoactive substances in the world, next to nicotine and alcohol. So does caffeine affect your ADHD or not? It is a minor stimulant found in coffee, tea, and energy drinks. Caffeine is a central nervous system stimulant that can boost energy levels, suppresses appetite and wakefulness.
It can also cause a few side effects like increased insomnia, blood pressure, and anxiety. Because caffeine is so prevalent, it is vital to know it’ll affect disorders, treatments, and conditions that you are dealing with.
What is ADHD and How Is Caffeine Related?
ADHD is a disorder that is thought to be caused by an absence of dopamine and norepinephrine in the human brain. So how does it affect ADHD? Does caffeine help ADHD or doesn’t help at all?
Does Caffeine Make ADHD Worse?
Stimulants, including caffeine, raise the level of specific chemicals that your mind uses to send signals. One of these is dopamine; it is connected to attention, pleasure as well as movement. When you’ve ADHD, experts often prescribe stimulants to assist you to feel more calm and focused. A few experts believe that because researches show the caffeine in an energy drink can enhance concentration and alertness. It might work for ADHD disorder also.
Caffeine Helps ADHD
Some experts think caffeine has the potential as an ADHD cure because of its effect on the dopamine levels that enhanced attention and memory in rats. In another research, when hyperactive rats were given caffeine before they went through a warren, they got superior at it. This suggests caffeine can enhance spatial learning. While these researches are interesting, rats are not people.
Caffeine, like ADHD treatments, might affect every person differently than others. Talk to your health provider before you start to use caffeinated drinks to help your disorders. So, which energy drink would be the best for you? Well, one should look into the B-vitamin blend, the concentration of caffeine, the acidity levels, and beverages that do not contain sugar. The quality of the beverage is a priority too. Do not mix caffeine and amphetamines together unless your physician advised it is okay. If you are taking a prescription stimulant, also consuming caffeine could cause more or worsen side effects.