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As many as 90% of visits to the doctors may be related to stress as it can cause depression, low libido, anxiety, hair loss, eczema and irritable bowel. For example, when we are stressed we produce too much adrenaline which makes the heart beat faster and raises blood pressure.
Experts agree that the modern life style is often to blame: less exercise, a breakdown in family support and greater pressure at work all contribute to the problem. But lifestyle isn't the only source of stress - stimulants are an increasing problem.
The popular image of stimulants is drink, drugs and a wild life-style, so you will probably be surprised to find out just how many substances that you use every day are classed as stimulants, and therefore stressors, by a nutritionist because of the effect they have on your body.
One stimulant is caffeine, found in coffee. Caffeine stimulates the nervous system, thereby inducing the stress effect. But even if you don't drink coffee, don't skip this section because caffeine is one of a family of substances called methylxanthines that are also found in tea, cola and chocolate.
Other members of the methylxanthine family are theophylline and theobromine that stimulate the heart, and as these are found in many decaffeinated drinks, buying decaffeinated products isn't much better for you. Some evidence has been found of a link between the consumption of methylxanthines and breast lumps and cysts. Excess caffeine also disrupts your calcium balance and interferes with iron absorption.
But it would be incorrect to focus solely on dangers as it's being found that there are also benefits to caffeine consumption, so most people are quite happy to use caffeine containing products for short-term energy boost and pain killing effects. However, there is also evidence that caffeine can reduce the risk of Parkinsons, and even of Alzheimers disease, by protecting the blood brain barrier from harmful effects of cholesterol. Some researchers have linked caffeine to a lower risk of liver disease, type II diabetes and colorectal cancer.
As always, moderation is the key and you are advised to limit yourself to 300 milligrams of caffeine per day, which is what you'll find in two 8-ounce servings of coffee.
If you try to give up caffeine altogether you may find that you get withdrawal headaches; but persevere and they will eventually stop. One surprising source of caffeine is in many brands of pain-killers, so check with your pharmacist or read the labels of any pain-killers you take to ease the withdrawal headaches. Any which contain caffeine may help in the first instance but then cause an even worse rebound headache. However, if you do reach the stage when you no longer use caffeine, you may find you get less headaches than before.
Many people think that tea is a healthier drink than coffee, but an 8-ounce size serving of tea has 40 to 120 mg of caffeine and so it too is a stimulant. Tea also contains tannin which has a dehydrating effect on the body and is known as an anti-nutrient because it combines with important minerals such as zinc and iron, forming substances which the body cannot absorb. This may lead to zinc and iron deficiencies. If you do drink (black) tea, decrease the amount and the strength. However, the occasional cup of weak tea is unlikely to harm you.
The good news, however, is that green tea - available from health food shops - is rich in antioxidants known as polyphenols which, incidentally, are thought to account for red wine's ability to protect against heart disease. In animal studies, green tea has been found to have anti-carcinogenic effects. So to continue enjoying your cuppa and benefit your health, why not switch to green tea?
Don't reach for a cigarette to calm you down after all that bad news, because contrary to popular belief, smoking is actually a stimulant. It raises your blood pressure, starves cells of oxygen (by accumulating carbon monoxide in the blood) and - as we all know - carries a high cancer risk. The risk of lung cancer is well known, but if you do not smoke yourself, and are exposed to others' smoke, you need to be aware that passive smoking is probably just as harmful, because undamaged lung tissue is more vulnerable.
Of course cigarettes and pregnancy - or even pre-pregnancy - just do not mix.
If you're looking for alternative drinks to replace your tea and coffee beyond the recommended maximum, try fruit juice (diluted), spring water (filtered) or herbal teas. You may also like to try using Dandelion coffee - it's a healthy alternative and has the added benefit of helping your liver to detoxify.
