Many professionals that are famed for being dependent to coffee have nothing on nursing. Nurses are known to be fans of coffee because many cannot start the shift without a good ol’ cup of joe to keep them energized. Although caffeine offers many benefits to humans, there are some things nurses and professionals that depend on coffee should be aware about.

Top 3 Things You Should Know About Coffee and Your Health

1. Staying Awake On The Job

Some professionals, especially nurses and doctors, could not even start their work without a cup of classic roast. While some professionals consider themselves dependent on coffee, there seems to be some drawbacks, according to some recent studies.

Studies by the American Academy of Sleep show that after three nights of sleep restriction, the benefits of caffeine are no longer effective. Caffeine was able to improve the subject’s’ psycho-motor vigilance task on the first two days of restricted sleep for 5 hours every night, yet on the third night, the effect of two daily 200 mg doses of caffeine was lost on the subjects.

Since coffee is a stimulant that is used worldwide to counteract sleepiness, it is essential that consumers would have an idea about the effect of caffeine. As nurses, you must be aware that coffee has benefits and drawbacks too, so you can adjust your consumption and still enjoy the benefits it has to offer.

2. Caffeine in Monitored Doses

Caffeine is both a popular and accepted sort of stimulant used by busy people and nurses. Caffeine consumers claim that coffee gives them the necessary amount of boost that is needed for quality performance. Ever felt wanting coffee more even after you have just ingested a large amount? Whenever you feel highly stimulated, a low immediately follows, prompting you to consume more coffee to lift yourself again. Caffeine is effective in boosting our energy, but the energy it gives is short-lived. This is the reason why you have energy swings whenever you drink coffee. Drinking just enough cups of coffee every day as opposed to drinking several cups can stimulate your adrenals to act quickly yet capably, avoiding developing adrenal fatigue, a common disorder of people who have repeated and long-term doses of coffee.

3. Drinking Coffee and Your Health

Drinking coffee like it is water is a feat that happens each shift. However, nurses and the people who are self-confessed caffeine addicts or connoisseurs must know that too much coffee affects the adrenal glands. Adrenal glands are the tiny glands that sit on top of the kidneys and release hormones that trigger the fight-or-flight reaction of our body. It stimulates the release of adrenaline which prepares the body for action. Because of the stimulant, the adrenal glands continue to release adrenaline, leading to burnout of the glands because of overuse. This would ultimately result in adrenal fatigue, wherein the adrenals are weakened and cannot respond adequately to stimulation. The solution to this is to limit the intake of coffee or quit drinking coffee altogether.

In conclusion, Coffee is not all bad.

The harm would start upon the abuse of caffeine. Because coffee manages to perk up nurses, it has become part of their routine, just as long as it does not affect your health and your performance during their shift negatively. You just have to recognize how much is good or bad for yourself.