So many people rely on coffee to get them through the day, because they are tired and cannot focus at work. However, coffee can actually be making you more tired!!

How can caffeine affect adrenal fatigue?
Caffeine stimulates neuron activity in the brain in which neurons send messages to the pituitary gland to stimulate the adrenal glands, which then produce adrenaline and cortisol. 

Adrenaline and cortisol are those famous hormones involved in “fight or flight” mode, which happens when you are faced with danger. 

But, are those “fight or flight” hormones useful for modern life – and on a daily basis? They are stress hormones – for us in emergencies – not a deadline to submit a business plan or a deadline at work.

But caffeine is a crutch, which we use every day to help us keeping fighting on.

If your adrenal glands are fatigued, then caffeine can cause your adrenals to overwork to make more cortisol and this burns out your glands.

This leads to your adrenals being weakened and less able to respond adequately. This is why coffee has less and less effect over time on people with adrenal fatigue. And therefore, people need to increase their coffee intake from 1 a day to 3-4 a day, if not more. 

Furthermore, caffeine is mildly addictive. This is down to its effects on the nervous system, which increases the release of dopamine, a neurotransmitter that helps control the reward and pleasure centres of the brain.

If you need help with improving your energy levels, sleep or to improve your focus/concentration, call us today to book in with our Clinical Nutritionist Alex.