Caffeine is a natural stimulant that most people consume daily: It’s in coffee, tea, soda, and even cocoa powder! Since it’s everywhere—and since it seems to have promise in helping some mental health conditions—let’s discuss what it does to your brain and how to get the most out of it.
How caffeine works
Caffeine works by blocking a brain chemical called adenosine, which helps regulate how tired or awake we feel. Throughout the day, adenosine builds up in our brain, making us feel sleepy and signaling it’s time to rest. These levels naturally go down when we sleep.
When you drink caffeine, it stops your brain from noticing adenosine by blocking its receptors. This makes you feel more alert and less tired—similar to how noise-canceling headphones block out background noise so you can focus better.
However, if you consume caffeine regularly, your brain adjusts by making more adenosine receptors to try to detect the tiredness signals. This is why when you suddenly stop caffeine, you might feel very tired, foggy, or irritable—those are withdrawal symptoms.
Caffeine mainly works by blocking adenosine and doesn’t directly increase the brain chemicals most linked to ADHD (dopamine and norepinephrine). This is why–even though it’s a stimulant–it doesn’t seem to work for ADHD.
Reaping the mental health benefits of caffeine
Current evidence indicates that caffeine has the potential to help many different mental health and brain conditions, most notably anxiety, depression, and dementia. But there’s a sweet spot: too much caffeine can make things worse, and different types of caffeine have better effects.
Not all caffeine sources are created equally. Plant-based sources like coffee, tea, and cocoa contain beneficial nutrients and antioxidants that can support overall brain health, whereas some energy drinks and sodas offer little nutritional value and often contain added sugars. For those with ADHD or anyone mindful of their health, opting for natural caffeine sources with minimal added sugars is ideal.
As far as consumption goes, moderation is key. The general guideline for healthy adults is to limit caffeine intake to no more than 400 milligrams per day, roughly equivalent to 3 to 4 cups of coffee. However, this may be too high for most people. 400mg per day is where we start to see the negative effects—If you are at a lower body weight, your recommended upper limit is likely lower.
To get the most out of caffeine without negatively affecting your mental and physical health, I recommend following these guidelines:
- Consume between 120-250mg per day (about 2 cups of coffee)
- Choose plant-based caffeine over supplements, soda, or energy drinks
- If you consume energy drinks, opt for ones with added nutrients and zero sugar
- Many coffee drinkers overconsume sugar, which can negatively affect mental health. This often happens when we purchase drinks at coffee shops, so drink coffee as black as possible (but remember, a little treat every now and again won’t harm).
- Be aware of how your body feels throughout the use of caffeine. Some people can experience increases in anxiety.
To decrease the likelihood that you’ll have anxiety experiences, choose to consume caffeine with a protein-rich meal and eliminate as much sugar from the caffeine as possible. This will help your body regulate your blood sugar and minimize anxiety symptoms.
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