How Caffeine Affects Your Adrenals

Caffeine itself does not actually provide your body with more energy, it doesn’t “give” something to your body that it can use in a constructive and healthy way. Instead it “mimics”. The actual mechanism of caffeine is that it changes the way your brain works.
We have a chemical that is present in our cells called adenosine. In the brain, adenosine is utilized as an inhibitory neurotransmitter to promote sleep. Caffeine mimics adenosine, binding to the adenosine receptors so that the actual adenosine neurotransmitter cannot bind. Caffeine does not give us energy, it tricks our brain into thinking we are not tired. Unfortunately our bodies and brain remain without the rest they need to properly heal.
If your adrenals are stressed, your circadian rhythm (your bodies twenty-four hour sleep/wake clock) may be completely off telling your adrenal glands to release cortisol at night instead of in the mornings. It’s a vicious roller coaster and if you don’t get off the ride it can eventually lead to full blown Adrenal Fatigue, which if untreated can land you months in bed.

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