Tuesday, March 17, 2009
Having another cup?
According to a study out of Durham University in England and published in January of this year, people who consume high amounts of caffeine are more prone to hearing voices and having hallucinations. The study interviewed 219 students about their caffeine consumption and their paranormal experiences. (No mention was made of any other substances the students might have had in their bodies.) In the top 10% of caffeine users, (equal to more than 7 cups of instant coffee or 8 cups of tea per day) 9 out of 22 students reported hearing things when no one was there. In the bottom 10%, (equal to the amount of caffeine in less than 1 cup of instant coffee per day) only 3 out of 22 students reported hallucinations.
Does caffeine cause hallucinations? Or do people who would hear and see things drink more caffeine to cope with their hallucinations (“Juan Valdez told me to do it, I swear!!”)? One possible explanation: When under stress, the body releases Cortisol, a stress hormone. According to scientists, more Cortisol is released in response to stress when people have recently had caffeine. It is this extra boost of Cortisol that may link caffeine intake with a tendency to hallucinate.
More on the study can be found at
Durham University’s website.
Labels: caffeine, coffee
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