Do you have Caffeine Use Disorder?

Photo by Flickr user @Doug88888

“More Research Urgently Needed on Caffeine” — That’s the energetic headline on the latest release from researchers at the Journal of Caffeine Research, who just published “Caffeine Use Disorder: A Comprehensive Review and Research Agenda.” The report’s abstract reveals an even darker side to that midnight roast coffee you drink everyday.

Caffeine is the most commonly used drug in the world. Although consumption of low to moderate doses of caffeine is generally safe, an increasing number of clinical studies are showing that some caffeine users become dependent on the drug and are unable to reduce consumption despite knowledge of recurrent health problems associated with continued use. Thus, the World Health Organization and some health care professionals recognize caffeine dependence as a clinical disorder.

The article provides a summary of what’s known about caffeine dependence, and the authors go on to propose a comprehensive research agenda to help scientists better understand the behavioral and physiological effects of the drug.

H/T Travis Daub