Caffeine Linked to Hallucinations
Reported January 19, 2009
(Ivanhoe Newswire) — A new British study discovered people who drink mass quantities of caffeine are more likely to report hallucinations like hearing voices and seeing things that are not there.
Researchers at Durham University categorize high caffeine drinkers as someone who consumed more than the equivalent of seven cups of instant coffee a day. Caffeine sources also include tea and energy drinks. In their study the researchers questioned 200 students about their typical caffeine intake. Researchers found high caffeine users were three times more likely to have heard a persons voice when there was no one there compared to low caffeine users who consumed less than one cup of instant coffee a day.
The researchers say the findings will contribute to the beginnings of a better understanding of the effect of nutrition on hallucinations.
“This is a first step towards looking at the wider factors associated with hallucinations. Previous research has highlighted a number of important factors, such as childhood trauma, which may lead to clinically relevant hallucinations,” lead author, Simon Jones, a PhD student at Durham University’s Psychology Department was quoted as saying. “Many such factors are thought to be linked to hallucinations in part because of their impact on the body’s reaction to stress. Given the link between food and mood, and particularly between caffeine and the body’s response to stress, it seems sensible to examine what a nutritional perspective may add,” Jones said
SOURCE: Personality and Individual Differences, January 2009
