Drinking coffee in moderation may be okay, but five or more cups of the beverage daily can cause hallucinations, says a study.
La Trobe University Researchers have found that drinking five cups of coffees or more a day may be enough to increase one's tendency to hallucinate because of caffeine. Caffeine is a bitter, white crystalline xanthine alkaloid that is a psychoactive stimulant.
In humans, caffeine acts as a central nervous system (CNS) stimulant, temporarily warding off drowsiness and restoring alertness. Caffeine is the world's most widely consumed psychoactive substance.
Coffee and other caffeinated beverages such as tea, soft-drinks and energy drinks access the stimulant and when taken in large quantities increase tendencies to hallucinate.
In their study, the researchers measured the effect of stress and caffeine with 92 non-clinical participants. Five coffees a day or more was found to be enough to increase the participant's tendency to hallucinate, said the chief Researcher.
"High caffeine levels in association with high levels of stressful life events interacted to produce higher levels of 'hallucination' in non-clinical participants, indication that further caution needs to be exercised with the use of this overtly 'safe' drug," he said.
