Caffeine and the Eyes

As a coffee loving ophthalmologist: I wonder, does caffeine affect the eyes? So I did some research! 👁☕️

Good news! Raw coffee contains antioxidants which have been linked to health benefits like a lowered risk of diabetes, liver disease, dementia, and even some types of cancer. As a natural stimulant, it may also help exercise performance, fat burning, and metabolism. 🚴🏻‍♀️

As far as the eyes are concerned, there have been some suggestions that caffeine can help prevent retinal degeneration and improve tear production, but these have yet to be proven with certainty.

Of course, there can be too much of a good thing, and excess caffeine has been linked to sleep problems, high blood pressure, heart arrhythmias ❤️, and irritability/anxiety.

Caffeine can also cause problems with the eyes, including blurry vision (when your blood sugars spike or crash) and eye twitches (when the caffeine hits the delicate muscle fibers around your eyes). There have also been reports that caffeine could increase risks of glaucoma (since eye pressures are related to blood pressure), though not entirely proven.

As with most things, moderation is key. Recommended caffeine intake is 200 to 400mg a day. 400mg corresponds to about 4 cups of coffee, 4 shots of espresso, 2 energy drinks, or 7-8 cups of tea. (Which means my 3rd cup of joe in the TikTok ⬅️ is a-OK. 😉)

What is your relationship with caffeine? What’s your favorite drink? Or are you OK without?

#liveVICTORIOUS✌🏼 #coffeelover #mondaycoffee