I don't understand some of the responses i got from my post before. Will coffee raise your blood pressure? Does coffee keep you from eating? I'm anorexic and i don't know for sure why i really started to drink coffee in the first place. It just happened. I think because i hear alot of people say that you shouldn't drink coffee when you have a ED. I don't know. And i'm still not sure i understand the link between the two.

The main problem with coffee is the caffeine in it. The acid that it has is also hard on the stomach of someone with an eating disorder. Some facts on coffee (caffeine) are:

Caffeine acts in your body to:

Stimulate the central nervous system, alertness increases
Stimulate the heart muscle, heartbeat picks up
Stimulates stomach acid secretion
Stimulate urine production
Dilates blood vessels
Increase the loss of calcium and magnesium in the urine
Inhibit the amount of calcium and iron absorbed from your diet


Caffeine can cause:

Nervousness
Trembling
Irritability
Muscle tension
Insomnia
Tremors
Gastrointestinal distress - nausea, upset stomach, diarrhea
Rapid heartbeat
Low potassium in the blood
Depression
Headaches
Migraine headaches
Elevated blood glucose

Misc. Information

*Studies have linked excessive caffeine intake with heart disease, elevated cholesterol, fibrocystic breast disease, cancer of the bladder, gallstones, and cardiac arrhythmia's - no conclusive data is available.
*Studies show that greater than 2-3 cups of coffee/day may accelerate bone loss from the spine and total body in women who's intake of calcium is low (especially anorexics).
*Studies have shown that in people who suffer from anxiety and panic attacks, the more caffeine they consume, the more anxiety and depression they feel. *Suddenly stopping caffeine can worsen anxiety.
*Depression has been associated with levels of caffeine above 4-5 cups/day. Eliminating caffeine has been shown to help lift depression in as little as 1 week.
*Caffeine has been associated with increased seizures in epileptics.
*Too much caffeine can increase your chance of having headaches by 20-30%.
*Excessive caffeine intake may increase consumption of alcohol.
*A study at the University of Michigan Eating Disorder program found that patients who ingested high levels of caffeine (>750 mg/day) had 2x the number of binges, and a greater use of diet pills and laxatives.
*Withdrawal from caffeine can cause fatigue, headaches, depression, anxiety, decreased ability to do tasks, and a disruption in normal life
*No more than 200-250 mg of caffeine is recommended per day.
*Caffeine can interfere with the ability of some medications to do their job.
*Don't take calcium or iron supplements with coffee or tea.