Coffee has become an essential aid for many in dealing with everyday stress in the workplace, but if consumed in excess, it can cause auditory hallucinations, say researchers at the Australian La Trobe University in Melbourne.
A study involving 92 volunteers found that those who drank five or more cups a day heard non-existent melodies, reported British media.
Volunteers were instructed to listen to a cacophony of blurry sounds known as the so-called white noise. They were told that it contained elements of Bing Crosby’s famous hit White Christmas. Each time they felt they could hear them, they were ordered to press a button.
In fact, in the reproduced noise that was listened to through headphones, there were no elements of the hit. Judging by the number of buttons, it was observed that stressed people with high levels of caffeine heard them more often.
There is a clear relationship between high levels of stress and psychosis, and caffeine and a tendency to hallucinations are interdependent – commented Prof. Simon Crowe.
The Australian scientist concludes that the health risks posed by excessive coffee consumption should be publicized.
Coffee and other caffeinated drinks like tea and energizing fluids can promote hallucinatory tendencies when consumed in large quantities, Crowe added. In the case of coffee, it is five cups a day.
Research may also help explain why high stress can trigger symptoms of schizophrenia in some people (PAP).