Are you a regular coffee lover? Have you refrained yourself from taking regular cup of coffee lately? Are you having regular pounding headache, feeling less energetic and having difficulty in concentrating? Then you might be suffering from caffeine withdrawal headache.

Researchers at University of Vermont College of Medicine and John Hopkins School of Medicine have recently found direct connection between sudden stopping of caffeine intake and change in cerebral blood flow. The focus of the study has been on the effect of acute caffeine abstinence on brain electrical activity and blood flow.

Effect of caffeine abstinence was examined in a double-blind study. It involved administration of placebo capsules and caffeine. Since in a double-blind study, both the researchers and participants are not aware who received caffeine and who received placebo, the report is supposed to be unbiased.

The response of participants to the placebo or caffeine was measured using three parameters – the electrical activity of the brain through electroencephalogram (EEG), velocity of blood flow in the brain via ultrasound and the feedback of participants (subjective effects) through questionnaires.

The study showed that stopping daily consumption of coffee or other caffeinated products trigger change in the velocity of blood flow in the brain (cerebral blood flow). This brings in increase in blood flow. Also caffeine abstinence can bring quantitative changes in EEG; this increases the theta rhythm. Together the two factors may result in some typical caffeine withdrawal symptoms like drowsiness, headache and decrease in alertness.

Consistent with the above reports, the participants also reported increase in tiredness, sluggishness and weariness.

Apart from the above findings, researchers also chanced upon another finding – that there is no net benefit associated with chronic caffeine administration. In short, this means that regular intake of coffee does not apparently produce any significant effects on health.

The study has recently been published in the online edition of scientific journal psychopharmacology.