How much coffee is too much?
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| Coffee in Cup |
For many of us, drinking a cup of coffee first thing in the morning is essential to our daily ritual. It makes us feel sharp, energized, motivated and ready to tackle the day. Coffee is also the top drink in the world. And the British Coffee Association estimates that over 2 billion cups of coffee are consumed every day worldwide.
According to the FDA, drinking two to five cups of coffee a day is considered moderate intake, and moderate coffee drinkers were found to be less likely to develop Type Two Diabetes, liver and endometrial cancers, heart and Parkinson's disease and depression. It's even possible that coffee drinkers reduced their risk of early death.
But how much coffee is too much?
Strong evidence nowadays it shows that drinking coffee has a variety of health benefits, and moderate coffee consumption can be incorporated into a healthy diet. Coffee is loaded with antioxidants and beneficial nutrients that can improve our health. In one study, researchers found that participants who drink decaffeinated coffee or none at all had higher rates of heart disease than those who drink one or two coffees a day. But much like everything else we consume, exceeding a moderate intake of coffee can lead to health problems.
In one study, researchers found that one cup of coffee contains over 1000 chemical compounds, which may also affect health and cardiovascular disease risks. But for coffee and caffeine to affect the heart, very high levels must be consumed. Consuming too much caffeine causes high blood pressure, which is a major factor in heart disease.
An average cup of coffee contains 80 to 100 milligrams of caffeine. Researchers found that drinking six or more cups of coffee a day can increase the risk of heart disease by up to 22%.
Caffeine is a stimulant to the central nervous system that quickly boosts our alertness and energy levels. It causes the release of serotonin, dopamine and adrenaline. Because caffeine is a stimulant, it is common to experience increased alertness, higher blood pressure and a faster breathing rate.
Caffeine is also a diuretic, which causes frequent urination and may lead to dehydration. But the long term effects of high caffeine consumption can range from nervousness, insomnia, stomach irritation, and fatigue. Early research linked coffee to diseases ranging from heart disease and asthma, but updated analysis showed that many participants in those studies also smoked, which may have led researchers to confuse the ill effects of cigarettes with coffee. Caffeine can also be harmful during pregnancy, and not much is known about the effects of coffee on children.
Drinking too much coffee is also not recommended for people with anxiety disorders. As too much caffeine can cause panic and severe anxiety. Unfiltered coffee was found to contain compounds that raised the levels of bad cholesterol. Also, it was associated with higher rates of early death, experts recommend brewing coffee with a paper filter and using a moderate amount of added cream and sugar to reduce unhealthy consumption and minimize those health related risks.
Consuming too much coffee has been linked to anxiety. Hence there is a condition known as caffeine induced anxiety disorder. Caffeine itself can increase the activity within the sympathetic nervous system, leading to a form of addiction that can backfire when you try to quit or reduce your coffee consumption. When you stop drinking coffee all of a sudden, you will experience withdrawal symptoms such as headaches, tremors, irritability, anxiety, fatigue, mood swings, and difficulty concentrating.
Are you a coffee drinker?
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| Coffee art |
If so, how many cups of coffee do you drink per day?
Or do you have your own methods to stay energized during the day?
Share your thoughts in the comment section.
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