A cup of coffee in the morning is an exceptional routine in most of our day-to-day life. It makes us more energized and focused on our day-to-day activities. According to British Coffee Association, over 2 billion cups of coffee are consumed every day worldwide. Coffee is loaded with antioxidants and other active substances that can reduce internal inflammation and less likely to develop several diseases like Parkinson’s disease, depression, type 2 diabetes, liver, and endometrial cancers, etc.
How much coffee should you have in a day depends on who you are? Caffeine tolerance is different for everyone. The ideal quantity of coffee for each individual varies based on factors like age, weight, health conditions and medications. If you are healthy caffeine is safe in moderate amounts. So, let’s just define what a moderate amount of coffee is. According to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, Healthy adults shouldn’t consume more than 400 milligrams (mg) of caffeine per day. That’s equal to about four 8-ounce cups of brewed coffee. Teens should limit their caffeine intake to less than 100 mg per day. That’s equal to about one 8-ounce cup of coffee. Caffeine content can vary depending on the type of coffee. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has cautioned that caffeine in powder or liquid form can provide toxic levels of caffeine. Just one teaspoon of powdered caffeine is equivalent to about 28 cups of coffee. Such high levels of caffeine can cause serious health problems and may lead to death.
Caffeine isn’t safe for everyone.
- People taking anti-anxiety medications.
- People with heart disease or high blood pressure.
- Women who are pregnant or breastfeeding.
- Children, should avoid caffeine altogether.
Over-caffeinating can adversely affect your health. Consuming too much caffeine can lead to
- Headache
- Insomnia
- Nervousness
- Muscle tremors
- Fast heartbeat
- Irritability
- Frequent urination or inability to control urination
The biggest negative effect that coffee has on your body is the depletion of Potassium. When you drink coffee, you’re stimulating adrenaline and when you increase adrenaline you lose potassium. The tiny cells in your body have billions of sodium-potassium pumps that are generating an electrical current that plays a major role in the proper functioning of your nervous system and your muscular contraction and relaxation. You need a lot of potassium for that. Over-caffeinating may increase the work on these pumps and you’re going to end up with low potassium in your blood that’s called hypokalaemia. Caffeine has a diuretic effect; it makes you pee. It also increases diuresis basically you are losing fluid. Excessive consumption may also trigger respiratory alkalosis which might lead to potassium deficiency. Another reason for the depletion of potassium from your body is when you are consuming excess coffee you are consuming excess sugar unknowingly. Resulting in a spike in insulin. When you spike insulin, you need potassium because you’re going to be storing this glucose in the liver and muscles as glycogen. This process needs potassium. Caffeine can aggravate the production of stomach acid resulting in uncomfortable heartburn symptoms. Researchers found that drinking six or more cups of coffee a day can increase the risk of heart disease by up to 22 percent. It can also increase blood pressure and breathing rate. 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
If you are drinking more than 4 cups of caffeinated coffee each day, you should reduce your intake. Some withdrawal symptoms may arise while you are trying to cut back your coffee intake. To avoid a headache or other withdrawal symptoms, cut caffeine down gradually over several weeks.
The best way is to drink the ideal amount of coffee to get all the benefits and avoid the negative side effects.
