Experts Reveal Drinking Too Much Coffee Can Harm Your Health

Most of us start our day drinking a cup of coffee. Our day doesn’t seem complete without taking a sip of this black and bitter beverage that gives us the energy boost and spike that we need. If you’re a hard-core coffee lover, you can even drink as many cups as you want.

As much as you want to indulge yourself in coffee, the health experts warn you shouldn’t overdo it. Why? It’s because drinking too much caffeine may cause more harm than good to your health.

The Recommendation

According to the Mayo Clinic, the recommended caffeine intake per day is 400 mg. Drinking coffee spikes and stimulates your brain’s alertness – which causes you to be attentive in whatever you’re doing.

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Drinking coffee makes you feel jittery and alert as you go through your work or studies.

Aside from that, recent studies reveal drinking coffee reduces your risk of acquiring chronic diseases like diabetes and heart attack. However, it might be a different case if you consume more than the recommended daily caffeine intake.

The Side Effects

According to the renowned pharmacist Lindsey Elmore, drinking too many cups of coffee can trigger fast and irregular heartbeats. It can also trigger your anxiety if you’re already suffering from it. It also caused dizziness and diarrhea to some people. The worst part? Once you’ve become used to drinking coffee every day, it makes it difficult for you to skip it.

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Other people experienced headaches when they skip drinking coffee even for a day.

You’ll also experience horrible withdrawal symptoms like irritability once you miss drinking caffeine. Aside from that, most coffee-lovers suffered insomnia since the caffeine suppresses the production of melatonin hormones responsible for regulating your sleeping pattern.

Other Severe Problems

Elmore also states heavy coffee drinkers may also suffer from severe symptoms like confusion, chest pains, and vomiting. If you’re experiencing these symptoms, she recommends seeking medical attention immediately. Elmore says there’s a reason why most people experience these side effects physically.

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Coffee exacerbates the chronic stress we experience in our environment, which wrecks your body’s system.

It’s because caffeine is a natural stimulant which triggers stress in our body. While acute stress is good occasionally, especially in fight or flight situations, dealing with chronic stress becomes detrimental to your body.

How Stress Destroys Our Body

Dr. Lisa Samuels of The Happy House also says caffeine triggers your pituitary gland to release more adrenaline hormones. This stress hormone prepares your body in dealing with dangerous situations (even if you’re not facing a dire situation).

Once you’re under stress, your body stops reaping the health benefits you initially get from drinking coffee. Instead, you start having an upset stomach, frequent urination, and cramping. These dire symptoms drain and exhaust your body further – which makes it harder for you to get through the day.

How to Limit Your Caffeine Intake

You may be tempted to quit drinking coffee abruptly, but the experts do not recommend you do it. It’s because you’ll experience withdrawal symptoms like fatigue, nausea, and headaches. Instead, they suggest you lessen your caffeine intake every day.

For example, you can start switching to drinking decaffeinated coffee.  Then, gradually decrease the number of cups you drink every day. Once you get used to it, Samuels recommends switching to drinking healthier alternatives like coconut water, kombucha, or tea. You can also sip hot water if you want.
According to Kelly Springer, RD, drinking hot water stimulates and warms your body without stressing it. Aside from that, water hydrates your body for it to function well.

Getting An Energy Boost

If you’re still low in energy, the health experts recommend you exercise to get your body moving like stretching at your desk or going for a short walk. Aside from revitalizing your energy, exercising also lifts your mood since it lowers your stress levels while increasing your happy hormones. Moreover, don’t forget to have enough hours of sleep to let your body heal.