Coffee Addiction: How Much Coffee is Bad For Your Health?

How much coffee is bad for your health? For many of us, drinking a cup of coffee first thing in the early morning is essential to our daily ritual. It makes us feel motivated, sharp, energized, 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 around the world. 

Coffee Addiction: How Much Coffee is Bad For Your Health?
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According to Healthline the moderate intake of coffee is 2 to 4 cups a day. And moderate coffee intakers were found to be less likely to develop type 2 diabetes, endometrial and liver cancers, Parkinson's and heart diseases, and depression. It's even possible that coffee intakers reduce their risk of early death. But how much coffee is bad for your health? 

Strong evidence nowadays shows that drinking coffee has several health benefits and moderate coffee consumption can be incorporated into a healthy diet. Coffee contains antioxidants and other beneficial nutrients that can improve our health. In one study scientists, found that participants who drank decaffeinated coffee or none at all had higher rates of heart disease than those who drank two or one coffee a day. 

But much like everything else we consume, increasing a moderate consumption of coffee can lead to health problems. In one study, scientists found that one cup of coffee contains more than 1,000 chemical compounds, which may also affect health and heart disease risks. But for coffee and caffeine to affect the heart very high amount must be consumed. 

Consuming high levels of caffeine causes high blood pressure, which is a major factor in cardiovascular diseases. On an average 80 to 100 mg of caffeine remains present in one cup of coffee. Scientists found that drinking more than 6 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 (CNS) that quickly boosts our alertness and energy levels.

This stimulant causes the release of adrenaline, serotonin, and dopamine. Because caffeine is a stimulant, it is common to experience alertness, faster breathing rate, and high blood pressure. Caffeine is also a diuretic, which causes frequent urination, and may lead to dehydration. But the long-term effects of high caffeine intake can range from fatigue, stomach irritation, insomnia, and nervousness. 

An early study linked coffee to diseases ranging from asthma to heart disease but an updated analysis indicated that many participants in those studies also smoked, which may have led scientists to confuse the ill effects of cigarettes with coffee. Caffeine can also be harmful during pregnancy, and not much is known about its effects on children. 

Drinking high levels of coffee is also not recommended for people with depression and anxiety disorders, as high levels of caffeine can cause severe anxiety and panic. Unfiltered coffee was found loaded with compounds that raise the amount of bad cholesterol. Also, coffee was associated with higher rates of early death. 

Scientists recommend brewing coffee with a paper filter and using a medium level of added sugar and cream to reduce unhealthy intake and minimize those health-related risks. Drinking too much coffee has linked to anxiety, Therefore, there is a special condition known as a caffeine-induced anxiety disorder

Caffeine can increase the activity within the sympathetic nervous system (SNS), leading to a form of addiction that can backfire when you try to quit or reduce your coffee intake. When you stop taking coffee all of a sudden, you will experience withdrawal symptoms such as tremors, headaches, difficulty concentrating, mood swings, fatigue, irritability, and anxiety. 

Are you a coffee drinker? If so, how many cups of coffee do you consume per day? Or do you have your methods to stay active during the day? Share your thoughts in the comments section. 


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