How Much Is Too Much Coffee?
I love my coffee; I can’t remember the last time I had a day without, and my first is one of my favourite parts of the day. For many of us getting our daily coffee is a ritual; it’s our chance to have a break from our sometimes mundane routine for human survival and just simply enjoy ‘being’; either by ourselves or in the presence of others.
Take coffee shops for example. Another of my favourite places to be and one of the most productive places I work from. This definitely isn’t a coincidence; while coffee makes us more aware and able to think, talk, read, write and work clearly, cafes cater to this by offering us an open and comfortable refuge from the world, often making it often too irresistible to leave.
In today’s age of high stress, lack of sleep and low energy what once was a daily habit has ballooned to 3 or 4. So the million dollar question is how many is too many?! There are thousands of research papers, articles and blogs on whether coffee is good or bad for you but the key is to listen to your body and figure out what is right for you. So lets look at the facts:
Caffeine Content
If I asked you how much caffeine you consume in a day would you know? Probably not. Here’s a quick guide:
Coffee contains anywhere from 80 (espresso) to 150 milligrams (mg) of caffeine (standard cup)
An energy drink contains around 150mg caffeine
A standard cup of tea contains around 40mg of caffeine
A standard bottle of coke contains around 40 – 60mg of caffeine
A bar of chocolate contains around 20 – 60mg of caffeine
Effects of Coffee
From a physiological perspective coffee causes our heart rate to increase, blood vessels to dilate and blood to be pumped to our peripheries. In short this puts us into our sympathetic nervous system or ‘fight or flight’ response. This is what gives us the feeling of being more alert, having more energy and what gives us that almost euphoric coffee high (or is that just me?!)
However those that over consume caffeine or are slow metabolisers of coffee could also get:
Anxiety
Restlessness
Stomach upsets
Muscle tremors
Insomnia
Nervousness
Irritability
Headaches
In theory you should be able to consume around 300mg of caffeine a day (around 3 cups) without too many negative side effects and instead benefiting from all of the good (coffee is an antioxidant for example which comes with numerous health benefits). But that doesn’t mean if you drink a cup of coffee and experience all or some of the above symptoms you should carry on your daily habit in blissful ignorance kidding yourself you are doing your body a favour.
When To Consider Cutting Your Coffee
It’s time to stop ignoring our body and listen! Our bodies are always trying to give us feedback on what is helping or hindering it; so if you are experiencing any of the above it’s time to reconsider your coffee intake.
On that note - if you get jittery after drinking just one coffee it may just be you are a lot more sensitive than others and may need to reduce your intake to even less than one a day.
If your sleep is compromised. Caffeine in the afternoon can effect our sleep; meaning a bad nights sleep, lack of energy in the morning and rushing for that first cup of coffee to pep us up again. It can be a relentless cycle. Try to take a step back and reevaluate your sleep and daily routine to see if your coffee consumption could be affecting your sleep and energy levels – address the cause not the symptoms.
If your weekly budget is 50% coffee!!! Don’t forget constantly buying coffee out can also have a massive negative effect on our bank balance.
How To Reduce Your Coffee Habit
And if you do need to cut back?
Cut Back Gradually: Swap your last coffee of the day for a herbal calming tea rather than going cold turkey and experiencing all of the negative side effects that could go with it.
Go Decaf: If you really need something to sip through sheer force of habit then go decaf! At least for your second or third coffee of the day.
Check labels on your non coffee items: Other foods and beverages can contain caffeine too and might be tipping you over the edge of what your body can process.
Savour Your Coffee: Drink mindfully not mindlessly and your ability to drink less and appreciate more will come with ease.
I may be bias (in fact I most definitely am) but coffee doesn’t have to be the devil as long as we treat it with respect. Listen to your body, keep your coffee as it was designed to be (black only of course – don’t forget milk and sugar will increase calories) and stick to less than 3 cups a day before lunch time and your body and bank balance will be thanking you later.
Happy Coffee Consumption!