Most of us take a cup of coffee or tea in the morning to wake ourselves up and sometimes drink soda in the afternoon or lunchtime to refresh ourselves. We know that all these drinks contain caffeine and it’s normal. But how much can our body take? Is it harmful if we consume too much caffeine?
U.S. individuals who are in good health According to the Food and Drug Administration, 400 milligrams of caffeine, or roughly four 8-ounce cups of standard brewed coffee, is a safe quantity to consume daily. However, depending on your weight, tolerance, and other medical issues, the effects of caffeine can vary substantially. In order to recognize your limitations and prevent consuming too much caffeine, you must pay attention to your body.
Too much Caffeine may cause these symptoms:
- Anxiety: Drinking too much coffee might make you tense and irritated.
- Sleep Issues: Caffeine use might make it difficult to get to sleep and stay asleep.
- Gastrointestinal Problems: Excessive coffee consumption may cause loose stools or diarrhea.
- Increased thirst: Since caffeine is a diuretic, you could experience increased thirst after consuming too much of it.
- Addictive: Because it is addictive, you could require more and more of it to achieve the same results. On the other hand, quitting caffeine could result in withdrawal symptoms like headaches.
- Increased Blood Pressure: Caffeine raises blood pressure because it stimulates the nervous system, even though it doesn’t appear to increase the risk of heart disease or stroke.
- Cardiological Issues: Because it is a stimulant, caffeine can produce irregular cardiac rhythms or an increase in heart rate when used in excessive amounts.
- Exhaustion: People frequently experience fatigue after coffee wears off due to the “crash” of caffeine exiting their system.
Here are some tips to reduce your Caffeine consumption:
- Change to less caffeinated options: Begin lowering your caffeinated intake by selecting foods and beverages with little to no caffeine. Reduce your intake gradually to avoid the withdrawal symptoms that come with abrupt cessation. For instance, before quitting entirely, try ordering “half-caf” coffee (half regular coffee, half decaf), or switching your second cup of tea to herbal tea.
- Increase your water intake to combat fatigue and to boost your mood and vitality.
- Increase your intake of foods high in these nutrients to help you feel less tired: vitamin C, iron, magnesium, zinc, fiber, and the B complex vitamins. Milk, cheese, eggs, poultry, tuna, salmon, nuts, seeds, whole grains, and leafy green vegetables are all sources of these.
- Pay attention to the amount of caffeine in other foods: Some energy bars, supplements, and candies (we’re looking at you, chocolate-covered espresso beans) contain large amounts of the stimulant.
- Rather than coffee, choose tea. Tea frequently has less caffeine, but you should still check the labels to be sure the tea you select is caffeine-free.
- If you prefer soda, switch to seltzer so you can continue to enjoy the bubbles; if you prefer hot coffee or hot tea, drink hot chocolate or hot lemon water so you may continue to feel cozy and warm with your mug.
- Don’t quit all at once. You can ease into your new regimen by gradually reducing your caffeine intake.
Consider your sleep, energy level, and the aforementioned symptoms to determine if you consume too much.
Drinking Caffeinated beverage is basically not harmful to our body and has some benefits. But consuming too much could be harmful. The key is regulation and control. We also need to know and monitor our bodies in order to know when we are consuming too much..
If you think you’re consuming too much, use these tips to help you regulate and if you need professional help, make an appointment with a physician.
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