Is there such a thing as ‘too much’ coffee?
Coffee may have gotten you through many a rough morning, but a few cups too many, and your daily caffeine fix may go from helping you to hurting you.
It’s a strange reality to consider, given that java has long been touted for its wealth of benefits, including improving your mood, promoting efficient use of brain power, and even fighting off disease and aiding in weight loss. The problem is that these benefits are slowly replaced by negative side effects as you start to creep beyond what studies have identified as a safe daily limit of caffeine. Needless to say, this isn’t exactly the best news for anybody who relies on frequent coffee runs throughout their day to keep them functioning.
Luckily, there’s an upside. While we hate knowing that there’s a daily limit at which we should cap our coffee intake, we don’t mind knowing that studies have generally identified that limit as about 400 mg. Translated into coffee cups, that works out to about 4 or 5 cups per day, which may be more than, or equal to, what most of us reach for during the day anyway.
In the event that you’re someone who generally goes for more than five cups of coffee a day (we’ve all been there), then it might be time to start cutting back. While side effects will differ for everyone according to individual tolerance, exceeding the safe daily limit of caffeine can cause anything from insomnia and restlessness to an upset stomach and muscle tremors. Then again, there are those whose low caffeine tolerance has left them with similar side effects after as little as one cup of coffee.
So here’s the bottom line: there (unfortunately) is such a thing as too much coffee. While studies have given us an idea of how much that generally is, the real key to finding your coffee sweet spot comes down to knowing your body, and drinking in moderation. So by all means, grab a triple venti nonfat, no-foam latte on your morning coffee run if that’s how you like to start your day. Just maybe stick to a solo tall when you go out for your afternoon coffee run.
