The # 1 warning sign that you’re drinking too much coffee, according to science

© Provided by Eat This, Not That!
decaffeinated coffee

We are a country that runs on coffee. In fact, polls show that 65% of Americans drink coffee regularly. While many of us indulge in just one cup of coffee, 68% of Americans polled in a recent Statista poll said they drink more than 2 cups of coffee per day, with some having more than 11 cups! Between 2 and 3 cups of coffee per day was the most frequently reported response, with 44% of American adults drinking this much java on a regular basis.

These results are consistent with many estimates which suggest that adults consume an average of 180 to 190 milligrams of caffeine per day, or the equivalent of two to three cups of coffee; however, some studies have shown that young adults can average between 250 and 300 milligrams. (Related: 100 Most Unhealthy Foods On The Planet.)

If you are part of this team of coffee drinkers, consider yourself safe. Experts believe that moderate daily intake of caffeine of up to 400 milligrams per day is safe. In fact, drinking coffee in moderation has amazing health benefits, such as increased energy levels and lower risk of chronic health conditions such as type 2 diabetes, Alzheimer’s disease, and certain types of cancer.

However, once you consume more than 400 milligrams of caffeine per day, you may start to experience negative symptoms.

Some dangerous side effects of drinking coffee include the risk of high blood pressure, headaches, and disturbed sleep quality.

How do you know if you are drinking too much coffee? You don’t necessarily have to count your drinks (although that would help) – it is possible to tell if you are consuming too much caffeinated drink by thinking about your mental state.

A recent study identified five physical and psychological symptoms that were most closely related to excessive caffeine consumption. The symptom most strongly associated with excessive caffeine consumption was to feel trapped or caught.

A 2020 study published in the journal food, investigated how the amount of caffeine people consumed related to measures of physical and mental health.

The researchers interviewed 727 college students and asked them how much caffeine they drank per day. They also asked participants to report their mental health status, as measured with the Hopkins Symptom Checklist: a self-report symptom inventory widely used to screen for psychological distress, anxiety, and depression. .

The researchers found that participants who consumed too much caffeine (more than 400 milligrams of caffeine per day) had a statistically significant difference for five out of 25 symptoms: feelings of worthlessness, worrying too much about things, episodes of terror or panic, headaches, and – the symptom most strongly associated with excessive caffeine intake – feeling trapped or taken in.

So even if there is a physical sign that you are drinking too much coffee (headache), you are more likely to know if you are drinking too much coffee by assessing your mental state.

The caffeine in coffee is a stimulant. It works by blocking a brain chemical that makes you feel tired, while also triggering the release of energy-boosting adrenaline, according to a review by the Journal of Neurochemistry. Adrenaline will speed up your heart, raise your body temperature, and increase your breathing rate. So while it helps you feel more attentive and focused, it can also mimic anxiety.

This is why most of the symptoms reported by participants are related to anxiety.

It is important to note that these symptoms are self-reported and the researchers could not conclude that caffeine was the cause of these feelings; however, they were more strongly associated with caffeine consumption than other anxious feelings. Because there are other causes of these thoughts and feelings, such as generalized anxiety disorder, feeling trapped or grabbed or worrying does not necessarily mean that you are drinking too much coffee. If you drink more than 4 cups of coffee per day and having these feelings, it may be a sign that you should cut down on your morning beer.

Consider cutting back on caffeine and see if your mood changes. To help reduce your intake, you may want to consider replacing some of your cups of coffee with tea, as tea contains less than half the caffeine than a cup of coffee. What’s more, you can benefit from the 12 amazing side effects of drinking tea every day.

For more information on healthy eating, be sure to Subscribe to our newsletter!

Read the original article on Eat this, not that!