How much coffee is too much coffee?


Its the question that burns in everyone’s minds. When you’re going for the coffee maker for the seventh time in the day, and you have to question how much coffee you should really be having. It is one of the world’s favorite day-time drinks, providing caffeine to those who need a little energy boost to help them get through the day. However, as with all good things, generally, they’re okay in moderation, but with everything widely on offer, it can be difficult to determine precisely what ‘moderation’ is. So, how much coffee is too much coffee?

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The physical signs

Coffee may help you to feel more awake after you’ve had your morning brew, or give you an afternoon boost once you’ve hit an energy wall. However, after several cups of coffee, you may start to see a change in your physical signs. First of all, if you find your heart starts racing and you’re suddenly feeling jittery, then it’s likely a sign you’ve had a bit too much caffeine. The best thing to do would be to avoid coffee for the rest of the day, which would be healthier for your heart and your body. Another physical sign includes headaches and stomach aches. Of course, this may be a sign of something else, but if all you’ve had is a lot of coffee, then it might be a sign to switch to a healthier option, such as water.

Coffee isn’t enough

While coffee is a drink which can contribute to hydration, it is not healthy to only drink coffee or to drink coffee in place of what should be your regular water intake. The problem with caffeinated drinks such as coffee is that they make you need to use the bathroom more regularly. What this means is that you will become dehydrated very quickly if you don’t balance your daily fluid intake with water or another nourishing drink. On average, people need to drink between 1.2 and 1.5 liters of water a day to keep them hydrated, and this is something you might want to consider when it comes to how much coffee you’re drinking.

The recommended amount

There are general guidelines when it comes to caffeine intake, but it can vary from person to person as some people are more sensitive to caffeine than others. The basic guideline states a person should drink a maximum of 400 milligrams of caffeine, or coffee, per day. This roughly translates to four cups of coffee or ten cans of cola. It depends on the amount of caffeine in your drink, and coffee is famous for having a lot. However, some people are more sensitive to caffeine than others, which means you need to watch the signs your body is giving you.

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Caffeine tolerances will vary, so only you will know how much before you have reached your absolute limit, which could be two cups, or it could be four. However, after four cups of coffee, you have reached your recommended caffeine intake for the day, so it may be beneficial to spread these four across the course of the day; morning, mid-morning, afternoon and then a freebie. It is not recommended to drink coffee before bed because it may disturb your sleep, making you feel worse for the morning ahead.

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