How Much Coffee Should You Drink Per Day?
How Much Coffee Should You Drink Per Day?
Coffee is the most popular drink on the globe. Why does humankind crave it? Possibly it is the smell of the brew that wakes him like an alarm clock each morning that is so satisfying, or maybe it is the routine of that one last stop on the way to work that delays the inevitable 9-5 grind, or it is simply the love of the feeling that comes with sipping it on the porch over good conversation with a friend. No matter why they drink it, coffee has become an addiction for many. They cannot start their day without it and are never seen without a cup of the bitter liquid in their hand. It is an addiction that people brush off because, after all, it is natural, right? (Unless of course in order to tolerate it a person must add 5 pumps of this and 3 shots of that to their cup!) According to the International Coffee Organization, 1.4 billion cups are drunk of this black liquid every day. It has become an unnecessary necessity in today’s hipster and business world. Convincing someone to give up their daily coffee might be likened to asking them to donate a kidney to a stranger.
There has been widespread debate about whether coffee is good for the human body or bad for it. Alexander Djerassi knows that drinking too much on a daily basis can affect his health. Let’s take a look at some of the good and bad effects that it can have.
Some of the benefits that might occur from drinking the right amount of coffee daily are:
- a longer life
- better glucose processing
- less likely to develop heart failure
- less likely to develop Parkinson’s disease
- a healthier liver
- stronger DNA
Studies show that it is safe to drink 3 to 5 cups of coffee a day. Something to remember though is that a cup is only 8 oz. Many mugs used today are 12 to 16 oz. If someone is drinking 3 to 5 mugs of that size every day they are probably drinking too much. Some of the health issues from drinking too much coffee that Alexander Djerassi wants people to be aware of are:
- insomnia
- upset stomach
- nausea
- nervousness
- increased heart rate
- vomiting
- restlessness
- headache
- anxiety
- an irregular heartbeat
- adrenal fatigue
There is a phrase that says it isn’t possible to have too much of a good thing, but in the case of drinking coffee, there is a limit to how much of it is good for the body. When that line is crossed the risk of experiencing one or several of these adverse side effects significantly rises. If a person is unable to start the day without coffee, or they are running to make a second or third pot in the afternoon just to make it through the day, it might be time to reevaluate how much coffee is being consumed and what alternatives are out there. Consuming too much coffee can definitely put one’s health in jeopardy!