Are the signs that you are drinking too much coffee, according to science | The State
While caffeine is absorbed and passes rapidly to the brain, it has the peculiarity of not accumulating in the bloodstream nor is it stored in the body. It leaves the body in the urine many hours after it has been consumed. It does not count with no nutritional value, however it is valued for its ability to stimulate or excite the nervous system.
Caffeine is widely consumed thousands ago years by various cultures, as it is found naturally in the leaves, seeds and fruits of more than 60 plants, among which stand out: tea leaves, cola nuts, coffee and cocoa beans. Of specific way and how useful reference a cup of 6 ounces espresso contains of 75 to 100 mg of caffeine.
Taking up the consequences of a high daily caffeine intake, it is normal to present side effects among which are:
- Increased risk of high blood pressure
- Headaches
- Nervousness and irritability
- Heart rhythm disturbances
- Sleep quality disorders
- Tremors
- Nausea and vomiting
- Kidney disease
How do you know if you are drinking too much coffee?
Of course the most obvious way to know if you are going overboard with caffeine consumption, is count the number of cups of coffee that you consume per day and of course add those other everyday caffeine sources. However we know that on many occasions we lose count, therefore experts point out that an infallible waye to find out if you are consuming too much caffeine, it is reflect on your state of mind. Yes! You read that right.
A recent study identified five physical and psychological symptoms that were most closely related to drinking too much caffeine. The symptom most strongly associated with excessive caffeine intake it was “feeling trapped.” This research was published in the Foods magazine, also sought to determine how the amount of caffeine consumed by people is related to physical and mental health measures.
This study included the participation of 727 college students and asked how much caffeine they drank per day, they also asked the participants to report their mental health status and which was measured with the Hopkins Symptom Checklist: a widely used symptom inventory to detect psychological distress, anxiety and depression. The researchers found that participants who consumed too much caffeine (more than 400 milligrams of caffeine per day) showed a statistically significant difference in five of the 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: feel trapped.
Therefore according to a according to a review published in the Journal of Neurochemistry, there is no doubt that typical physical signal that heralds excessive coffee consumption, are the Headaches. However in the cases of excess coffee consumption the most relevant thing is to evaluate the mental state of people. And the reason is simple: the caffeine in coffee is a stimulant and works by blocking a brain chemical that makes us feel tired, while also triggers the release of adrenaline that stimulates energy. Adrenaline will make you the heart beat faster, that body temperature and respiratory rate increase. So while this helps us feel more attentive and focused, can also actively trigger the anxiety.
In such a way that it is not surprising to understand why most symptoms of the participants are directly 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 intake What others feelings of anxiety.
The researchers concluded that because there are other causes for experience these thoughts and feelings, Like the generalized anxiety disorders, feeling trapped or worried; may not necessarily mean that we are drinking too much coffee. However it is a clear warning sign, which invites us to recapitulate our consumption habits: if you drink more than 4 cups of coffee a day and you have these feelings associated with alterations in the mint healthl, may be a latent warning for reduce the daily amount. Best of all, today we have great coffee substitutes that are a magnificent complement to drink less coffee, such is the case of different variants of teas, kombucha, infusions of ginger and medicinal spices, coconut water and various natural smoothies.
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