Secrets of coffee consumption: how many cups can we drink a day?

Caffeine consumption

Nutritionist doctor dr. Rūta Petereit says that the adverse health effects of coffee are evaluated by the amount of caffeine it contains. According to her, for a healthy adult, the amount of caffeine is 300 milligrams, which would correspond to approximately 2 large cups of coffee per day.

“If the coffee does not come from the machine, we appreciate that a cup contains 250 milliliters and 2 teaspoons of coffee. Two cups would contain about 300 milligrams of caffeine. If a person has cardiovascular disease or a woman is pregnant, it is recommended to drink less coffee so that caffeine is not consumed more than 200 milligrams per day, one or two small cups, “says the specialist.

According to dr. Mr Petereit, it must be remembered that chocolate, various tonic drinks and even tea have caffeine. It ensures that a person can only get more caffeine than recommended by drinking only one cup of coffee, but by eating chocolate and drinking tonic drinks and teas.

“Coffee itself is not that dangerous, but too much caffeine can pose a health risk and should not be abused.” You must see what we drink with coffee to see if there is much chocolate. Sometimes students say they eat more than one bar of that chocolate before the test, which can also have a lot of caffeine.

It is important to remember that caffeine is absorbed through the gastrointestinal tract, so the strongest effect of caffeine is 30 minutes after consumption. Coffee has a diuretic effect: it expels liquids from the body, so it should be remembered that if you drink a cup of coffee, you should drink a glass of water accordingly. It is not necessary to drink it immediately after coffee, you should do it whenever you want, it is important to drink the appropriate liquids the same day. Many people do not drink water, and it is necessary for the body ”, emphasizes the importance of water.

Effects of caffeine overdose

According to the doctor, a caffeine overdose can have a negative effect on health. According to the nutritionist, in case of severe cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure, attention should be paid to the amount of caffeine consumed.

“Recently suffering from diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, such as various gastritis, gastritis, inflammatory bowel disease, inflammation of the pancreas and liver, coffee is definitely not recommended in the acute period, not even that cup. It all depends on the course of the disease, the acute period, nobody really thinks about that coffee. It is always necessary to consult a doctor and then decide, because it is very individual, “he explains.

The effects may not be noticeable immediately

According to dr. R. Petereit, coffee improves general alertness, invigorates, since caffeine stimulates the central and peripheral nervous system, but can increase heart rate and blood pressure, increase breathing, tinnitus, urination, even abdominal pain , nausea vomiting According to her, if a person drinks a lot of coffee but does not feel any bad symptoms, it should be understood that caffeine is absorbed individually in the gastrointestinal tract and the negative health effects may not be immediate, but after an hour or even a few.

“Higher levels of caffeine cause a faster heartbeat, but it is different for everyone. If a person drinks 3 cups of coffee a teaspoon, it does not exceed the daily norm. When we feel the negative effects of caffeine (increased heart rate , high blood pressure), means thinking and reducing the amount of coffee.

Although there are no signs, but a person drinks more than 2 cups of coffee a day, they should pay attention to when and why they drink that coffee, maybe it is just a habit, maybe they should replace coffee with water or tea. Health problems must be addressed before there are concrete signs of deterioration. Drinking coffee seems to give positive symptoms, it is said to help you work harder, prolong the duration of mental activity, less headaches, but there are also negative effects on insomnia and imbalance. The positive and negative benefits must be weighed, one or two cups will definitely not harm a healthy person, “he concludes.

What happens if you drink too much coffee?

According to another doctor, nutritionist Evelina Cikanavičiūtė, it is not entirely clear how much coffee we can drink per day, but 400 milligrams of caffeine per day is believed to be a safe amount. According to her, depending on the type of coffee, a cup of coffee can contain up to 200 milligrams of caffeine.

“Firstly, the amount of coffee consumed directly depends on how much a person likes it and has time to drink it. Indirectly, coffee consumption may depend on the level of caffeine tolerance, which can be individual and variable throughout Coffee consumption can also be caused by the development of possible symptoms related to caffeine consumption.

Drinking too much coffee can cause headaches, tiredness, weakness, drowsiness, decreased concentration and mood, anxiety, irritability, increased muscle tension, tremors, nausea and vomiting, and palpitations. There is evidence that regular and abundant coffee consumption can lead to caffeine dependence. In addition, it must be taken into account that in some cases coffee is drunk with additives (sugar, syrups, milk), so a large amount of such coffee drinks can lead to weight gain and related diseases, “reveals the specialist.

Coffee is not the enemy.

According to E. Cikanavičiūtė, there are almost no cases where coffee is prohibited, but there are diseases or conditions in which coffee may not be recommended. According to her, in the practice of nutritionists it is more often a matter of gastrointestinal disorders (for example, gastroesophageal reflux disease, irritable bowel syndrome), eating disorders and, in exceptional cases, cardiovascular diseases that are difficult to control.

“So far, there are people who feel guilty about drinking coffee and trying to quit. However, there is no such objective, because there is evidence that coffee consumption is associated with better cognitive function, it has liver protection functions, it can improve physical performance and help lose weight, because it has properties to suppress appetite ” , emphasizes coffee.