Enjoying a cup or two of coffee each morning may be part of your routine. You may also have a cup in the afternoon for a quick pick-me-up. Consuming too much caffeine may have adverse effects on your health. Limit your caffeine intake throughout the day and replace some of your caffeinated beverages with water, juice or caffeine-free tea. There are some conditions that may benefit from caffeine. Check with your physician before you use caffeine to treat an illness.
Insomnia, Nervousness and Shaking
The average adult can safely consume up to 300 mg, or two to four cups of coffee, each day. You are not able to store caffeine but it is quickly absorbed and sent to the brain when it enters your body. The only way for caffeine to exit your body is through urination. When you start to feel jittery, drink water to help flush your system of the excess caffeine so you can feel back to normal. MayoClinic.com suggests not drinking any caffeine eight hours before your bedtime. Consuming caffeinated beverages late in the day may interrupt your sleep patterns. This will cause you to feel groggy the next day and you will have a desire to drink more caffeinated beverages. You will continue to repeat this cycle if you do not limit your intake throughout the day and eliminate consumption in the afternoon.
Arrhythmia and Hypertension
Consuming large amounts can cause an arrhythmia, or fast, irregular heart beat. You may notice a fluttering in your chest or feel like your heart is racing. Stop your caffeine intake if this occurs. You may want to notify your physician if you experience these symptoms often. While fluttering is not dangerous for many adults, it may lead to something more serious. A study conducted by the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center in 2000 showed a positive correlation between caffeine intake and high blood pressure. Consuming caffeine while you are under stress may cause high blood pressure. If you are at risk for hypertension or if you are overly stressed, keep your caffeine consumption to a minimum.
Brain Cancer
Drinking coffee and tea may help prevent glioma, which is a type of brain cancer. This type of cancer affects the central nervous system. According to the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, drinking 1/2 cup of regular caffeinated coffee and tea may lower your risk of glioma by 34 percent.
Parkinson's Disease
The National Institutes of Health reports that caffeine from green tea may have a positive effect on the symptoms of Parkinson's disease. Caffeine stimulates the central nervous system, which is affected by Parkinson's disease. Consuming regular green tea may improve the function of vital brain messengers.
References
- Mayo Clinic: Caffeine
- National Institutes of Health: Green Tea
- Mayo Clinic: Heart Arrhythmias
- University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center: Additive pressor effects of caffeine and stress in male medical students at risk for hypertension.
- U.S. Department of Health & Human Services: Can Coffee, Tea Lower Brain Cancer Risk?
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