The possible health benefits and also the contraindications of coffee are a controversial issue that is being focused on by new studies that continue to investigate the effects that this universally consumed beverage has on our body. Is coffee bad? This is the question that, at some point, we have all asked ourselves and, in this sense, it must be said that coffee, in itself, is not bad, because the grain with which it is made is a food rich in antioxidants that They reduce the action of free radicals that cause cell aging. The problem is that excessive intake could trigger or aggravate certain ailments.
Nervousness and anxiety
One of the main components of coffee is caffeine , a natural substance that is present in other plants and foods such as tea leaves, cocoa and processed products such as cola or energy drinks.
Caffeine is an alkaloid with stimulating effects that especially affect the central nervous system. Taken in the right doses, it favors a general and positive stimulation in the body as a whole, both when carrying out physical and sports activities as well as mental and cognitive activities, but in high amounts, this stimulation of the nervous system can be excessive and harmful , increasing anxiety and damage caused by situations of prolonged stress.
Digestive problems
Although each organism is different, coffee has a slight laxative effect and an abusive intake could end up triggering episodes of diarrhea and abdominal pain . In addition, caffeine favors the increase in the production of acids in the stomach during the digestive process, which is why, especially people who suffer from heavy digestion, gastric reflux or have stomach ulcers, can see these ailments increased with excessive intake of caffeine. coffee.
If you feel symptoms that can be related to these problems, the first thing is that you stop drinking coffee and other irritating foods . Then, we advise you to consult your doctor to see if your problem has really been caused by abusing coffee or if there is another origin and what to do about it.
Increased blood pressure
It has been shown that the caffeine contained in coffee exerts a slight vasoconstrictor effect on the veins and arteries of our circulatory system. This is the reason why, in high amounts, it can cause an increase in blood pressure , which is inadvisable especially in hypertensive people.
If this is your case, we recommend you read this other article about How to eat if I have high blood pressure , bearing in mind that it is a good idea to start by reducing or eliminating coffee from your daily life.
Incrise of cardiac frecuency
Precisely the incidence of caffeine in the activation of the nervous system, together with the vasoconstrictor effect, also means that excessive intake of coffee causes an abnormal increase in heart rate or tachycardia and other alterations, such as arrhythmias.
In this sense, it should be noted that recent studies, such as the one carried out by the National Institute of Health (NIH) of the United States, published in the specialized journal The New England Journal of Medicine [1] , have questioned the belief that Coffee consumption increases the risk of cardiovascular disease. Moreover, the study suggests that, always in moderate amounts , coffee could have a protective effect against them, reducing the risk of heart failure.
In these other articles you can learn more about What are the causes of tachycardia and What are the symptoms of tachycardia . If you feel rapid palpitations in your chest and they are not punctual or because you have been upset at that time, do not hesitate to talk to your doctor.
Dependence
If you are still wondering what can happen to you if you drink a lot of coffee in one day, you cannot forget that if it is just an isolated day, nothing special has to happen other than the increase in heart rate for a few minutes, but if you make it a habit e fact of drinking a lot of coffee, you can easily develop caffeine dependency .
That's right, in large doses, coffee could end up causing an addiction to the caffeine it contains, it can even end up triggering episodes typical of withdrawal syndrome , such as dizziness, headache or irritability in the absence of the dose at which the body he's used to it
If you think this may be your case, it is very important that you inform yourself about how to give up coffee, but it is also important that you receive the help of a health professional.
Sleep disorders
By activating our nervous system, coffee can make us feel more awake at a time when we want to be ‘alert'. However, something that in principle is not bad, in excess it is. Thus, excessive coffee can lead to problems such as insomnia and other sleep disorders, which negatively affect our rest and, therefore, our health and the development of our daily activity.
If this is your case, do not hesitate to reduce or remove coffee from your daily life, follow the Tips to sleep better and try the Home Remedies for insomnia that you will find in our posts.
How many coffees can you drink a day?
In recent years, the idea of how harmful coffee can be to health has changed radically. Experts generally agree that this stimulating drink is not bad and can be very beneficial in the right amounts. Each person is different and in relation to health, special care must be taken when indicating whether the intake of a certain food is recommended or not. The caffeine contained in a coffee does not have to be, in principle, harmful, but the possible illnesses or ailments that a person may suffer must always be taken into account. When in doubt, medical consultation is always advisable.
Recent studies indicate that moderate consumption of coffee is not bad and, based on the latest research, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) [2] indicates that the intake of up to 400 mg of caffeine, taken throughout one day, it does not entail harmful effects on the health of the general adult population (variables such as age, weight, the presence of diseases or the physical activity carried out must always be taken into account). For pregnant women, this amount is limited to half (200 mg). Therefore, if there are no medical contraindications, drink a maximum of 3 or 4 cups of coffee a day.It would not involve risk and could be good as long as we take into account the total daily consumption of caffeine, which, let us remember, is also provided by other foods and beverages (food supplements, energy drinks, cocoa) and that we follow healthy lifestyle habits. Here you can discover more Foods with caffeine that you should know to take into account the daily amount of caffeine you consume, beyond that of coffee itself.
Now that you know the consequences of drinking coffee in excess, we encourage you to continue learning about other foods and read this other article on Is it bad to drink a lot of tea? , because drinking tea is often the alternative to drinking coffee, but its effects must be taken into account.
