How Much Caffeine Is Too Much?

How much is too much?

For many people caffeine helps them start the day, wake them up and keep them going. But not many people consider the damage a caffeine fuelled diet can cause them. Caffeine stimulates the central nervous system causing an increase in wakefulness.

Heavy Coffee Drinkers, Beware:

For most people a moderate amount of caffeine (think about 2 to 4 cups of brewed coffee, or about 200-300mg of caffeine a day) isn’t harmful, although some people are definitely more sensitive to the effects of caffeine than others. However, if you are consuming more than 500-600mg a day; or about four to seven cups of coffee a day (or more) you fall into the category of heavy caffeine use, which can affect your health. Heavy caffeine consumption can cause effects such as; irritability, nervousness, restlessness, insomnia, fast or irregular heartbeat and anxiety.

Caffeine also affects your sleeping habits. It keeps you from falling asleep at night and shortens the amount of sleep you get a night. It also effects how restful you are when you sleep and causes you to wake up more times a night.

Reduce your consumption:

If you fall under the category of drinking too much caffeine you might want to consider cutting down. Here are some suggestions for those considering cutting down:

• Take note about how much caffeine you are consuming: The amount may be more than you think.
• Cut Back: Do this gradually; this gets your body used to having a lower level of caffeine.
• Drink Decaf: Most decaf drinks taste the same as ones with caffeine.
• Drink Herbal Tea: Herbal tea doesn’t contain a stimulant. Another option is you can brew your tea for a shorter amount of time, hence reducing the caffeine content.  

References:

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/caffeine/NU00600

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