What is the very first thought that enters your mind when you wake up on a Monday morning?
If you’re anything like the average American, you’re fuzzy and disoriented and can only think of one thing: Coffee! Or that is pretty much what most of us think every morning.
Lives are so busy these days, there’s endless stress, things to do, places to go to, people to see, and more – so much that sometimes it feels like there aren’t enough hours in a day to accomplish all that you have to – and when you’re feeling like that, there’s really only one lifeline and that’s coffee.
Seemingly harmless, right? It’s just a beverage that tends to wake us up and give us the necessary energy to function through the day.
You know how they say that excess of anything in life is harmful? Well, the same principle applies to caffeine consumption. There are people who don’t think twice about drinking 4 or 5 cups of coffee in a day, with two straight up first thing in the morning. However, there is a majority of people that are unfamiliar with the fact that the medically allowed safe limit for coffee consumption is only 400 grams – which equates to a little less than 4 average sized cups of brewed coffee.
Caffeine has a number of benefits – It’s one of the best stimulants in the world – cheapest too. It can boost physical and mental performance, helps lose weight and fat, provides a variety of essential antioxidants for your body’s protection, reduces the risk of diabetes, helps fight depression, and so much more.
At the same time though, there are more than a few disadvantages, and horrible repercussions of overindulging in caffeine. Here are some of the worst possible health disadvantages of a caffeine overdose.
Caffeine Hypersensitivity
As a stimulant, caffeine can boost your heart and brain’s functionality. However, too much of caffeine can over stimulate both. On average, a human should easily be able to tolerate approximately 3 to 4 cups of coffee. If you consistently overindulge in coffee, you might develop sensitivity to the beverage, which might cause unfavorable side effects. People that are highly stressed and have a high blood pressure are more prone to develop caffeine hypersensitivity.
Infertility
According to one particular research, women that over-indulge in caffeine are risking infertility with prolonged consumption. It can reduce muscular activity of the fallopian tubes – the pathway responsible for delivering the female eggs to the womb. What’s more, caffeine is known to cause fetal complications when consumed during the pregnancy.
Acid Reflux
Caffeine, as a stimulant is known to have a relaxing effect on the esophagus or the food track. This allows the stomach’s acid to regurgitate and travel up the esophageal tract leading to significant heartburn.
Anxiety
It’s well established that caffeine is a stimulant. It stimulates the central nervous system to increase your heart-rate, increases adrenaline levels in your body causing muscle jitters and tremors, and heightens all the senses leading to an overwhelming number of sensations in the body at the same time. This can lead to sensitive and susceptible people to feeling increasingly anxious and unsettled.
Whatever your caffeine consumption may be, it is highly recommended that you consult your primary care physician at regular intervals for a complete physical checkup to ensure an optimal bill of health. To schedule an appointment with Dr. Shalin Parikh for an annual physical checkup please call 469-262-5762 or visit www.healthonemedicine.com for more information.