How much coffee should you have per day?

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How much coffee you can drink a day? How many cups of coffee are enough to not harm the body? What is the benefit of coffee and what not to drink it with?

There are many opinions among nutritionists about coffee. If a person has no contraindications and coffee is one of the favorite drinks, we can leave it on the diet.

Coffee’s useful properties

1. Coffee has a beneficial effect on your body if consumed in moderation.
2. Thanks to the action of caffeine, a cup of coffee increases efficiency, and concentration and speeds up the metabolism. The effect of vivacity lasts for a short period. However, caffeine acts differently on each person, depending on the individual sensitivity of the receptors to its effect.
3. Caffeine reduces the risk of neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s, as well as increases the liver’s resistance to pathological effects, as caffeine helps to restore liver function. By increasing the sensitivity of insulin cells, coffee reduces the risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

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But it is important what kind of coffee you drink: with or without milk. Coffee with milk can do more harm provoking the onset of type 2 diabetes. Milk has the highest level of insulin index and it can cause increasing the level of insulin in the blood.

The damage coffee can do

1. Coffee contains substances that slow down the absorption of calcium and iron. These are tannins and polyphenols. Don’t consume coffee with foods that contain iron and calcium, because coffee interferes with their absorption in the body. People with anemia and iron deficiency should avoid coffee altogether.
2. Excessive coffee consumption can also affect the hormonal system. The outrageous amount of caffeine increases the level of cortisol — a stress hormone that affects all your organs and systems. Cortisol impairs sleep quality. A person who has elevated levels of this hormone feels tired and may also have insomnia.
3. Excessive doses of caffeine lead to dehydration, drowsiness, fatigue, and loss of concentration.
4. Caffeine can increase stomach acidity. If you have inflammatory bowel disease or stomach, it is better to give up on coffee.
5. Coffee can also be addictive if you consume over 400 milligrams of caffeine daily. If you constantly exceed the daily amount of caffeine, you will become addicted to it eventually and the previous amount of coffee you drink will no longer affect you.

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How much coffee can you have per day?

It is better to consume less than 400 milligrams of caffeine per day. For example, one cup of filter coffee or espresso contains 140 mg of caffeine. Normally it can be 2–3 cups of coffee a day. For pregnant women, reduce it to 200 milligrams per day or up to one cup of espresso. For teenagers — up to 100 milligrams of caffeine a day. But pregnant women and adolescents are better off without coffee. Caffeine provokes excitability of the nervous system.

Coffee is a dose-dependent product. If you keep a balance, you will benefit from it. If you drink coffee uncontrollably, the harm from excessive caffeine consumption will outweigh the benefits. You need to monitor how your body responds to coffee. If after coffee you have high blood pressure, sweating, headache, or want to drink water constantly, these are signs of caffeine overdose. Adjust the amount of coffee you drink every day.

One cup of coffee a day or even several cups a week is doable. However, people with high blood pressure shouldn’t have coffee and strong black or green tea. Also, keep in mind that coffee is more of a morning drink. Drinking coffee after 14:00–15:00 can provoke sleep disorders.

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Should I have my coffee during or before a meal?

Drink coffee after or between meals. You should not drink coffee on an empty stomach, because coffee increases the acidity of the stomach, and dehydrates the body. Therefore, it is better to start the morning not with a cup of coffee, but with two glasses of warm water.

Can I drink coffee to cheer up?

You can, but you need to see how it affects you. If the drink gives you a long-term rise in energy, then it is possible to drink coffee to get the effect of invigoration. If the effect of vitality disappears in 1–2 hours, it is better to give up caffeine and drink other drinks. For example, it can be water with lime or lemon, or a smoothie, which is also invigorating.