Anyone who drinks a lot of coffee has probably experienced the normal effects of drinking too much. Too much coffee can result in not being able to sleep, heart burn, nervousness, and even a fast or skipping heartbeat. We know that coffee, over the long haul, is good for our health and that the benefits go up as we drink more each day topping out at about six cups a day. Unfortunately many folks who might benefit from six cups a day to hold off conditions like type II diabetes find that they cannot tolerate that much. So, how much coffee is too much?
What Is Too Much Coffee?
We can break down the issue of too much coffee into three categories. How much causes short term discomfort? How much can cause lasting medical problems? How much is a threat to your life? On the short term issue whatever amount of coffee late in the day keeps you up all night is too much. However much coffee makes you nervous, jittery or gives you a racing heart is too much. However much coffee gives you heart burn is also too much.
Too Much Coffee Over the Long Term
Most adults drink up to four cups of coffee a day or about four hundred milligrams of caffeine without having any serious side effects. The amount of coffee that you drink commonly gets to be a problem at about six hundred milligrams of caffeine which is about six cups a day. This is the amount where folks get insomnia, constantly feel nervous, have constant heart burn and ulcer symptoms and experience heart and cardiovascular issues.
Heartburn as a Long Term Problem
The caffeine in coffee stimulates acid secretion in the stomach. Too much acid results in gastritis and ulcers. If one is prone to acid reflux, too much acid leads to esophagitis which, when chronic and lead to esophageal strictures food sticking in the esophagus and medical emergencies. As noted by the Cleveland Clinic, chronic reflux can lead to a condition called Barret’s Esophagus which can be a precursor to esophageal cancer.
Coffee and High Blood Pressure
If drinking the amount of coffee that you are used to raises your blood pressure you will want to be aware of that and consult with your doctor. For many years it was thought that a blood pressure less than 140/90 was OK but research has shown that 120/80 is ideal and all levels creeping up the 140/90 level are problematic. Thus it is always wise to know what your blood pressure is and, if you are a coffee drinker, it is wise to know how the amount of coffee that you drink each day affects your pressure. Long term elevation of your blood pressure even to a moderate degree affects your heart, kidneys, brain, and blood vessels. We know that coffee drinkers benefit from the beverage but do not be the exception to the rule. Know you blood pressure and know what amount of coffee per day is OK for you and your pressure.
How Much Coffee Is Potentially Lethal?
Thank goodness the amount of coffee per day that is potentially an overdose runs around twenty-eight cups a day but can vary from person to person. When overdoses do occur they are rarely just from coffee but from combining coffee with powdered caffeine or stimulant drinks. With truly excessive levels of caffeine the heart does not just go fast or skip beats but goes in ventricular fibrillation and then cardiac arrest. None of this has to do with a normal coffee drinker. Rather it occurs with experimenting with things like powdered caffeine and energy drinks on to of normal coffee consumption!
How Much Coffee Should You Drink?
Unless you are unusually sensitive to caffeine a cup or two a day of coffee should not be any problem and if you are not prone to short term side effects like jitteriness or insomnia, three our four cups a day is likely just fine. Along the way having a routine annual physical and checking your blood pressure is always an excellent idea.