7 signs you’re drinking too much coffee

Ruminating about an upcoming event or deadline can fuel your desire to grab a comforting mug of coffee. Yet, the National Institute of Mental Health in the US recommends that people who suffer from anxiety avoid caffeine. Why? Drinking too much coffee can actually worsen the effects of anxiety, either by robbing you of proper sleep or triggering your flight or fight response. In a 1990 study published in Psychosomatic Medicine, 25 men were given a moderate dose of caffeine or a placebo before a stressful task. The men, who were all regular coffee drinkers, had higher blood pressure, stress hormones, and about double the reported stress level with the caffeine compared with the placebo.

Here are 13 things you should never say to someone suffering with anxiety.

You may associate stomach pains with spoiled food or PMS cramps. You should add your morning cuppa to that list as well. In 2017, European scientists found that certain compounds in coffee stimulate the secretion of stomach acid by your stomach cells. Taking an over-counter medication like Tums can neutralise the acid short-term, but if you suspect drinking too much coffee is making your stomach hurt, think about changing your coffee consumption habits.

Here are 12 things your stomach is trying to tell you.

The feeling that your heart is beating too fast can be frightening. It may feel like your heart is trying to escape from your ribcage. These heart palpitations can be caused by the consumption of too much coffee and caffeine, nicotine, and even alcohol. In some cases, a racing heart can lead to dizziness and even fainting spells. According to a 2017 study in the journal Frontiers in Psychiatry, 94 per cent of doctors recommend patients experiencing the fluttering heart beats stop consuming caffeine.

Here are 16 signs your heart palpitations could be something way worse.

Most people know that coffee can help keep you regular, thanks to its laxative properties. Drink more than two or three cups a day, though, and you might get diarrhoea, according to the International Foundation for Gastrointestinal Disorders. If you find your bathroom issues become unmanageable, the IFFGD recommends gradual withdrawal from caffeine.

Normal or not? Here’s how to interpret your bowel movements.

Insomnia can be a telltale sign of too much coffee. Even if you swear coffee doesn’t have any effect on you, this tasty drink can still wreak havoc on your sleep cycle. Coffee’s half-life is five hours, according to the American Academy of Sleep Medicine. That means it can take several more hours for the stimulant to completely leave your system. This can increase the number of times you wake up during the night, and decrease overall time asleep. To solve this problem, try to drink that last cup of coffee no later than noon.

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Coffee makes you feel more alert, but sometimes that feeling turns into too much of a good thing. This is where the jitters come in. Caffeine speeds up your central nervous system, causing you to feel jumpy. Skip that fourth cup and stop the shakes.

A moderate amount of caffeine helps relieve a headache, by helping pain-relief medications work better, according to a study in The Journal of Headache and Pain. That’s why you’ll find caffeine as an ingredient in many over-the-counter headache drugs. However, if you drink too much coffee for a sustained amount of time (getting a daily excess of 500 mg of caffeine, or the equivalent of five cups of coffee), you can go through caffeine withdrawal. The symptoms include headaches and fatigue, found Johns Hopkins researchers. Slowly decrease your caffeine intake – and look at all the possible sources in your diet, including coffee, headache drugs, tea, soft drink, and energy drinks.

Learn 10 unexpected reasons you’re waking up with a headache.

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Source: RD.com