Health Effects of Coffee

The Health Effects of Coffee

Because coffee has a naturally high concentration of caffeine, its health effects have been studied in depth. One 8 ounce cup of coffee has between 100 and 200 milligrams of caffeine, with the average being around 135. Per ounce, coffee has the single highest caffeine concentration of any naturally made beverage (excluding certain energy drinks). What’s more, since disclosure about caffeine content isn’t required by the United States government, it’s often a challenge to figure out just how much caffeine you’re consuming. According to most studies, the average American consumes between 200 and 400 milligrams of caffeine per day – about 2 to 3 cups of coffee. In this article, we’ll go in depth to figure out just what that caffeine consumption’s effects on health are.

Caffeine’s Immediate Effects

Every time you take a sip of coffee, caffeine molecules enter the bloodstream, and eventually the brain. Because of its chemical structure, it fits in the brain’s adenosine receptors, effectively dampening their function. While you might think that brain sensor dampening would have a sedative effect, the blocking of these receptors actually does just the opposite. As the caffeine molecules go two work, several effects are immediately noticeable.

Just a few moments after caffeine consumption, its effects begin. The first thing the caffeine consumer will notice is an almost immediate “wake up” feeling. This is the caffeine reacting with those adenosine receptors in the brain, mimicking natural sources of energy. As this happens, heart rate increases, attentiveness increases, brain activity increases, and blood flow typically rises moderately. These immediate effects are a big reason why caffeine and coffee are so popularly consumed, especially in the morning. They serve to increase the average person’s alertness significantly, helping them feel “fresh” and ready for the day. But along with these intended effects come some unintended side effects. Most notable is caffeine’s action as a diuretic, which is basically just an increase in urine flow and decrease in retained water in the body. As many coffee drinkers know, the urge to use the bathroom typically comes pretty quickly once caffeine is consumed.

Caffeine Over-cunsumption

At one point or another, almost every coffee drinker has experienced the results of having one cup too many. Also known as caffeine intoxication or overdose, over-consumption of caffeine essentially ramps up its intended effects to uncomfortable levels..Generally, it happens to people with either a low tolerance for caffeine or those who consume more than 600 milligrams in a day.

To know whether you’ve overdone it with the coffee, there are several symptoms to look for. First and foremost are the psychological effects. Going overboard on caffeine will, for a time, make you more anxious, irritable, and restless. The heart, meanwhile, will race almost as if the caffeine drinker is engaging in intense aerobic exercise. In some relatively rare cases, the heart will even beat with an abnormal rhythm. In the muscles, an overdose of caffeine typically results in over-activity. Twitching and trembling of the extremities – especially the hands and fingers – is very common. Other symptoms to keep an eye out for include dizziness, headache, ringing ears, and blurry vision. As uncomfortable as a caffeine overdose might be, there’s no need for the average coffee drinker to worry. It would take 80 to 100 cups of coffee consumed pretty much as fast as possible for caffeine to be potentially lethal in humans.