Fact Vs Fiction: How Much Coffee is too much coffee?

Everyone who loves waking up to a refreshing cup of coffee has probably also experienced what it’s like to drink too much coffee — jitters, sleeplessness, and harsh crashes afterward are common symptoms of coffee overindulgence. But is it possible that too much coffee could have more serious negative health effects than simply losing sleep?

In this week’s Fact or Fiction, we break down coffee’s positive and negative attributes to get to the bottom of whether your favorite Breakfast Blend is friend or foe.

The Benefits of Coffee

COFFEE HELPS BURN FAT

The caffeine in coffee raises your heart rate and therefore raises your metabolism. This can help your body break down fat faster than normal.

Coffee boosts your physical performance

If you drink a cup of black coffee an hour before a workout, you will find your performance and energy levels slightly higher. Essentially, your adrenalin levels are raised, which gives you an extra energy boost to power through your cardio routine.

Coffee assists in helping you focus better

This one is pretty intuitive: most coffee drinkers can attest to the boost it provide to their senses and focus. Science agrees: it’s been proven that coffee can help boost your attention.

Coffee CAN IMPROVE YOUR MOOD

The caffeine in coffee doesn’t just stimulate your heart and your mind: it also impacts your nervous system and helps to produce more mood enhancing chemicals like dopamine, serotonin, and noradrenaline.

However, despite all the ways drinking coffee in moderation can benefit your body, overconsumption has just a propensity to cause harm.

The Downsides of Coffee

COFFEE CAN CAUSE INSOMNIA

The caffeine in coffee, dependent on how much you ingest, can cause you to struggle to fall and stay asleep. Too much coffee can make anyone agitated and restless, but overuse can be downright dangerous for those who suffer from caffeine sensitivity.

Coffee can be toxic

The coffee you typically encounter day-to-day can’t harm you, but overripe or improperly prepared coffee beans can be extremely damaging to the health of those who consume it. Mistakes or incompetence at the coffee bean processing plant could have serious implications for coffee drinkers.

Coffee aggravates cholesterol levels

For those with already high cholesterol levels, coffee should be consumed in moderation. Cholesterol levels higher than normal can increase your risk of heart attack or stroke. However, for high-cholesterol coffee lovers, filtered coffee can mitigate this problem.

At the end of the day, for most responsible drinkers, coffee consumption will probably not negatively influence their health, and might even have positive effects. But just like anything else, moderation is key to maintaining a healthy lifestyle — it might be a smart idea to switch that Venti for a Grande next time you’re in line at Starbucks.