Is there such a thing as too much Coffee?

If you’re like me, the day does not start till I grab my cup of coffee.  I also love my afternoon cup of Joe to put a pep in my step and a post-dinner coffee to enjoy with my cookie or piece of cake.  But is this too much coffee in one day?  

So, coffee actually has some health benefits when drinking in moderation.  Consumption of coffee is linked to lower risk of cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, and Parkinson’s disease.  Coffee can also act as an anti-inflammatory and contains small amounts of potassium (missed our blog on potassium? Check it out: Four Facts on the Ins and Outs of Potassium), niacin and magnesium (both help with the production of energy).  This all sounds real good, right?  

Being a coffee drinker, of course, I love the positives and wish I could stop there, but there are some concerns with drinking coffee too. First, if we are drinking coffee around the clock, are we drinking enough water?  Don’t forget we need to stay hydrated, which unfortunately is not going to happen by drinking more coffee.  If you are a coffee lover and trying to incorporate more water into your life, after you finish your cup of Joe, your next beverage should be a cup of water.  

Second concern about drinking coffee, is caffeine content.  Caffeine recommendation is at most 400 mg of caffeine daily, which is about three to five 8 ounce cups of coffee.  Okay, stop and read that again!  I know for me, my to-go coffee mug is larger than 8 oz; although, I’d like to just think of it as “one cup,” it can add up fast!  Also, this recommendation of caffeine is for the healthy adult, so if you are pregnant, breast feeding, a child, elderly or have high blood pressure, all this caffeine isn’t ideal.  It’s best to tone it back.

Oh and one last thing about caffeine, don’t get tricked by decaf coffee!  Decaf coffee does not mean no caffeine unfortunately.  They are only able to remove about 97% of the caffeine.  Moral of the story, decaf coffee still contains a small amount of caffeine, so make sure to factor that in.  

Lastly, be careful of our fancy coffee drinks like the caramel latte or mocha cappuccino.  They sure are delicious, but likely include added sugar or heavy creams, which take away from the health benefits of the traditional coffee bean and act more like a dessert.  

Now, to sum it all up:  coffee from the coffee bean in moderation actually holds some great health benefits but just be careful not to over do it to avoid dehydration and taking in too much caffeine and added sugar.  

Cheers from the girl who wrote this sipping on her 3PM cup of coffee, 

This blog was written by Amanda J. Stahl RD, LDN, co-founder of Simple Start Nutrition.  For more blog posts and nutrition information follow @simplestartnutrition on Instagram and Facebook.  Also feel free to contact us, by visiting our website (simplestartnutrition.com) to schedule an appointment to discuss your nutrition related needs.  We’re here to help.

References: 

https://www.todaysdietitian.com/newarchives/0318p20.shtml

https://health.clevelandclinic.org/the-health-benefits-of-coffee/

https://www.eatright.org/health/wellness/preventing-illness/benefits-of-coffee

https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/wellness-and-prevention/9-reasons-why-the-right-amount-of-coffee-is-good-for-you

https://www.ncausa.org/Newsroom/NCA-releases-Atlas-of-American-Coffee