Oct 25, 2014 01:17 AM EDT
Coffee- Is Caffeine Really Bad for you, How Much is too Much?

Coffee has its bonuses, but it has downside too. If you wake up in the morning with a cup of coffee or in the middle of the day to make you alert, then you are not alone.

Millions of Americans who call themselves coffee addicts can't really function in the morning without getting their first cup of coffee. The hot beverage has been part of every table meeting, acquaintances or even the most memorable events of one's life. Undeniably, it brings a lot of health benefits from lowering risk of diabetes, gallstones to Alzheimer's disease.

So how much is too much? Four cups of brewed coffee or up to 400 milligrams of caffeine daily is far enough.  It equals to two energy booster drinks or ten can of colas. A cup of caffeine everyday is not bad, but this is not the case for children and adolescents.

For people under treatments or adult's sensitive to caffeine, its effects may also be undesirable.  It does not end there, like sugar, caffeine acts as stimulant for neurotransmitter serotonin (hormone in brain that runs appetite, mood and sleep).

 Caffeine harms the body's natural ability to regulate the hormone that affects the body's reaction bringing the up and down moods after a cup of coffee.

Coffee has the capacity to play with the brain by telling you that you're still full when your body says no, you need to eat. It obstructs hunger mechanism thus depriving your body the needed nutrients for it to function right.

Consumption of 500 to 600 milligrams of caffeine a day brings undesirable side effects: insomnia, restlessness, irritability, nervousness, stomach upset, muscle tremors and palpitations. This is basically the reason why some people feel sluggish not even thinking that it's the coffee to blame.

Coffee may be bad for some even in small quantities. It all depends on how much is your capacity. 

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