You have a cup of it the moment your day starts, another one when you arrive at work, then one more after you've had your lunch. You're glad that it keeps you awake, alert, and fully functioning throughout your entire day. And when a recent report from the Journal of the National Cancer Institute found that four cups of coffee a day can reduce your risk of acquiring melanoma by 20 percent, you actually smiled to yourself and thought, "YES!"
But there's also a lingering question at the back of your mind: "Is there such thing as 'too much coffee?'"
The answer to that - to the delight of coffee aficionados - is no more than five cups a day.
According to a study conducted in 2014, researchers found that drinking one to five cups of coffee per day was associated with fewer incidences of death from cardiovascular disease, neurological diseases and suicide. It also showed that coffee consumption has nothing to do with the number of deaths caused by cancer.
"Decades ago I was taught that coffee was associated with increases in blood pressure, [cardiovascular disease] and related mortality," says Dr. Robert Eckel, MD, former president of the American Heart Association and current professor of medicine at the University of Colorado . "This among other science seems to indicate the alternative."
But before you start doubling (or tripling) your caffeine intake, too much coffee also has its repercussions. "In some, increases in blood pressure and sleep disturbances with related metabolic consequences could be a downside," Dr. Eckel elaborates. He is also quick to point out that the positive effects of coffee were only found in non-smokers. It has long been suggested that coffee and smoking has greater negative health repercussions than smoking alone.
In addition, your "one cup" of coffee could also contain anywhere from 100 to 450 mg of caffeine, depending on the size of your cup, as explained by the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI). Most people consume around 200mg of caffeine every day, according to the FDA, and 600 mg or more is considered too much. In a standpoint, one Starbucks Venti coffee (20 fl. oz.) has about 415 mg of caffeine in it. Already had two (or three) Ventis today? No wonder you're feeling jittery. That could also be the cause of your endless bathroom trips, as coffee is a natural diuretic.
Bottom point? Moderation. Too much of a good thing doesn't always equate to "great".
