The smell of coffee in the morning is one of the best smells out there. The warmth of the steam, the tartness of the beans… ahhh, and we are now awake.
Often after you have coffee something happens in your body, your heart starts racing, your bowels are enraged, anxiety may pop up. These are direct results of the coffee you had.
Can coffee make you sick? How much coffee is okay? And, how can you avoid getting sick?
We have all the answers.
Contents
Can Coffee Make You Sick?
No, but kind of. Consuming coffee won’t make you sick. Caffeine and acid, which is in coffee, can make you sick.
Digestive Issues
The acid in coffee can make your stomach upset. Acid reflux and even ulcers can occur.
Your digestive system is negatively affected by the caffeine in coffee. Bowel movements are sometimes considered a bonus side effect from your morning coffee. This is because coffee is a laxative.
Increased Anxiety
Drinking coffee is known to increase anxiety in some people. Caffeine can make you jittery and therefore feel a little anxious. Your increased blood pressure and heart rate can simulate raised anxiety.
If you take medications that are considered benzodiazepines, like Xanax or Klonopin, consuming alcohol is linked to an increase in panic attacks.
How Much Is Too Much?
Sticking to two cups of coffee or less per day is ideal. Any more than that can cause a multitude of health issues.
400mg is the absolute max, which is about four cups of coffee.
Too much caffeine can lead to an irregular heartbeat. Consuming three or more cups of coffee can lead to Atrial Fibrillation, which is an irregular heartbeat. The dehydration connected with caffeine intake can also cause Atrial Fibrillation.
Learn more about Atrial Fibrillation at www.afibmatters.org.
How to Avoid Getting Sick?
Eat food first! Since drinking coffee on an empty stomach can cause excess stomach acid and lead to an upset tummy, eat food before you drink your coffee to avoid this.
If the caffeine in coffee tends to make you anxious, switch to decaf. Decaffeinated coffee still has some caffeine, but drastically less than regular coffee. 2mg of caffeine in a cup of decaf coffee versus the 95mg of caffeine in a regular cup of coffee.
Lastly, stay hydrated! Start your day out with a glass of water. Then drink your cup of coffee. If you drink multiple cups of coffee, have a glass of water in between.
Staying hydrated can decrease the effects of caffeine and lessen any side effects you have from coffee.
Should I Cut Coffee Out Of My Diet?
We would never expect you to cut coffee out of your diet. That is blasphemy.
Can coffee make you sick? Possibly, but taking steps to lessen your caffeine intake can reverse any side effects you get from drinking lots of coffee.
Peruse the rest of our website for more awesome articles, from high-protein breakfast ideas to improving gas mileage, we cover topics that you actually want to read about.
