If you use caffeine to wake you up and keep you going, you're not the only one. Coffee is used by millions of people every day to stay awake and improve their concentration.
How many is too many?
As long as you're healthy, most people can drink up to 400 milligrams (mg) of caffeine a day without getting sick.
About the same amount of caffeine is in four cups of coffee or 10 cans of cola. Two "energy shot" drinks also have a lot of caffeine.
Keep in mind that the amount of caffeine in drinks can vary a lot, especially when it comes to energy drinks.
Ads have a lot of different options, so
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has warned that caffeine in powder or liquid form can be dangerous.
One teaspoon of powdered caffeine is the same as about 28 cups of coffee, so it's good for you. People who drink a lot of caffeine can have serious health problems and even die.
Even though adults may be able to use caffeine, it's not a good idea for kids to. Adolescents and young adults should be told not to drink too much caffeine or mix it with alcohol or other drugs.
They should talk to their doctor about limiting caffeine use to less than 200 mg a day for women who are pregnant or trying to get pregnant, as well as women who are breast-feeding.
There are unpleasant side effects even for people who are adults who drink a lot of coffee. Also, people who are very sensitive to the effects of caffeine or who take certain medications may not be able to drink a lot of caffeine.
if you drink more than 4 cups of caffeinated coffee a day and have side effects like:
Headache
Insomnia
Nervousness
Irritability
A lot of urination or not being able to control urination
a quick heartbeat
Tremors in the body
Everyone gets excited when there's even a small amount.
A lot of people have a hard time with caffeine, but not everyone does. There are people who have trouble with caffeine.
Even small amounts can cause things like restlessness and sleep problems, even if you don't drink much.
Caffeine may affect how you feel in part because you may be used to drinking a lot of it. People who don't drink a lot of caffeine tend to be more aware of its effects.
You aren't getting enough rest.
Even if you drink caffeine in the afternoon, it can keep you from getting a good night's sleep. It doesn't even matter how little sleep you get.
Even small amounts of sleep loss can add up and make you less alert and less productive during the day.
Using caffeine to hide sleep deprivation can start a bad chain reaction. To help you stay awake during the day, you might drink caffeinated drinks. So you can't fall asleep at night, which shortens the amount of time you sleep.
If you're taking medicines or supplements
Some medicines and herbal supplements may not work well with caffeine. Examples of:
Ephedrine.
If you drink a lot of caffeine, you might have high blood pressure, a heart attack, a stroke, or a seizure. This drug is used in decongestants.
Theophylline.
These are the effects of this drug, which is used to open up the airways in the lungs. Then, taking it with caffeine could make you feel sick and have heart palpitations.
Echinacea.
If you take this herbal supplement, which is sometimes used to prevent colds and other infections, it may raise the amount of caffeine in your blood and make it more unpleasant for you to drink.
You should talk to your doctor or pharmacist to find out if your medicines might be affected by caffeine.
Making sure you don't drink too much coffee
Whether you're cutting back on caffeine for one of the reasons above or because you want to save money on coffee drinks, it can be hard.
Caffeine withdrawal symptoms, like headaches, fatigue, irritability, and trouble focusing on tasks, can happen if you cut back on caffeine too quickly. Because these symptoms are usually mild and go away in a few days, it is good that they usually don't last long!
You can try these tips to change your coffee habit.
Keep track.
People who drink energy drinks and eat foods that have a lot of caffeine should start paying attention to how much caffeine they're getting. Carefully read the labels. But keep in mind that some foods and drinks that have caffeine don't list it.
Cut back slowly.
There are many ways to cut down on the amount of soda you drink and the size of your coffee cup each day. Or, don't drink caffeinated drinks late in the day. Make sure your body adapts quickly so that you don't have withdrawal symptoms when you cut back on the amount of caffeine you eat.
Make sure you don't drink coffee or tea. Most decaffeinated drinks look and taste the same as their caffeinated counterparts, but there are a few that don't.
Brew time can be cut short, or you can go herbal.
When making tea, make it faster. In this way, it has less caffeine in it. There are herbal teas that don't have caffeine, or you can drink them without caffeine at all.
Bottle: Make sure to check it
Some over-the-counter pain relievers have caffeine in them. Instead, look for pain relievers that don't have caffeine in them to help you.
The bottom line is:
If you're like most people, you drink caffeine every day. Usually, it won't be bad for your health. But be aware of the possible side effects of caffeine, and be ready to cut back if you need to.
