I used to love the Blond roast coffee. I was smoother than other blends with less bitter after-taste. What I didn’t know is it also has more caffeine.
My go-to was a blond vente americano. That’s 4 shots of espresso in a venti cup filled the rest of the way with water. I have ordered a venti with 5 shots of espresso on occasion but I have no idea what to call it. Insane maybe.
I had no idea that my insane preferences where made all the more crazy because I ordered the blond. That venti blond roast clocks in at a whopping 475mg of caffeine. That’s more than the FDA recommended daily maximum in one cup.
And sadly I would just start my day with that. I’d usually have another in the afternoon after work so I could do all my schoolwork at night.
This doesn’t just illustrate how insane my coffee consumption used to be. That can’t really be disputed. But what it is clearly illustrating is how easily your caffeine consumption can easily get away from you.
The beans you are served at your local coffee shop will change from day-to-day. That means your caffeine consumption is changing too. Without you knowing it.
That’s one of the reasons it is so easy to get addicted to caffeine. And with the caffeine addiction, comes consuming more to try to get the same boost we started drinking coffee for.
Keep reading for the top ten reasons why you should consider dialing back your caffeine use.
Top 10 Caffeine-Related Health Problems
Caffeine and Cardiovascular Problems
Caffeine triggers adrenaline which increases your heart rate, elevates your blood pressure, and can contribute to the development of heart disease. Both decaf and regular coffee increase your cholesterol and homocysteine, the biochemical that science has linked to increased risk for heart attack. Caffeine is also linked to coronary vasospasms, the cause for 20% of all fatal heart attacks which kill otherwise perfectly healthy people.
Think decaf is better? Some brands of decaf have MORE caffeine than another brands regular. Plus there are many dangerous chemicals used in the decaffeination process that are not routinely disclosed to the public. You basically have to trust that decaf is a better choice.
Caffeine and Stress
Caffeine stimulates the excretion of stress hormones which can produce increased levels of anxiety, irritability, muscular tension and pain, indigestion, insomnia, and decreased immunity. While caffeine does not cause stress, it can make anxiety levels increase if you are already prone to anxiety. And that can mimic stress making you hyper-sensitive to what should be a minor event.
Emotional Disturbances
Increased anxiety and irritability associated with caffeine have been proven in study after study. But beyond feeling anxious and irritable, some studies go further saying caffeine can impact depression. This is more than just the afternoon energy slump that has you watching the clock wondering when it will ever be time to go home.
And we’re not even talking about caffeine withdrawal. These sympoms may be present while still actively drinking caffeine.
Caffeine and Severe Blood Sugar Swings
Caffeine forces the liver to release glycogen into the blood stream. The pancreas then responds to the sudden rise in blood sugar by releasing insulin which will turn excess carbohydrates to fat. Plus most of us consume sugar with our coffee so this leads to a doubled effect. A drop in blood sugar results in hypoglycemia (low blood sugar). That’s when you’ll experience an energy slump and want to reach for another cup of coffee and start the entire cycle again.
Coffee and Acidity
The acidity of coffee can contribute to indigestion and a wide variety of health problems resulting from over-acidity associated with arthritic, rheumatic, and skin irritations. Drinking coffee on an empty stomach can result in a burning sensation. It’s no coincidence that most coffee shops entice you to eat a pastry with your coffee. That’s is helping to disguise the fact your coffee makes you feel bad.
Essential Mineral Depletion
Coffee inhibits the absorption of some nutrients and causes the urinary excretion of calcium, magnesium, potassium, iron and trace minerals, all essential elements necessary for good health.
For me, I had a severe vitamin D deficiency that my doctor could not understand. It turns out recent research has shown too much caffeine will stop the absorption of vitamin D. It finally makes sense how I could be taking a prescription dose of vitamin D and my levels still remained at practically zero.
There have also been studies that show that women who drink coffee have an increased incidence of osteoporosis fracture risk compared to non-coffee drinkers. While the study focused on women, men are also at risk for osteoporosis.
Doctor’s Orders
In fact, most people don’t wake up and decide to give up caffeine. The majority of people that decide to reduce caffeine, do so at their doctor’s reqest. Below are a list of the things people often complain to their doctors about that could be tied to caffeine consumption:
Acid indigestion
Anxiety, irritability, and nervousness
Candida or yeast problems
Colitis, diverticulitis, diarrhea and other irritable bowel symptoms
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and other auto-immune disorders
Diabetes or hypoglycemia (low blood sugar)
Dizziness, Meniere’s syndrome or tinnitus (ringing in the ears)
Gout (Elevated Uric Acid levels)
Heart disease or heart palpitations
High blood pressure
High cholesterol
Insomnia and interrupted or poor quality sleep
Liver disease and gallbladder problems such as gallstones
Kidney or bladder problems including kidney stones
Migraines or other vascular headaches
Osteoporosis
Skin irritations, rashes and dryness
Ulcers, heartburn, and stomach problems such as hiatal hernias
Urinary tract irritation
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