Kiev. Ukraine. Ukraine Gate – December 26, 2020 – Health
Coffee has already become almost a form of social interaction. In the morning we drink coffee at home, in a cafe or at a bus stop. At lunchtime – with colleagues. In the evening – with friends. However, doctors do not advise to abuse the drink.
According to experts, side effects appear at doses of more than 6 mg / kg of body weight: increased heart rate and pressure, anxiety, digestive problems, insomnia and other symptoms. They rarely occur at doses of 4-5 mg / kg body weight and do not appear at a dose of 3 mg / kg or less.
To find out how many cups per day you can use, you can use the caffeine calculator.
It can calculate the safe and lethal dose of coffee. To do this, you need to indicate your weight and choose the drink that you prefer.
The harm of coffee and caffeine
Caffeine is harmful to pregnant women in doses exceeding 200 mg per day. May cause abnormalities in fetal development.
Coffee and caffeine are addictive to the taste and aroma of coffee, and an invigorating effect. But this cannot be called an addiction comparable to narcotic substances, even as mild as nicotine or alcohol. Withdrawal can only occur in avid coffee drinkers. Symptoms disappear in 2-3 days and do not require treatment. This is a headache, a feeling of fatigue, increased anxiety, irritability, bad mood. In most cases, the withdrawal syndrome does not appear in any way.
Caffeine interferes with the absorption of calcium in the body and weakens bones. Therefore, it is not recommended for the elderly and teenagers.
“We just want to raise awareness of caffeine and what it does to the body, and the whole addictive nature. Also, to teach people what a safe amount of caffeine is”, said Ted Kallmyer who is a caffeine expert and content manager for the caffeineinformer.com.
Of course, that “safe amount” isn’t easily determined, since it’s based on any number of factors — including body weight and an individual’s sensitivity to caffeine.
“We really try to stress moderation, and then also give specific guidelines of what moderation would be,” he said. “Some people can be highly sensitive to caffeine, other people can have a larger dose and hardly feel any effects at all.”
What’s more, most people develop a tolerance for caffeine fairly quickly, so it takes increasing amounts to achieve the desired effect.
“In fact, after a couple of days of consuming caffeine, that euphoric feeling of alertness starts to wear off, and eventually coffee just keeps us at a state of feeling normal,” Kallmyer said. “So we don’t feel normal unless we have our caffeine, but it’s not really taking us to that next level of alertness like it used to.”
Kallmyer calls it all “one big, addictive cycle.” Without caffeine, regular users undergo withdrawal symptoms such as headaches and feelings of lethargy.
“Some people are consuming 9 or 10 cups of coffee a day, because you just gradually increase your dosage to get this feeling of euphoria that it once delivered but no longer does,” he said. “It just gets out of control.”
The lethal dose for caffeine is in the neighborhood of 150 milligrams per kilogram of body weight (one kilogram equals roughly 2.2 pounds). While the average person’s caffeine consumption is around 200 milligrams a day, the Mayo Clinic advises against exceeding 500 to 600 milligrams per day. Kallmyer says dosages in the one- to two-gram range can be fatal for many adults.
“It’s so funny,” Kallmyer adds. “Even though that’s the lethal dosage, there’s so many other things in that product or drink that will kill you before the caffeine actually would. Like, just the pure amount of liquid, or the sugar amount, would send someone into shock.”
On the other hand, the benefits of coffee and caffeine:
The beneficial properties of coffee and caffeine appear with moderate consumption – 1-3 cups per day.
Coffee consumption reduces mortality from cancer, liver disease, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and other diseases by 12-18% compared to non-coffee drinkers (Research: 1, 2). However, the benefits are not in caffeine as previously thought. The positive effect was observed even when drinking decaffeinated coffee.
Caffeine reduces fatigue and delays its onset, improves concentration.
Helps the body use fat for energy, thereby promoting weight loss and increasing endurance.
Reduces the risk of cancer and cardiovascular disease.
Improves Brain Function, Reduces Risk of Alzheimer’s Disease and Depression.
Participates in glucose metabolism and reduces the likelihood of diabetes.
Improves performance in endurance competitions by 1-3%.
Combined with carbohydrates, helps in post-exercise recovery.
