It is the first action of the morning for millions of people, the starter of offices, the companion of night shifts and the fuel of exam times. For a long time, coffee has been at the center of the nutritional debate, often demonized for its stimulating effects, but now this is something that is slowly changing.
The problem. Just like pointed out Recently, the psychologist María Ros, the real elephant in the room is not the substance itself, since the problem it’s not drinking coffee“it takes five cups to be functional”. In this way, when we cross the line between enjoyment and absolute dependence on keeping our eyes open, the focus must move away from the coffee maker and onto our lifestyle.
The consumption barrier. To understand when coffee becomes a problem, you must first establish what is safe consumption. The main international health agencies are quite unanimous on the matter, since, for example, the EFSA established at the time a clear opinion that today serves as a standard: for healthy adults (not pregnant), consumption of up to 400 milligrams of caffeine per day does not pose safety problems for our health.
To put it in perspective, an espresso is around 60-80 mg, and a cup of filter coffee can be closer to 100-150 mg. That is, we are talking about a margin of about three or four cups a day. In the case of the US regulator, matches with these figures, and points out that unwanted effects begin to emerge the moment this threshold is exceeded.
The positive side. Beyond not being dangerous, the latest evidence point because regular consumption of 3 to 4 cups a day could be more beneficial than harmful. This fits into different articles that associate moderate consumption with lower mortality and a reduced risk of developing various pathologies.
Even at a cardiovascular levelan area where coffee has always generated suspicion, current medical literature emphasizes that in regular consumers the effects on blood pressure are transitory and reversible.
The danger of coffee. We speak at these levels when it stops being something pleasurable and becomes an urgent need to combat mental exhaustion. This way, if a person needs to binge cup after cup simply to avoid experiencing crippling drowsiness or to be able to stay focused on their work, coffee is acting as a painkiller for an underlying problem that needs to be addressed.
We must remember that caffeine works by blocking adenosine receptors in the brain, the neurotransmitter that makes us feel tired. It doesn’t eliminate tiredness, it simply puts a “bandage” on the brain’s sensors, so using large amounts of caffeine to compensate for chronically insufficient rest creates a perfect storm.
The experts. Institutions like the Mayo Clinic warn of the cascading effects of this excess by pointing out that tolerance is capable of developing, causing more and more caffeine to be needed for the desired effect. The problem is that overconsumption quickly leads to anxiety, nervousness, headaches, palpitations, tachycardia and digestive problems such as worsening gastroesophageal reflux.
Furthermore, a vicious circle is created, since if you drink a lot of coffee to perform because you have slept poorly, that excess of circulating caffeine will prolong sleep disturbances the next night, feeding back stress and insomnia.
Images | Taylor Franz
In Xataka | Coffee doesn’t just wake you up: science now suggests that it also improves your mood (even decaffeinated)
GIPHY App Key not set. Please check settings