Coffee is hard to avoid especially on your way to work, you will almost always expect to see a massive line at the cafe with people waiting eagerly for their morning coffee. You can hear the sound of coffee machines whizzing away and that irresistible smell of fresh ground coffee. 

For those who haven’t had their coffee yet, you can spot them from a mile away. They may as well have a sign that says “stay away from me till I have my coffee!”. 

Now I’m not saying coffee is evil and you should quit it. Coffee can make you give you that much needed kick you need in the morning and some love the taste. In fact, by having some caffeine can improve your attention, reaction time, alertness and ability to focus. 

However, it is more the fact that if too much is consumed (which is quite easy to fall into this vicious cycle), that’s when it becomes bad for your body and health. 

Here are 11 reasons why you may want to reduce your coffee intake

By having higher doses of caffeine (more than 2-3 cups per day), it can work against you by causing:

1. Cycle Of Headaches, Jitters & Crashes: 

   While coffee has its benefits, too much can send you down a rollercoaster of jittery hands, make your heart race and send you crashing down. As coffee is a diuretic, it means you will need to go to the toilet more often which can leave you a little dehydrated. This is often the main cause of headaches

2. Addiction: 

   There is a tendency to build up a tolerance to caffeine starting from as little as 70-150mg per day (equates to 1-2 cups of coffee per day). Once you’ve built up a tolerance, you become dependent on caffeine just to function normally. An issue that can cause withdrawal symptoms as your body finds it difficult to rely on the body’s natural energy levels. The most common examples include: headaches, extreme sleepiness and lethargy, lack of concentration, irritability, muscle pain, insomnia, dizziness and heart rhythm abnormalities.

3. Increases Your Stress Hormones:

   Studies have shown if you consume high levels of caffeine, your cortisol tends to increase (while resting) and these elevated levels are similar to those experienced during acute stress. This means by drinking more coffee, it recreates stress conditions for the body.

4. Insulin Resistance:

   By increasing stress levels, it also increases insulin resistance. Insulin is a hormone that helps the body control sugar/glucose levels in the blood. If the body is resisting insulin, this means the body needs to work harder to produce more insulin to keep blood sugar levels healthy.

5. Risk Of Diabetes:

   As mentioned above, if the body is less sensitive to insulin and is unable to keep up with the increased demand for insulin, blood sugar levels may rise and can lead to Type 2 Diabetes and other health issues.

6. Weight Loss Or Gain:

   Many experts believe increased levels of cortisol and stress can lead to cravings for fatty foods, carbs and caffeine. This cycle can lead to weight gain which results in worse health conditions. Being overweight can increase the risk of being insulin resistant (as mentioned previously). On the other hand, caffeine can speed up your metabolism too. It can also help the body break down fat approximately 30% more efficiently if consumed prior to exercise. 

7. Higher Urinary Excretion:

   Important minerals and vitamins are excreted at a higher level among coffee drinkers such as calcium, magnesium and potassium. As a result, an imbalance in electrolyte can lead to fatigue, fast heart rate, nausea etc.

8. Weakened Bones:

   The caffeine in coffee leaches calcium from bones which reduces its strength. Although tea also has caffeine, studies suggest it doesn’t harm but instead helps the bone density (especially in older women). Researchers think that tea contains plant compounds that protects the bone.

9. Disrupt Sleep:

   Too much caffeine can make it harder to fall asleep and stay asleep. This distured sleep results in a vicious cycle of waking up tired and having to rely on coffee to boost your mood and wake you up. 

10. Anxiety & Depression:

    Anxiety and depression are often occur together. Caffeine triggers your “fight or flight” response which can make you overreact to situations that are not actually dangerous. If you’re prone to anxiety or panic attacks, caffeine can make this worse. 

11. Indigestion & Heartburn:

    Due to the acidity of coffee, this can cause imbalances in your gut flora which causes discomfort in your digestive system.

While the above may not affect some people despite having lots of coffee(perhaps you have a higher tolerance to these effects), others may be extremely sensitive and feel the effects only after a few sips. Everyone is different however if you’re feeling these effects (like heart palpitations and headaches), it may be time to start looking at ways to reduce your coffee intake. Everything in moderation right?