Caffeine, especially in the form of coffee, is something that many people don’t think twice about consuming each and every day. Coffee’s prevalence in our lives is brought home by the fact that around 2.25 billion cups of coffee are consumed worldwide on a daily basis. There’s no doubt then that coffee, and in turn caffeine, has become a staple in our diet, but is it as harmless as it is delicious?
In this article we are going to look at whether caffeine is something we should be limiting in our daily diet.
Statistics from Statista.com tell us that people are drinking an average of 3.2 cups of coffee per day. The amount of caffeine that has been suggested as safe for a healthy adult to consume per day is 400 mg.
The average cup of coffee contains anywhere from 50 to 400 mg of caffeine. From these stats, it seems that the average person is consuming a normal amount of caffeine day-to-day and should not be experiencing harmful side effects.
The fact is, we all respond to food differently, and coffee is no different. One cup of coffee could energize and help improve the focus of one person while for another it could do quite the opposite.
Building bodily intuition — that is, paying attention to how our body responds to the food and drink we are consuming — is essential to figuring out whether coffee is our friend or foe.
How our body responds to caffeine is dependent on our genetic makeup. Some people are prone to be more sensitive to caffeine while others can drink four or more cups of coffee per day and be able to sleep soundly at night. Various medical conditions and medications can also affect a person’s caffeine tolerance. It’s important to talk to a doctor about the effects caffeine can have on medical conditions and it’s interaction with medications.
How do we tell whether a reduction in our daily caffeine intake would be helpful for us? Here are a couple red flags.
If we feel dependent on our cup of coffee to help us handle stress or energize us is a big sign that caffeine has become an unhealthy crutch. If we start experiencing bothersome side effects, this could mean we are consuming more caffeine than we can tolerate and an adjustment needs to be made.
Over consumption of caffeine can cause an irregular heartbeat, irritability, anxiety and many more uncomfortable side effects. On that note, it is not necessarily recommended that a person quits coffee cold turkey. Withdrawal symptoms can also be painful and interfere with day-to-day life so talk to a health professional about the best approach to weaning yourself off of caffeine.
As a nutrition coach, I recognize the importance of building a balanced mindset and moderate dietary habits. A cup of coffee is something that many of us enjoy everyday. If it isn’t interfering with our well-being and we are not becoming dependent on it, coffee can have a place in our healthy lifestyle.
Caitlyn Harbottle is a Peace Region nutrition coach.
- Caitlyn Harbottle, Alaska Highway News
