Despite having delicious taste and can reduce drowsiness, you still have to limit drinking coffee. This is because there are a number of dangers of coffee that lurk if you consume it in excess or too often.
Several studies have shown that coffee has health benefits, including to help you lose weight or a coffee diet. However, the recommended coffee consumption is no more than 400 mg of caffeine or the equivalent of 2 cups of coffee a day.
If you consume coffee in amounts that exceed this limit, this can have an impact on your health, especially if it has become a habit.
The Dangers of Coffee for Health
As previously explained, there is a danger of coffee lurking, if this drink is consumed in excess or too often. Here are some of the dangers of coffee that are important for you to know:
1. Increase the risk of heart disease
Caffeine in coffee can cause side effects in the form of increased blood pressure and heart rate. When coffee is consumed in excess, this can make the heart beat faster and irregularly or even cause high blood pressure (hypertension).
Especially unfiltered coffee, consumption of this drink can trigger heart disease because it increases blood sugar levels homocysteine (a type of protein-forming amino acid) which is thought to be closely related to the occurrence of heart attacks, increased fat in the blood, and high cholesterol.
2. Trigger indigestion
One of the dangers of coffee that is quite common is digestive disorders. When you drink too much coffee, your digestive tract and stomach can become irritated. This can cause you to experience various digestive disorders, such as diarrhea, heartburn, stomach pain, and irritable bowel syndrome.
In addition, coffee can also increase the production of stomach acid. If you drink too much, coffee can cause a person to experience heartburn and acid reflux disease (GERD).
3. Increase the risk of osteoporosis
If taken in the right amount, coffee can help maintain bone health and strength. However, on the contrary, if consumed in excess, coffee can increase the risk of bone loss due to osteoporosis.
The reason is, the caffeine content in coffee can erode calcium in the body, which is the main component of bone formation.
4. Triggers anxiety
Caffeine in coffee is a substance that can trigger nerve and brain activity. This is what makes coffee can dispel drowsiness.
However, coffee can also cause feelings of anxiety, nervousness, and restlessness. The dangers of this coffee can even put a person at risk for anxiety disorders or make the condition worse.
5. Disrupt the growth and development of the fetus
Drinking coffee during pregnancy is generally safe, if pregnant women limit it to less than 200 mg of caffeine or only 1 cup of coffee a day. If consumed more than that, coffee can interfere with fetal growth and development. Excessive caffeine intake can also increase the risk of pregnant women to have a miscarriage.
This is because high caffeine intake can cause blood vessels from the placenta to the fetus to narrow. If the blood supply to the fetus is blocked, the fetus is at risk of developing growth disorders.
Those of you who are undergoing a pregnancy program are also advised to avoid or limit coffee consumption. The reason is because caffeine can interfere with the production of estrogen which can make it difficult for you to get pregnant.
In addition to some of the dangers of coffee above, the habit of drinking coffee more than 2 cups a day can also trigger various side effects, such as:
- Insomnia
- Migraine or headache
- Dehydration
- Body shaking or tremors
- Urinating more often
However, these side effects can be different, because everyone's caffeine metabolism is different. In fact, in certain cases, these side effects can appear when a person consumes coffee in small quantities. This condition is caused by sensitivity to caffeine.
Coffee is delicious to drink, especially when the air is cold or when you are sleepy. However, remember not to consume it in excess. Enough 2 cups in a day to minimize the dangers of coffee for health.
If you experience health problems related to the dangers of coffee or find it difficult to stop drinking coffee, you can consult a doctor for treatment.