How Much Coffee Is Safe For Women To Drink Each Day
Its true, you can have too much of a good thing. Excessive intake of caffeinated coffee can make you jittery and cause:
- Increased heart rate
- Trouble falling asleep
So how much coffee is the optimal amount to drink to get all the benefits, but avoid the negative side effects?
According to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, its safe for most women to drink three to five cups of coffee a day with a maximum intake of 400 milligrams of caffeine.
But if youre pregnant or breastfeeding, the rules are different. Check with your obstetrician before adding caffeine into your diet. If coffee gives you the jitters, take care not to overdo it: Caffeine tolerance is different for everyone. You can still get some of the potential health benefits by drinking one cup of coffee a day, or even decaf.
Also, remember that what you add to your coffee can make a difference in how healthy the beverage really is. Instead of loading up on cream and sugar, try adding up to two tablespoons of milk, milk substitute or half-and-half, and using naturally sweet spices and flavorings. Try stirring in a ¼ teaspoon of the following for extra flavor:
- Vanilla extract
While coffee is a pleasurable part of your lifestyle, there are other factors that make a bigger impact on your health such as eating a balanced diet, exercising and maintaining a healthy weight. But drinking coffee is a delightful addition to those key health factors.
Dirtybird Energy Caffeinated Soap $30
Showers are about to get a lot more energizingâno freezing cold water needed. This four-pack of soap mixes peppermint essential oil and caffeine to help wake you up, and the bar’s sesame oil beads exfoliate the skin. Made from sustainably sourced ingredients, like palm and coconut oil, you can feel good about these all-natural bars that will help you start the day off on an energized foot. And each one comes with a water-tight reusable case, so you can throw it in your carry-on or gym bag without having to worry about any possible leaks.
Perk Energy Bracelet $20
These bracelets administer caffeine right through your skin. They’re lined with energy patches that provide the same amount of caffeine as a cup of coffee, according to Perk, but over the course of four hours to prevent jitters or crashing. Because the caffeine isn’t going through your digestive system, the effects are also stronger and hit faster. Each bracelet comes with 30 caffeine patches to get you started.
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Choose A Quality Brand Preferably Organic
The quality of coffee can vary greatly depending on the processing method and how the coffee beans were grown.
Coffee beans tend to be sprayed with synthetic pesticides and other chemicals that were never intended for human consumption .
However, the health effects of pesticides in food are controversial. There is currently limited evidence that they cause harm when found at low levels in produce.
Nevertheless, if you are worried about the pesticide content of your coffee, consider buying organic coffee beans. They should contain much lower amounts of synthetic pesticides.
Summary
If you are worried about pesticide contamination in your coffee, choose a quality, organic brand.
Whats The Healthiest Energy Drink
When it comes to choosing a healthy energy drink can be pretty tricky and time-consuming. With so many options to choose from and so many different marketing messages, it can be overwhelming.
To help you eliminate all the guesswork and save you time and effort, Ive rounded up the energy drinks that I consider to be healthier options.
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Now The Good News About Caffeine
Caffeine has been shown to protect against a host of problems. Some studies have found that those who drink lots of coffee seem to be four to eight times less likely to develop Parkinson’s disease, according to the NIH’s National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, and “that is more likely to be due to caffeine” than to any nutrients in coffee, says van Dam.
Some other benefits of coffee:
- It may reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s and dementia. A caffeine habit in your 40s and 50s three to five cups daily of the high-octane stuff, not decaf seems to reduce by up to 70 percent the risk of Alzheimer’s and dementia in your 70s, a 2009 University of Florida study found. Other studies have found that regular caffeine consumption may help slow the rate of cognitive decline in older adults.
- Coffee cuts suicide risk. A 2013 study by Harvard’s School of Public Health found that those who drank two to three cups of caffeinated coffee a day cut their suicide risk by 45 percent possibly because caffeine’s stimulant effect helps boost people’s moods.
How To Consume Caffeine In A Healthy Way
Every day, approximately 85% of Americans consume at least one beverage containing caffeine. Out of that large swath of the population, 68 million Americans drink 3 cups of coffee over the course of a day. And this isnt just an American phenomenon in one year the global population used a whopping 163.53 million 60 kilogram bags of coffee. Clearly, caffeine is remarkably popular. But if you arent careful, there could be potential negative effects.
To help you reduce the potential risk, weve pulled together a guide on how to consume caffeine in a healthy way:
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Add Some Cold Water To Your Shower
Right before you get ready to get out of the shower, turn on the cold water. While this may sound like the last thing you want to do, it may give you that much-needed morning energy boost.
Cold showers have been found to help us feel more alert, making it a great way to get the energy flowing without the caffeine.
How Healthy Are Energy Drinks
It turns out that energy drinks are not all that good for you and should be consumed in moderation.
This is mainly due to some of them containing a high amount of caffeine and sugar.
However, there are also lots of energy drinks out there that contain a sensible amount of caffeine and little or no sugar. Although, even they arent exactly healthy for you, these versions of energy drinks are simply less harmful to your health.
I recommend that you mainly drink water and lots of it. Once youve got that healthy habit in place, I think its perfectly fine to drink one or two of the healthier energy drinks per day, as long as you dont have any pre-existing health conditions.
After all, a little bit of caffeine can be very good for you, its when you overdo it that you run the risk of potential health problems.
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What Is Sleep Anxiety
Sleep anxiety is a feeling of anxiousness around falling asleep. This can be related to the actual act of falling asleep or a fear of being asleep . According to the Cleveland Clinic, people who experience anxiety in other areas of their life may be more prone to sleep anxiety. Additionally, those who deal with other sleep disorders — like restless leg syndrome and sleep apnea — may also be more likely to experience sleep anxiety.
Sleep anxiety goes hand in hand with other anxiety and sleep disorders. If you have bipolar disorder or schizophrenia, or if you experience anxiety or depression, there’s a chance that it can carry over into the nighttime, making it hard to fall asleep. Similarly, if you frequently suffer from a sleep disorder like sleep apnea, you may feel reluctant to fall asleep because of a fear of what may happen during the night.
Long-term sleep anxiety can increase your risk of health complications like diabetes, heart disease, obesity and strokes. Sleep — and good-quality sleep, at that — is an important part of your body’s overall health.
Drink Plenty Of Water
Water is a healthy and cheap choice for quenching your thirst at any time. It has no calories and contains no sugars that can damage teeth.
Plain tea, fruit tea and coffee can also be healthy.
If you do not like the taste of plain water, try sparkling water or add a slice of lemon or lime.
Or heat the water and infuse a tea bag, some coffee or a slice of lemon.
You could also add some no-added-sugar squash or fruit juice for flavour.
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Brewing The Right Coffee
How you brew your coffee makes a huge difference! Filtering your coffee well is a great way to ensure its healthiness.
The more you filter your coffee, the better it is for you!
In other words, you should favor methods like the Chemex, or a classic automatic coffee maker like the Bonavita One Touch, over methods such as cold brew or French Press.
Improve Your Sleep Hygiene
Sleep hygiene is your overall sleeping habits changing this can help you find better sleep. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, to start you can set up a solid bedtime routine that you can stick to. This means setting a bedtime that’s the same every night, keeping your bedroom dark and at a comfortable temperature, and keeping the bedroom for sleeping only. Try not to use devices in your bedroom before bedtime, as the light can make it harder for you to fall asleep. Essentially, you want to create a haven in your room conducive to sleep. By creating this comfortable space, your body and mind are more likely to relax at bedtime, making it easier for you to fall asleep without experiencing sleep anxiety.
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Avoid Caffeine Too Late In The Day
The reason why people drink coffee to stay awake is because it stops adenosine the chemical that makes you tired. But if you arent careful, you can actually mess up your sleep schedule and could develop insomnia. You should try to avoid consuming caffeine 6 hours before you go to bed so you dont lose one hour from your sleep. Here are some other rules you can follow:
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Set boundaries for yourself: try your best not to drink coffee anytime after 2 or 3 PM.
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In addition to regulating when you drink coffee, you should cut back on other beverages that also contain caffeine like tea, energy drinks, and soda. This is especially crucial if you already are sensitive to caffeine.
How Much Green Tea Should You Consume In A Day
Green tea is great, but it does contain caffeine, therefore, its best to avoid drinking it before bedtime. If you are sensitive to caffeine, 1 cup a day should be your limit. If youre trying to shed off some extra pounds, try for 3-5 cups a day. Keep in mind to read the labels before consuming any green tea beverage.
The best type of green tea is the naturally sourced one with no artificial preservatives. Brew the green tea with the leaves instead of a tea bag as this will allow more of the essence to be extracted, so it retains its nutrients.
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You May Decrease Your Risk Of Getting Alzheimer’s Disease
Almost two-thirds of Americans living with Alzheimers disease are women. But the caffeine in two cups of coffee may provide significant protection against developing the condition. In fact, researchers found that women age 65 and older who drank two to three cups of coffee a day were less likely to develop dementia in general.
Drinking Caffeine The Right Way
Caffeine is an unusual, complex drug. Because it can improve athletic performance, Ive recommended it to elite athletes in a variety of sports tennis players, cyclists, triathletes and female bodybuilders. Ive also trained emergency medical technicians flying at high altitudes during their rescue of US special operations forces injured in combat. Teaching them to keep their consumption of caffeine and alcohol low helped them avoid dehydration in these important operations.
But most everyone knows caffeine has a downside, too. I know first-hand that its addictive and too much can cause high blood pressure and other health issues. A few years ago, I was drinking far too much coffee 4-5 cups each day. And Ive watched athletes perform below their peak levels because they drank too much caffeine. One triathlete was hindered because his daily caffeine use cut his aerobic capacity, causing him to run slower instead of helping him.
We should all limit our consumption to less than 200 milligrams in effect, 1-2 cups daily. For Starbucks customers, thats one tall coffee, or 12 ounces. The good news is that there are plenty of alternative drinks with less caffeine, but also taste good and provide health benefits.
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The Most Effective Way To Consume Caffeine
Greatly socially accepted, caffeine has become a large part of our daily rituals to increase productivity. Caffeine use is so common, that most canadians simply cannot get enough, and often forget that it is a drug. Caffeine is in our coffee, teas, soft drinks, and energy drinks. Most make daily habit of consuming these drinks on the regular. Studies show that as much as 85% of canadians habitually consume Caffeine.
Making the jump from drinking caffeine habitually, to strategic is a difficult move to make. However, doing so will make caffeine more effective, and long term healthier on the body.
Caffeinated Chocolate: A Bar Contains About 100 Mg Of Caffeine Or About The Same As A Strong Cup Of Coffee
Want to stick to ingesting your caffeine? There’s a chocolate bar for that.
Products like Awake Caffeinated Chocolate can pack a punch. The price may be a little steep, but it’s a good excuse to indulge in your sweet tooth. Each bar contains about 100 milligrams of caffeine, or the equivalent of a strong 8-oz. cup of coffee.
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When Is The Best Time Of Day To Drink Coffee
While you may pour yourself endless cups of coffee to survive the morning, the Mayo Clinic notes that drinking 400 milligrams of caffeine a day is safe for healthy adults. Thats equivalent to about four cups of coffee per day but that all depends on where your coffee comes from. For instance:
- Standard brewed 8-ounce cup of coffee: 95 mg caffeine
- Standard instant 8-oz cup of coffee: 62 mg caffeine
- Starbucks medium roast , 8 oz : 155 mg caffeine
- Dunkin house coffee roast, 10 oz : 180 mg caffeine
- Coffee brewed from Keurig, 8-oz cup: between 75 and 150 mg caffeine, depending in part on roasting strength
As you can see, to stay within the safe limit, you should investigate just how much caffeine your specific brew contains. And, if youre looking to cut down on caffeine, the first step is to reduce your coffee intake, as its the most widely consumed source of caffeine, research shows.
What Are Healthy Sources Of Caffeine
Since caffeine comes in many sugary sodas, unhealthy energy drinks, and sweetened coffees, drinking caffeine on the daily can lead to weight gain and the associated health risks. However, caffeine is not the culprit for the extra calories it is the excess sugar, cream, and milk that add empty calories to your diet.
Quitting caffeinated drinks will surely take away the extra calories. However, it may come with consequences. Caffeine withdrawals can lead to headaches and fatigue for a period of time until your body adjusts. If you arent up for the drama, no worries there are plenty of healthier ways to consume caffeine.
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Keep In Mind That Coffee Can Stain Your Teeth
Though coffee has many benefits, it can have a negative effect on your dental hygiene because it has tannins, an ingredient which makes color compounds stick to your teeth and cause staining.
This is how you can stay on top of your dental health if youre frequently drinking coffee:
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Make sure to brush frequently
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Have regular visits to the dentist
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Invest in an electric toothbrush that can eliminate coffee stains
What Are The Potential Health Benefits Of Caffeine
People often talk about drinking coffee as being a guilty pleasure or a bad habit, namely because of the caffeine. But it doesnt just perk you up, it also can be a major perk for your health. The breadth of the research is on how coffee affects health, rather than caffeine alone. While its true that coffee does contain other beneficial compounds , its also the most widely consumed source of caffeine.
In fact, according to a 2022 report that surveyed almost 27,000 active duty U.S. military personnel, coffee accounted for 68 percent of their caffeine intake, with the rest coming from sodas, teas, and energy drinks.
As long as youre drinking your coffee black or with a hit of milk , its also a healthy way to get caffeine, according to the U.S. Department of Agricultures MyPlate guidelines.
If you want to understand just how your caffeine habit may be shaping your health, youve got to consider the research. Heres a look into just what it may do, based on observational research. Just keep in mind that while these studies suggest a link between drinking coffee and the health benefit, this does not indicate a definite cause-and-effect relationship:
Boost Brain Health When people consumed 200 mg of caffeine after studying images, their memories were enhanced for up to 24 hours later, giving credence to the idea that caffeine can shore up long-term memory, according to a study from 2014. But a 2021 review of recent studies suggested that more research was needed.
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