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Coffee facts that will change your life
Useful information that will come in handy for true connoisseurs of the popular drink.
Coffee is not just a drink, but a daily ritual: strong black for breakfast, coffee breaks and meetings over a cup of espresso during the day, and to please yourself – a large cappuccino in your favorite coffee shop. Thanks to caffeine, the stimulant found in coffee, we feel refreshed, focused and energized. However, overuse of caffeine can backfire. So how to drink coffee so that it does not harm your health, and what to do if you overdo it with your favorite drink?
Coffee rate
Everyone’s sensitivity to caffeine is different, so the optimal amount of coffee per day will be individual for everyone.
If we talk about general recommendations, scientists advise using caffeine per day (that’s a little more than one large takeaway coffee). At the same time, for pregnant women, the recommended daily dose of caffeine is reduced to 300 mg, for children and adolescents – to 2,5 mg per kilogram of body weight.
According to the Australian Most of the caffeine is found in espresso: a double serving (60 ml) of the drink can account for up to 252 mg of caffeine. In filter coffee (pourover) there will be approximately 175 mg per 250 ml serving, and in coffee from a geyser coffee maker – only 68 mg (if we are talking about one serving, that is, about 30-33 ml of coffee).
It should be borne in mind that the caffeine content is influenced by the degree of roasting (the concentration of caffeine in dark roasted coffee will be higher), the particulars of the variety (for example, the type of Arabica – laurin – contains about half as much caffeine as other Arabica varieties, therefore it is called “natural decaf »), As well as the amount of coffee in the portion and the brewing time. Since there are so many factors affecting caffeine content, it is difficult to tell exactly how much caffeine will end up in your cup.
Anyway, if you don’t want to overdo it on caffeine, two to three cups a day will be sufficient.
Signs of an overdose
To determine your norm and avoid caffeine overdose, listen to your body and pay attention to the following symptomsthat may appear 10–20 minutes after drinking a cup of coffee:
shiver;
cardiopalmus;
unreasonable anxiety;
dizziness.
Other symptoms that do not appear immediately, but can also be associated with a caffeine overdose, include:
nausea;
gastrointestinal upset;
insomnia;
increased sweating;
convulsions.
What to do in case of overdose
If you have drunk more coffee than you should and notice that you are uncomfortable, you should do the following.
Drink plenty of water. This will help prevent dehydration and restore your metabolism.
Get some air. If you are in a stuffy room, try to get out of it and be outside for a while.
Eat. Coffee professionals advise eating bananas: These fruits can help soothe tremors and anxiety. This effect is said to be due to the high potassium content of bananas, but there is no scientific evidence for this. Any nutritious meal, especially one that is high in protein, will help you feel better.
If you feel nauseous or have an upset stomach, you can drink activated charcoal.
Important: if all this does not help and you only feel worse, call an ambulance or see a doctor. And in any case, do not drink anything containing caffeine within 14 hours after experiencing symptoms of an overdose so that the caffeine is eliminated from the body.
How to avoid caffeine overdose
Keep track of how much coffee you drink and try to drink no more than two to three servings of coffee a day. Important: do not forget that cappuccino and latte contain no less caffeine than the espresso, on the basis of which these drinks are prepared.
Consider other caffeinated drinks: tea, cola, energy drinks. If on some day you drink more coffee than usual, give preference to plain, clean water.
Drink coffee only when you really want it. If you don’t feel the need to drink coffee right now, you can always choose a non-coffee alternative.
Opt for decaffeinated drinks in the evening.