Signs Your Coffee Habit May Be Excessive

• You feel restless, anxious, and/or irritated

Multiple studies have linked caffeine to mood and emotional problems such as anxiety and depression. One study even suggests that people who consumed more than 1,000 milligrams of caffeine in one day showed virtually the same symptoms as people suffering from anxiety disorder.

• It blocks sleep-inducing chemicals in the brain

We often grab a cup of coffee, or two, when we need to stay awake. As a stimulant, caffeine often gives many people a temporary feeling of being more alert. This is also why many caffeinated beverages like tea, soda, or energy drinks, are also popular when you need an energy boost.

According to the National Sleep Foundation, caffeine not only blocks sleep-inducing chemicals in the brain but it increases adrenaline production. Consuming six or more cups a day, which is considered excessive, may prevent some people from falling asleep — and the damage to the body when you do not get enough sleep can be serious.

• Caffeine may stimulate molecular mechanisms that lead to the production of stomach acid

We don’t typically associate stomach aches and pains with coffee consumption but according to various research conducted by universities in Europe, caffeine may stimulate molecular mechanisms that lead to the production of stomach acid in stomach cells, causing stomach aches. The authors of the research say dark-roasted coffees may be a better choice because they contain a compound that reduces acid production.

• High coffee consumption can inadvertently lead to dehydration

Often, we are advised to consume coffee to address our headaches and in some headache medications, caffeine is even a key ingredient. However, consuming too much can lead to excess urination, which in turn can lead to dehydration. Additionally, because of the addictive properties of caffeine, headaches can also be caused by cutting back on coffee consumption.

• Cafestol is a molecule found in coffee beans that elevates cholesterol

Caffeine is not the culprit in your cholesterol levels, rather, it is a molecule found in coffee beans known as cafestol. According to researchers from Baylor College of Medicine, this molecule elevates cholesterol by blocking a receptor that is important to its regulation and is “the most potent dietary cholesterol-elevating agent known,” according to Dr. David Moore, co-author of the study.

• You’re at an elevated risk of developing glaucoma

Because caffeine has been known to increase pressure in the eyes for a short period when enjoyed in moderation it is fine but it’s probably a good idea not to overdrink it, especially if you’re at high risk of glaucoma. Some research suggests that drinking five or more cups of caffeinated coffee a day may increase the risk of developing glaucoma, the Glaucoma Research Foundation notes. Caffeine may also cause a spike in blood sugar levels, which may translate to blurred vision.

• Caffeine can cause a temporary spike in blood pressure

Medical professionals are unsure why caffeine affects blood pressure but one theory is that it blocks the production of a hormone that plays a role in the widening of the arteries. Another hypothesis has to do with caffeine’s effects on the adrenal glands. These glands release adrenaline, a hormone that causes a rise in blood pressure.

• Coffee gets trapped in your tooth’s enamel

Drinking large amounts of coffee (and tea) every day can lead to discolored, yellow, or stained teeth. This unpleasant side effect even has a name – coffee stains – and occurs when coffee gets trapped in the microscopic ridges of the enamel, the outer protective layer of the tooth, forming stains.

• Excessive caffeine intake may deplete energy levels

Coffee is often thought of as an energy boost, a beverage we drink when we want to stay awake. However, chronic and excessive caffeine intake may deplete energy levels after the initial effects wear off. Researchers found excessive daytime sleepiness to be common the day after energy drink consumption. Caffeine triggers the sympathetic nervous system (fight or flight response), which is okay in the short term but when it occurs repeatedly, the body gets no chance to rest, leading to fatigue.

• The extra boost of cortisol from caffeine may be linked with an increased tendency to hallucinate

Five cups of coffee a day or more in people who also feel high levels of stress may cause them to hear things, according to a study conducted by Melbourne’s La Trobe University. The study was initially researching why people who were never diagnosed with schizophrenia were showing symptoms of the condition.

• Caffeine interferes with certain chemical processes in the brain

A nine-month-long study of 40 male rats conducted by researchers at the University of British Columbia, Canada, suggests that coffee may result in workers getting lazier. Researchers say the findings may apply to humans as well, especially people who use stimulants to stay alert for a long period.

• Caffeine stimulates the nervous system

People drink coffee to boost their alertness and when caffeine is taken in high enough amounts, jittery sensations are not uncommon, and people may feel jumpy, according to the FDA. When your nervous system ingests excessive caffeine, it can lead to jitters and tremors, which are often referred to as “caffeine jitters” or “coffee nerves”.

• Stimulants can cause any muscle in the body to twitch, and coffee is a stimulant

Although there isn’t a definitive link between caffeine and muscle cramps yet, some research shows a possible connection. Caffeine triggers the nervous system, which controls the contraction of skeletal muscle through nerve cells. According to research out of Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre in the Netherlands, when consumed in high amounts, caffeine can cause involuntary spasms of muscle fibers across the body.

• Caffeine can lead to digestive issues

Possible side effects of drinking too much coffee can be diarrhea. Coffee, and other beverages that have caffeine, may have a laxative effect in some people if you drink more than three cups a day.

• Caffeine interferes with iron absorption

Skipping tea and coffee drinks with meals is common advice for anemic people as caffeine has been shown to interfere with the body’s absorption of iron. Hemoglobin, a protein in red blood cells that carries oxygen throughout the body, contains iron. Iron deficiency means less oxygen gets to the body’s cells, resulting in fatigue, weakness, and pale skin.

• Excessive caffeine consumption may be linked to metabolic syndrome

A study at the University of Western Australia in laboratory mice that aimed to show how coffee intake is beneficial to cardiovascular function ended up demonstrating that excessive caffeine consumption, five or six cups per day, may be linked to metabolic syndrome, which is a combination of high blood pressure, high blood sugar, excess belly fat, and high cholesterol levels. Polyphenols in the coffee, chemicals naturally found in plants, made the mice retain fat in the cells. The study said it is okay to drink coffee in moderate amounts.

• High consumption of caffeine may lower insulin sensitivity

It is unsure why, but research has shown that inordinate coffee drinking can lead to excessively high blood sugar levels because the body cells don’t absorb as much glucose. This is also why coffee may be a problem for diabetics as caffeine makes it harder to control blood sugar levels. (This can also be a sign you might have diabetes.)

• Caffeine increases the production of stomach acid which may lead to nausea

According to the FDA, drinking too much coffee can cause nausea because caffeine increases the production of stomach acid, which can also cause stomach pain and acid reflux. Caffeine is a mental stimulant, a drug that can be addictive when consumed excessively over a long period, and nausea is not an uncommon symptom of withdrawal from caffeine, according to WebMD. The body struggles with the sudden change of not getting the amount of caffeine it is accustomed to.

• Too much coffee may cause hypokalaemia

According to research conducted in Shinohara Hospital, Japan, drinking too much coffee every day can sometimes cause a low level of potassium in your bloodstream, known as hypokalaemia. Potassium is an electrolyte that carries signals to the nerves and muscles in the body. Common symptoms of low potassium levels are weakness and fatigue.

• As a stimulant, caffeine triggers the nervous system and speeds up thermogenesis

While hyperhidrosis, or excessive sweating, is not a very common sign of drinking too much coffee, it is possible among people who have a higher sensitivity to caffeine. It triggers the nervous system and speeds up thermogenesis, the process of producing heat. The internal body temperature exceeds its set point, causing people to sweat.