Medicine in small amounts, poison in large amounts – as far as we know, this adage is also true for coffee. Here are the physical signs that you might want to stop drinking coffee.
It is very difficult to navigate the line between how much caffeine is too much caffeine: experts say that roughly 500 milligrams is the limit above which a host of problems may start.
Nevertheless, many people exceed this amount, and some are more sensitive to this compound than others. How do you know if you drink too much coffee? The following signs may tell you that you should cut back on or completely give up coffee drinking.
You wake up every morning with a headache
Once you develop caffeine addiction, your body expects you to keep getting the dose you need. You obviously cannot replenish your ‘caffeine stores’ while you sleep, so you may wake up in the morning with mild withdrawal symptoms.
By the time you drink your first cup of coffee, the blood vessels in your brain dilate, which can cause irritation that activates the pain centres, and you have the perfect recipe for a headache.
You suffer from muscle cramps
Caffeine causes dehydration, which can lead to muscle cramps. If you find that your calves or thigh muscles cramp up several times during the day, caffeine may be the culprit.
Your blood pressure drops
Coffee is a powerful stimulant; it can raise your blood pressure, which is why you sometimes may feel that pounding heartbeat that can be so scary. However, if you do not drink enough coffee, your blood pressure can drop suddenly, so coffee withdrawal can have the opposite effect, which is equally unpleasant.
Your sleep is disrupted
You are probably aware that if you drink coffee after 2 pm you should expect a disruption to your sleep rhythm. Besides, drinking caffeine throughout the day can lead to a drop in neurotransmitter levels, which can be a problem, especially for key o neurotransmitters, such as serotonin levels, which makes it harder to fall asleep.