Coffee (and caffeine to an extent) might make the world go around, but you can only have too much of a good thing
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Not long ago, we found out that drinking 25 cups of coffee a day is safe for the heart. While your caffeine intake poses no serious risk to the heart, it doesn’t mean it has the same effect on your brain. A study published in the American Journal of Medicine found that drinking more than two cups of coffee a day triggers chronic migraine.
Researchers examined 98 people who suffer from chronic migraines. The subjects were tasked to answer questions pertaining to their medical history and typical caffeine intake, and identify what triggers their migraine. The choices were caffeine consumption, lack of sleep, or changes in the weather. The participants were then asked to track their daily caffeine intake in a diary along with how much exercise they did, hours they slept, and the amount of stress they felt on that day.
The results found that those who drink more than three cups a day are 40 percent more likely to suffer from a migraine on that day or the next day. This is because caffeine inhibits adenosine, a chemical in the brain cells that promotes sleep and restricts pain. When you drink more than a cup of coffee, those caffeine molecules block the effects of adenosine.
The results found that those who drink more than three cups a day are 40 percent more likely to suffer from a migraine on that day or the next day
But, the researchers said that those who consume one to two cups of coffee a day are safe from migraines on the day or the next.
Drink moderately
Depending on coffee to get you through the day is not necessarily wrong. But if you catch yourself on your fourth cup for the day, don’t expect your body to perform at a high level. Note that migraine is the third most prevalent illness and the most common pain condition that affects productivity.
If you want to limit your coffee intake, opt for alternatives like kombucha, tea, coconut water, apple cider, or plain water. Coffee might make the office world go around, but you can only have too much of a good thing.