How Much Coffee Is Too Much? Study Gives The Answer

Coffee is considered a great beverage to begin the day with. For the hardcore fans, it is difficult to think of mornings without coffee.

But the question is if one needs to limit the daily intake of caffeine to stay healthy. According to a study, coffee lovers can maintain a healthy lifestyle by limiting the consumption of their favourite drink to four or five cups a day.

The research suggests that consuming more than six cups of coffee a day can increase the risk of cardiovascular diseases by 22 percent. For the study, researchers from the University of South Australia collected data of 347,077 people between the ages of 37 and 73 years. The data also included 8,368 cases of people cardiovascular diseases.

“Coffee is the most commonly consumed stimulant in the world -- it wakes us up, boosts our energy and helps us focus -- but people are always asking 'How much caffeine is too much?'” lead researcher Professor Elina Hypponen said.

“Most people would agree that if you drink a lot of coffee, you might feel jittery, irritable or perhaps even nauseated -- that's because caffeine helps your body work faster and harder, but it is also likely to suggest that you may have reached your limit for the time being,” she added.

Hypponen and Professor Ang Zhou also highlighted the relationship between caffeine intake and high blood pressure in their study titled, “Long-term coffee consumption, caffeine metabolism genetics, and risk of cardiovascular disease: a prospective analysis of up to 347,077 individuals and 8,368 cases”.

“We also know that risk of cardiovascular disease increases with high blood pressure, a known consequence of excess caffeine consumption,” Hypponen said.

“An estimated three billion cups of coffee are enjoyed every day around the world. Knowing the limits of what's good for you and what's not is imperative. As with many things, it's all about moderation; overindulge and your health will pay for it,” she added.

The academics from the University of South Australia concluded the study by stating that coffee consumption will modestly increase the risk of cardiovascular diseases. But the relationship between caffeine and heart disease “was unaffected by genetic variants influencing caffeine metabolism."