What Happens to Your Body if You Drink Too Much Coffee?

Coffee is a universal drink that is used all over the world by people of all ages. It is simply something you cannot resist. You want to have a cup of coffee to freshen yourself, ease your mind, relieve yourself of routine pressure. You just want some sips to relax yourself after tiresome work or just to wake up in the morning. Most of the people start their day with a hot, steaming cup of coffee. It is quite a treat that you can give yourself easily.

However, it is not something that doesn’t have any kind of risks for your health. It is generally stated that excess of everything is bad at the end. You need to keep some balance in your life in order to sustain the smooth functioning of anything. In the same way, excessive consumption of coffee too can have serious consequences for you. There is no doubt in the positive aspects of coffee and how desirable it can be sometimes but at the same time, precautions are mandatory to follow for the sake of better healthy life.

An Image Displaying a Cup of Coffee.

Effects of Overconsumption of Coffee

There can be numerous effects of overdrinking coffee on a regular basis. Most of the times, the outcomes are subtle to notice because they get associated with other causing factors. For example, digestive problems, headache, profuse sweating, nausea, irritation and heart problems are never thought to be the repercussions of a higher intake of coffee or any other drink in the first place.   However, they can be alarming for your health in many ways.

Following are the consequences of excessive drinking of coffee:

1. Liver Problems

Coffee can be useful for better functioning of your lever. However, if it is consumed excessively on a regular basis, then it can cause serious problem for your liver and hinders its functioning. The situation can be far more drastic for those consumers who are already on some high dose medication.

These aftereffects of overconsumption of coffee are supported by several studies that were conducted at different medical research institutions. A moderate amount of coffee can prove to be useful for better health by providing an aid to the liver with detoxifying the body. However, excessive consumption can have dire consequences for your liver.

2. High Blood Pressure

One of the major consequences of excessive coffee drinking also includes problems associated with blood pressure. Various studies have shown that overconsumption of coffee can stimulate heart and cause high blood pressure. It also causes shallow breathing.

3. Irritation and irrationality

Caffeine is one of the main ingredients of coffee that causes several problems if used in a greater quantity. Intake of caffeine in excess amount results in shallow breathing that further becomes the reason for hindering the level of oxygen flowing to the brain cells. This whole scenario then further causes problems. It also affects the decision making ability of a person and hence irrational judgments are likely to surface.

A Picture of a Woman Holding a Cup of Coffee.

4. Loss of Sleep

Mostly when people have to work the nights, they prefer to drink coffee. It helps them stay awake and active. In other words, it causes loss of sleep temporarily. Caffeine, one of the main ingredients of coffee, helps in staying alert in this regard.

Excessive consumption can result in insomnia which is a loss of your sleep. Precisely, it disturbs the amount of time that is required to fall asleep normally. As it keeps you away from falling asleep, so in this way, it prolongs the time for you to fall asleep.

This situation differs from person to person. The level of caffeine in the coffee along with its other constituents is processed differently in different persons. The half-life of caffeine is about six hours on average. Generally, it ranges from one and half hours to nine and a half hours. Therefore, it remains active for the time anywhere between one and half hours to nine hours.

5. It Becomes an Addiction

Coffee intake becomes an addiction for you after some time through regular use. If suddenly you stop taking coffee, then you cannot remain unaffected because you have developed a habit of drinking coffee. You will not be able to continue your normal routine as effective as before without it.

Overconsumption of coffee causes caffeine with-drawl that in turn affects your contemplative and cognitive capabilities. When you drink your coffee again then the level of caffeine present in it stabilizes its level. Ultimately, your normal performance level is stabilized again. Due to this situation, your addiction increases day by day. Apparently, it feels as if the consumption of coffee enhances your activities and performance. However, in reality, it is simply establishing your normal level of performance back to its usual range for a short period of time.

A Picture of a Stressed Women Sitting on the Grass.

6. Effects of Caffeine with-drawl

Caffeine with-drawl causes several other problems which are stated as follows:

  • It can cause depression.
  • Risk of Headache:

The caffeine with-drawl increases the risk of severe headache too. If you are drinking coffee in excess quantity on aregular basis, then you are more likely to experience severe headache.

An Image Portraying a Student Experiencing Headache.

Anxiety

Coffee can encourage the risk of anxiety in a person. There are studies to support this statement. According to a study conducted by Professor Roland Griffiths, overconsumption of coffee increases the risk of anxiety in a person. The study was conducted at the Department of Psychiatry and Neuroscience, John Hopkins University.

Fatigue

You are likely to experience fatigue and exhaustion due to overdrinking of coffee. A moderate amount of intake is helpful in boosting the energy level. However, the higher intake can result in rebound fatigue in which case more caffeine is required to drink to avoid it. It also affects the time required to fall asleep seriously. This is why the higher intake of caffeine causes rebound fatigue, restlessness and exhaustion.

  • Drowsiness is also caused by caffeine with-drawl in overconsumption of coffee.

7. Osteoporosis

Overconsumption of coffee increases the risk of Osteoporosis. There are studies that support this statement. In such cases, you are advised to ensure the intake of Vitamin D and Calcium in a sufficient quantity.

8. Racing Heart Beating

One of the major problems that occur due to the overuse of coffee also includes heart problems. If you are taking excessive coffee regularly, then you are likely to experience heart palpitation and other irregular symptoms. These heart palpitations can be so intense that it feels as if your heart beat is racing to rip your ribcage and escape from your body. The fast heart beating can also result in dizziness.

9. Stomach Problems

Usually, stomach problems are associated with food. Coffee is also one of the reasons in this regard. Some of the coffee ingredients cause the secretion of stomach acid which result in cramps and pain. Medication is advised for such situations. However, you are also recommended to change your habits of coffee drinking.

Drinking coffee in excess quantity can also result in several stomach issues. These issues include abnormal movements, stomach cramps, vomiting and several other problems.

10. Experiencing Dizziness

You are more likely to feel lightheaded when you drink too much coffee. The overconsumption of coffee can make you feel dizzy. The reason for all this can be attributed to the fact that the greater intake of coffee hinders the flow of blood to the brain cells that ultimately causes headache and dizziness. When you experience lightheadedness and feel dizzy then the condition is likely to be caused to overdrinking coffee. There is a fair chance of supporting that statement and therefore, you need to be careful in the assessment of your whole routine including the intake of Coffee.

11. Profuse Perspiration

One of the problems of greater intake of coffee also includes excessive sweating. Your body is likely to heat up on account of heightened level of arousal due to overdrinking of coffee. Due to this your body starts profuse sweating. This can also lead to dehydration.

In this situation, you are advised to take decaffeinated drinks that include juices, herbal tea and water etc.

A Close-up Picture of a Man with Profuse Sweating On his Face.

Conclusion

Overconsumption of coffee can have dire consequences for your health both physically and psychologically. In a moderate amount, drinking coffee can be significantly helpful in maintaining your alertness, performance level and relaxation. However, excessive consumption can be seriously harmful for your health.

It is also important to note that the nature and kind of repercussions due to overconsumption of coffee differ from person to person. Caffeine overconsumption does not affect everybody in the same way. The consequences depend on your body’s response to the higher intake of Coffee and its ingredients. However, it can be conveniently established that overconsumption of coffee is not necessarily advantageous to your health.

In order to avail the advantages of drinking coffee, you are highly recommended to understand and evaluate your conditions with the intake of coffee. You are recommended to take necessary actions immediately in the best interest of your health, if needed, be it reducing the amount of coffee intake, or changing the frequency of intake etc.