False! Not if you are a moderate drinker.
According to Health Canada and to scientific studies you should not exceed 550-575 mg of caffeine a day if you want to avoid its adverse effects. Consumption that can be described as a moderate one is 300 mg per day for a woman of childbearing age and 400 mg per day for other adults.
For many, apart from the taste, coffee is consumed for its ‘stimulating’ effect, but if you drink too much, you get the opposite effect and it will make you more tired. Indeed, it is wrong to believe that coffee gives you energy, caffeine actually camoufflages fatigue which is a big difference.
Let’s summarize:
Positive effects of a moderate caffeine consumption:
- Stimulates the central nervous system
- Less fatigue
- better concentration
- best attention
- Decreases anxiety
- better mood
- It seems that coffee has a beneficial effect on the prevention of Parkison’s disease (especially for men)
- May improve breathing for asthma sufferers (bronchodilator effect)
Adverse effects of an excessive caffeine consumption:
- Irritability, nervousness, fatigue
- Gastric irritation
- Headaches
- Dehydration (if you vomit and / or by increasing urination)
- Addiction
- Increased risk of infertility and miscarriage
- Insomnia
- Nausea, vomiting
- Muscle cramps, heart palpitations, arrhythmia
- Possible increased risk of osteoporosis
Interactions to avoid: Peppers and coffee ——– grapefruit juice and coffee —> more side effects of caffeine
Interactions to avoid: Coffee may decrease the effectiveness of certain drugs and may increase the side effects of others. Check with your pharmacist.
Note: A cup of coffee (250 ml) has an average of 150 mg of caffeine. And a can of Coca Cola (355ml) 50 mg.
To give you an idea, here are examples of caffeine content in beverages from Starbucks:
