Mistakes in coffee consumption can be harmful to your health
Are you a coffee lover who can’t do without it? Well, you are not alone. Millions of people around the world wake up to the smell of coffee that stimulates them for their day ahead. Even health experts say that coffee has great benefits for the brain, apart from improving alertness, focus, and mood. Coffee also has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects, and reduces the risk of neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease.
However, you can reap all these benefits as long as you drink coffee in the right way. Yes, there is a right and wrong way to do it, and the latter can be a serious health risk, especially to your brain.
Take a look at some coffee drinking mistakes that can reduce your cognitive abilities, and what to do instead to keep your mind in great shape, according to “thehealthsite.”
Coffee drinking mistakes:
Drinking too much coffee
Coffee, whether black or cappuccino, is beneficial to health as long as you drink it in moderation, according to health experts. Excessive consumption of anything can be more harmful than helpful. According to a study published in the Nutritional Neuroscience Journal, drinking more than six cups of coffee a day is associated with smaller overall brain volumes and a 53% increase in the risk of dementia and other neurodegenerative diseases. So, what is the amount of coffee that you should drink in a day? Around 400 milligrams of caffeine, which makes about 4 cups in a day, is considered safe.
Drinking coffee after sunset
Although coffee helps you wake up from lethargy or drowsiness after lunch, consuming it later in the day may make you feel tense and anxious when it’s time to sleep. Caffeine, the stimulant that remains in the bloodstream for a long time after the last sip, causes sleep problems. The long-term effects increase the accumulation of beta-amyloid, a protein in the brain associated with cognitive decline and Alzheimer’s disease.
It is advisable to avoid consuming coffee after sunset or at least six hours before bedtime to ensure a good night’s sleep.