How Much Coffee Is Too Much?

With the end of the semester coming upon us for many college students, many students, like myself, will be drinking excessive amounts of coffee to help us stay alert and focused while studying and trying to finish work for a certain deadline. But have you ever wondered about the question of how much is too much coffee to consume? The temptation with coffee is to keep pounding it down but you may not want to do that. According to the American Dietetic Association’s Complete Food and Nutrition Guide, “for most healthy adults, moderate amounts of caffeine 200 to 300 milligrams a day, or about two cups of coffee poses no physical problem.” So two cups of coffee good for you but three cups may be too much. If you have been substituting coffee in place for water and juice in your diet, are having trouble falling asleep at night, are pregnant or nursing a child, or have a medical condition such as high blood pressure, gastritis, or ulcers- it is time to switch to decaf coffee, or even give coffee a break for a while. Coffee addicts, like myself, send it down like water, but we also go to the gym, eat healthy, and take a few hours each night to relax. Coffee can get you through the stressful times, such as the end of semesters, but if the stresses aren't dealt with at their root cause, then you will be stressed in the days to follow. Some advice is for every cup of coffee you drink, you should drink two full glasses of water, to help your system replenish what the caffeine takes out. For every cup of coffee that you NEED to get through the day, sit at home on the couch for one hour every night and read. Doesn’t matter what you’re reading (magazines, books, the back of a cereal box) the point is, you need to give your body a chance to slow down and relax naturally. And on another note, ditch the sodas and chocolates altogether. Sure you enjoy them, but you also know full well that they’re doing bad things to your insides.