The Dangers of High Caffeine Consumption

Some days, you just need that extra boost that comes with a strong cup of coffee. Or, so we’re led to believe. But is the temporary buzz of caffeine worth the health risks?

The Harmful Effects of Caffeine

Coffee is an incredibly popular drink. A cup in the morning to wake up, an easy drink to grab on the commute to work, coffee shop dates with friends, meetings over coffee at the office… It’s easy to drink several cups a day. The caffeine in coffee is a stimulant, helping us stay alert during our busy lives. 

Coffee itself is even good for you! Unfortunately, caffeine is not. 

The high levels of caffeine in coffee can cause a whole host of health issues. 

Studies have shown that excessive caffeine consumption can cause:

·       High blood pressure, especially in people with hypertension, or those who don’t consume caffeine often. After being given caffeine, blood pressure spiked for several hours!

·       Arrythmia (irregular heartbeat)

·       Heart palpitations

·       Increase cholesterol levels

·       Muscle tremors

·       Gout

·       Indigestion, particularly when drunk without food- as is often the case for coffee on the go!

·       Headaches. Occasional, low level doses of caffeine can actually relieve headache symptoms, but regular coffee drinking can make them much worse.

·       Incontinence. Consuming a lot of caffeine makes you a whopping 70% more likely to develop incontinence!

·       Impaired hearing loss recovery. The time it takes to recover hearing after excessive noise induced hearing loss is increased with caffeine consumption.

·       Bone fractures, due to interruptions of the bone formation process (ossification)

·       Insomnia

·       Anxiety

·       Depression

·       Panic attacks

Caffeine seems to be especially harmful to women, although this may just reflect the focus of most research. Whether women are at a higher risk or not, there are certain dangers only present to them. Regular coffee drinking leads to a substantially higher risk of developing breast tissue cysts. The more caffeine, the higher the risk. 

Pregnancy and caffeine do not mix well at all. Drinking caffeine can reduce fertility rates by a staggering 27%. While pregnant, consuming more than 200mg of caffeine daily has been linked to low birth weight, childhood obesity, childhood acute leukaemia, and even stillbirth.

Consuming too much caffeine can also increase chances of miscarriage… and this applies to the father pre-conception too! 

It’s not just pregnancy that is affected by caffeine. Women going through menopause, who consume caffeine, often display worse symptoms. And postmenopausal women can suffer increased bone loss from caffeine. 

Excessive caffeine consumption can even be deadly. 

People with mild hypertension have a substantially higher risk of heart attack if they drink caffeinated coffee. High caffeine consumption is linked to a greater chance of developing heart disease. Men who drink more than 4 cups of coffee a day (easily done!) are 21% more likely to die an early death.  

Like anything, it’s also possible to be allergic, or highly sensitive, to caffeine, potentially leading to caffeine overdoses!  

In short, the benefits of caffeine are far outweighed by the negatives.

What is the Alternative to Caffeine?

Looking for an energy boost, but don’t want to pay the health price? You’re in luck; there are other options! 

Decaf coffee, right? 

Unfortunately, not! In order to make decaf coffee, the caffeine is removed using chemical processes. Without even needing to go into the complexities, it’s enough to say that a chemically altered drink comes with its own set of problems! 

Our Dandelion coffee is made from… you guessed it; dandelions. The root of the dandelion plant is roasted to make an herbal tea, which both looks and tastes like coffee, without any of the caffeine. Dandelions are a bit of a wonder plant. They are a diuretic, meaning they help your body get rid of excess water and salt. Dandelion root stimulates the liver and gallbladder into removing potentially harmful waste products from the body, helping relieve symptoms of inflammation, infection, dietary issues, or environmental toxins. 

Dandelion root is also a prebiotic. Prebiotics are plant fibers that act as food for the good bacteria in your gut, improving your gut flora health. Read more about the importance of a healthy gut flora on our blog here.  

Our Dandelion Coffee is as versatile as your usual coffee blend. Drink it black. Add a dash of milk, or a dollop of cream. Mix with a spoon of coconut oil. Drink it hot, drink it cold. Just do yourself a favour, and drink it! 

Another Alternative to Coffee

If Dandelion coffee isn’t for you, we’ve got something that’s just your cup of tea; Kombucha.

Kombucha is, put simply, fermented tea. 

At Booyah Vitality, our Kombucha is made with organic green tea- perhaps one of the healthiest drinks available. Now, green tea does contain caffeine…and we’ve just spent this whole time telling you that caffeine is bad. Thankfully, there is a ‘but’. High amounts of caffeine are horribly unhealthy but small amounts of caffeine can actually offer health benefits.  Kombucha contains a fraction of the caffeine levels of coffee, and low levels of caffeine consumption can improve memory performance, increase alertness, aid weight loss, and even help combat Alzheimer’s disease. 

A key difference between the caffeine in Kombucha, and in coffee, however, is where that caffeine comes from. 

Studies have shown that green tea can:

·       Increase calorie loss

·       Reduce belly fat

·       Lower cholesterol

·       Lower blood sugar

·       Reduce risk of certain cancers

·       And more!

Is the High Caffeine in Coffee Worth It?

At Booyah Vitality, we firmly believe not. Start your morning with a refreshing Dandelion coffee, or glass of Kombucha. Get that boost of energy you’re craving, without the slew of health issues that come with it. We believe you’re worth that. Do you?