People would normally think of caffeine when they talk about coffee. There are antioxidants and other active substances in coffee that may reduce internal inflammation and protect against diseases like Alzheimer’s dementia, Parkinson’s disease and heart conditions.
The downside about excessive intake of coffee is that we may end up feeling jittery, develop palpitations, higher blood pressure, feeling anxious and have problems initiating sleep and having good quality sleep.
According to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, it’s safe for most women to drink three to five cups of coffee a day with a maximum intake of 400 milligrams of caffeine. (Caffeine content can vary depending on the type of coffee, but an average 8-ounce cup has 95 milligrams.)
Caffeine tolerance is different for everyone. It will be wise to do what makes you feel good. You can still get some of the potential health benefits by drinking one cup of coffee a day, or even by drinking decaffeinated coffee.
Another pertinent point is that what we add to our coffee can make a difference in how healthy the beverage really is. Hence, it may not be a good idea to use a lot of cream and sugar.
What some of my friends told me is that after drinking a cup of coffee at night, they can still sleep very well. However, research has shown that people who drink coffee at night tend to have decreased deep sleep and more frequent awakenings at night. For these individuals, their bodies absorb caffeine slowly, so they do not have a problem falling asleep. The disturbance in their sleep only manifests much later.
For my patients with insomnia, I would normally advise them not to drink coffee anymore after 12 noon as caffeine may linger on in the body for up to 14 hours and affect their sleep at night.
