According to an Ethiopian legend, on a farm there was a shepherd who took care of several sheep. Every day, when they went out to eat, he noticed that the sheep were jumping up and down, full of energy. In the pasture, the only food other than grass was a cluster of short trees, which had dark leaves with round, red fruits.
The shepherd, curious to understand what those trees were, chewed on a leaf. Instantly he felt his body wake up. Surprised by the discovery, he took the fruits to a local sage.
Disbelieving in the shepherd's story, the sage threw all the red orbs into the fire. A short time later, the scent of roasted coffee seeds contaminated the air, so the sage rescued the ashes and dissolved them in water, creating the first cup of coffee in history.
What made the sheep, the shepherd and the sage fill up with energy after drinking coffee was the presence of caffeine in the drink. It is a potent stimulant for the body, which accelerates metabolism and heart rate, as well as stimulating the release of adrenaline.
These components are present in many varieties of coffee beans, such as arabica and conilon. Among the most expensive variations in the world is jacu coffee. It is produced with the help of the jacu bird, which feeds on the coffee beans and then evacuates them. The drink is prepared from the animal's feces.
Regardless of what your favorite type of coffee is, the ideal is to consume it with awareness, because, just as coffee can bring energy and mood, the drink also has negative effects on the body when consumed in excess.
Here are 10 signs that you are drinking more coffee than you should. If you have to, start eliminating caffeine from your routine!
1) Difficulty sleeping
What may be the goal of some people is the nightmare of others. Coffee is used as an energy drink to curb sleep. However, the exaggerated consumption of the liquid can impair the time to sleep, even when the person feels like doing so. Avoid consuming doses of coffee hours before bed and reduce the amount of coffee you drink if you are already experiencing episodes of insomnia.
2) Recurrence of anxiety attacks
Anxiety disorder is a psychological disorder that can be triggered by excessive caffeine intake. The drink stimulates the release of adrenaline in the body, accelerating metabolism and heart rate. These changes can cause difficulty breathing, dizziness and despair, typical symptoms of an anxiety crisis. It is important to point out, however, that coffee is not the only cause of an anxiety attack.
3) Feeling of constant dehydration
For many people, coffee time is bathroom time or a brief conversation. For others, coffee works like water. In both cases, the drink is acting negatively on the hydration of the body. For someone who is not in the habit of drinking water, urinating every time they drink coffee or considering that the drink is responsible for hydrating the body causes dehydration, with dryness of the lips, eyes and skin.
4) Permanence of stomach pains
As much as coffee is at breakfast for most Spanish people, it can be a villain for the digestive system. Regardless of how sweetened the drink is, there are substances in coffee that can stimulate the release of acid by stomach cells. Thus, pain in this region of the body can become frequent and gastritis frames can be aggravated.
5) Episodes of irritability
As coffee has the potential to increase concentration and acts as an energy booster, a person who drinks the beverage in busy or noisy environments may end up picking up all these visual and audible messages without a filter. The exaggeration of information makes it difficult for the brain to process each one, leading to episodes of irritability.
6) Yellowing of teeth
Tannin is the enemy substance of people who do teeth whitening or who want to have their teeth always white. Unfortunately, it is one of the components of coffee. For this reason, it is common for people who drink excessively to feel that their teeth are turning yellow. The substance is absorbed by the porous surface of the tooth and the smile is no longer white.
7) Frequency of episodes of diarrhea
By accelerating metabolism and facilitating digestion, coffee has laxative properties. For people who suffer from constipation, resorting to drinking once in a while is not a problem. On the other hand, excessive consumption of coffee, as well as the use of the liquid as a laxative, can cause frequent episodes of diarrhea that impair the maintenance of the intestinal flora.
8) Constant headaches
Coffee is popularly known as a drink to treat headaches. Consuming the liquid sparingly, for specific situations, can really help to combat the discomfort. However, in 2019, a study published in the American Journal of Medicine found that people who consume more than three cups of coffee a day are 40% more likely to develop migraines. The remedy can also be the poison.
9) Acceleration of the heartbeat
Caffeine is one of the components, along with nicotine and alcohol, that cause the heart rate to accelerate. The most serious consequence of palpitations is the feeling of dizziness, which can even lead to fainting. Heartbeats need to be regulated according to how the body works, and excess coffee impairs this process.
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10) Feeling tired
While coffee is a quick wake-up fix, caffeine does not have a long-lasting effect on the body. That is, the more coffee you drink to stay awake, the more coffee you will need to drink. During periods when you don't drink, you feel tired, as if you depended on coffee to stay awake. To bring energy to your body, it is best to replace the drink with food.
