A cup of coffee is a mandatory morning ritual for many people. It helps to wake up and get ready for work. But coffee lovers rarely stop at a single morning cup, continuing to treat themselves to a refreshing drink throughout the day.
However, excessive caffeine consumption can harm health, so it is important to know how many cups of coffee to drink per day so that this habit does not affect the well-being and condition of the body.
What is in coffee beans
The chemical composition of the grains varies depending on the variety, place of growth, crop quality, and even roasting technology. But the basic components are the same for all coffee raw materials:
- tannins – organic compounds that give the drink bitterness;
- alkaloids – components that form the taste and aroma of coffee;
- chlorogenic acid – provides astringent and tart taste;
- caffeine is a psychoactive substance without taste and smell, which has a slight invigorating effect.
The rate of coffee consumption is related to the level of caffeine in the drink. Robusta has about 30% more caffeine than Arabica, and the amount of caffeine in the finished drink is affected by the roasting method and preparation.
Therefore, it isn’t easy to calculate the exact amount of caffeine in one cup, and scientists must operate with approximate numbers. For comparison: in one serving of espresso coffee, there can be 80-140 mg of caffeine, and in a cup of cappuccino – from 60 to 80 mg. Even “decaffeinated” coffee has a minimum of 4-5 mg of this substance.
Why, of all the components of the drink, is it caffeine that attracts the attention of doctors? This substance is a psychostimulant: it can spur the mental and physical activity of the body.
Caffeine stimulates the nervous system, dilates blood vessels, and speeds up the heartbeat. This substance is part of the drugs for headaches and migraines and is used in medicine to eliminate drowsiness.
However, this substance also has contraindications, for example, atherosclerosis and glaucoma. In addition, an overdose is possible, accompanied by arrhythmia, headache, and hand tremors. In short, caffeine is excellent and valuable only in small amounts. We will talk about what these doses are below.
Daily amount of caffeine
The optimal serving of caffeine per day is 300 mg. However, they need to be drunk not once but in several doses. One cup should contain no more than 150 mg of this substance. Coffee drinks are good for health if you stay within the daily intake.
However, doctors give average indicators that do not account for the individual characteristics of different people. One person can afford a large portion of caffeinated products. Another is completely contraindicated.
Therefore, it is essential to listen to your own body and follow your doctor’s recommendations if he recommends drinking only a little coffee.
How many milliliters of coffee in one cup
To answer the question of how many servings of coffee you can drink daily, you need to determine the size of these servings and the amount of caffeine.
To facilitate calculations, scientists use a coffee unit: 100 mg of caffeine. It is found in a double shot of espresso or 200 milliliters of coffee beans.
Most healthy people can drink up to 8 cups of espresso a day or 800 milliliters of a drink brewed in a cezve without fear for blood vessels and the heart.
However, this portion should be taken at a later time. The coffee consumption rate is up to two coffee units, which is at most 4 cups of espresso or 400 ml of a Turkish drink. Between doses, doctors advise pausing for up to 6 hours.
If you drink in small portions, a new cup can be brewed after 3 hours.
Different types and methods of making coffee
It is believed that one coffee unit is contained in three teaspoons of ground coffee and two tablespoons of instant coffee. The amount of water also matters, but less than the number of ground beans or coffee powder (granules).
However, doctors note that the less concentrated drink you drink, the safer it is for your health.
Doctors consider coffee from ground beans the safest and most beneficial. Four coffee units (i.e., 2-4 cups) of this drink per day reduce the risk of cirrhosis of the liver, liver cancer, Alzheimer’s, and Parkinson’s.
Drinking two cups of a refreshing natural drink a day reduces the likelihood of type 2 diabetes and even the development of depression.
However, with an increase in caffeine, all its positive effects disappear. Therefore, you should not drink more than eight servings of espresso per day or more than four servings of Turkish coffee. Not only will this not be beneficial, but it can also harm blood vessels and the heart.
Instant coffee drinks are another matter. They contain less caffeine but many chemical stabilizers and other additives.
Therefore, doctors do not recommend drinking such coffee all the time. You can take up to 200 ml of an instant drink simultaneously without harming your health. Caffeine-free options should not be abused either. Let them have a minimum of caffeine, but many other components, including sugar, could be more useful for the body.
Therefore, it is worth limiting yourself to four cups a day.
For lovers of cappuccino, latte, and other coffee drinks with the addition of milk, the good news is that cream and milk soften the effect of caffeine. However, this does not significantly affect the number of coffee units in a serving because all cocktails are prepared based on espresso.
Therefore, one latte has an average of 1 coffee unit, and you can drink up to 5 glasses of a latte per day. The same is valid for cappuccino, which usually has less milk. Four cappuccinos a day are absolutely safe and beneficial for a healthy adult.
Medical recommendations
To minimize the negative effects of caffeine, follow these simple medical tips:
- Opt for Arabica over Robusta as it has less caffeine.
- Try to drink coffee drinks after meals and not on an empty stomach.
- Make pauses between servings at least 3-4 hours.
- For stress, sleep deprivation, and feeling unwell, reduce rather than increase your caffeine intake.
- If you smoke, subtract one or two servings of coffee drinks from the daily norm, since smoking puts additional stress on the heart and blood vessels.
- Reduce the serving of instant drinks to one if you can’t refuse them at all.
So, the average safe portion of coffee drinks for a healthy person is 8 standard espressos or 4 large Turkish glasses. Caffeine-free options should also not be abused: up to 5 servings.
A healthy person can drink cappuccino and latte 6 times a day, but remember: everything is individual, so listen to your well-being. People who are prone to vascular and heart diseases should be especially careful.
