Research: Drinking too much coffee is related to "decreased happiness"! Beware of "8 major side effects" if you drink more than 4 cups a day
Many office workers have the habit of drinking coffee, hoping to use caffeine to activate their thoughts and reduce fatigue. Past studies have claimed that regular intake of coffee can promote the secretion of the happy hormones “dopamine” and adrenaline, producing a “feeling of happiness” and excitement. . However, according to a recent analysis published in the journal PLOS One, caffeine has little to do with promoting happiness, and drinking large amounts is even associated with a long-term decline in happiness.
Drinking too much coffee won’t boost your mental health! Study: More than 4 cups a day reduces happiness by 3%
Dr. Farah Qureshi from the Harvard School of Public Health and his team extracted data from the “American Nurses Longitudinal Study”, with a sample involving 44,449 subjects. To assess the subjects’ emotional responses, the research team completed scales on coffee intake, mental health, happiness, health behaviors, demographics, and optimism to clarify the relationship between happiness and caffeine.
The results showed that minimal coffee drinking (drinking no more than 1 cup per day) was not significantly associated with increased happiness; moderate coffee drinkers (drinking 1-3 cups per day) could only increase “minor” happiness; Consuming more than 4 cups of coffee per day was even associated with lower levels of happiness, possibly reducing subjective well-being by 3%.
“In 20 years of random interviews, the association between mental health and coffee intake is basically ’null’ or ‘weak’.” Dr. Qureshi said that previous prospective studies have found that coffee intake It is associated with reduced risk of depression and suicide, but the results of this study found that coffee intake does not substantially improve mental health, overturning previous claims that caffeine can increase happiness and reduce depression.
Is caffeine the culprit of “sleep problems”? Consider reducing dosage if “8 side effects” occur
According to the above-mentioned research, consuming more than 4 cups of coffee a day is not only difficult to improve happiness, but caffeine may also cause strong side effects. Guidelines issued by the American medical media “Mayo Clinic” indicate that if you consume more than 4 cups of caffeinated coffee per day and have the following side effects, you should consider the amount and reduce it according to the situation:
Headache
Insomnia
Nervous
Irritability
Frequent urination/inability to control urination
Rapid heartbeat
Muscle tremors
Heart palpitations
In addition, the “Mayo Clinic” also pointed out that certain groups are more sensitive to caffeine than the general population. If your body is susceptible to the effects of caffeine, even small amounts may cause irritability and sleep problems. This group should avoid drinking coffee in the afternoon or evening to avoid insomnia or poor sleep quality. “Mayo Clinic” emphasizes that using caffeine to cover up lack of sleep and boost energy has limited effect, and can easily cause sleep disorders and poor mental health. vicious cycle.
“Mayo Clinic” reminds the public that certain drugs and nutritional supplements may have “interaction” problems with caffeine. For example, decongestant drugs such as ephedrine may be mixed with caffeine to cause high blood pressure or the risk of stroke; taking theophylline Combining it with caffeine may cause nausea or heart palpitations, and echinacea extract may intensify the side effects of caffeine. Therefore, before taking the above-mentioned drugs, it is recommended to discuss them with a doctor or pharmacist to avoid serious interactions.
Source:
Caffeine: How much is too much? - Mayo Clinic
Prospective associations between coffee consumption and psychological well-being
Further reading:
Drinking coffee protects kidneys? Study: 3 cups a day reduces acute kidney injury by 22%
