Sometimes when we wake up in the morning, we are not as energetic as we wish. And whether it’s a cup of coffee or an energy drink, we can gravitate towards caffeine to jump start our body. Some people even live off of caffeine throughout the day. Is there a limit to how much caffeine we should consume? Do its benefits outweigh the risks?

Recent studies at Harvard University have shown that consuming coffee and caffeine have shown some positive medical health benefits. They performed a thorough and exhaustive study on 126,000 people over an 18 year period, and learned that people who have had one to three cups of coffee a day are up to nine percent less likely to get diabetes. Other studies have shown the following:

• Regular coffee drinkers are 80 percent likely to develop Parkinson’s disease.
• Two cups of coffee a day gives you 20 percent less risk of colon cancer.
• Two cups of coffee a day causes an 80 percent drop in cirrhosis of the liver.
• Two cups of coffee a day prevents gallstone development by 50 percent.
• Other benefits of drinking coffee are improved asthma, stopping headaches and preventing cavities.

But caffeine is like many things in life. If you consume too much of it, it will be hazardous to your health. But a minimum of 2 cups of coffee a day surprisingly decreases the chances of many diseases. The health benefits of coffee far outweigh the risks because of coffee beans’ healthful properties. The risks of caffeine heighten when consuming about 4 to 7 cups of coffee a day, which is considered a heavy daily use.

Some problems overconsumption of caffeine causes are:

• Insomnia
• Irritability
• Headaches
• Fast or irregular heartbeat
• Anxiety
• Muscle Tremors
• Nervousness
• Gastrointestinal problems

In closing, consume coffee in moderation and you will reap the medical health benefits without being exposed to its dangers. If you wake up in the morning and the first thing you think about is a cup of coffee, that’s not a bad thing. You should incorporate coffee or green tea daily to consistently reap the long-term health benefits.

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About the Author

Obi Obadike

"You can have great abs, great physique, money in the bank and have all the wisdom in the world, but if you don’t have the ability to share it with people then it means absolutely nothing." Obi found his love for fitness through sports. He is a former top Division I sprinter at Cal State Fullerton and is considered one of the fastest me

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