The American Heart Association says that those who drink caffeinated beverages should do so in moderation, which means about two cups of coffee a day. That's about 200-400mg of caffeine. But except for that whole living longer thing, where's the inspiration to put down the coffee pot? It's not like quitting coffee is going to help you save money on your life insurance quotes or anything.
Is it?
Actually, you'd be surprised.
The Dark Side of Your Dark Brew
Caffeine in moderation doesn't seem to have a lot of long term effects on most people, except the lovely headache that comes if you skip a day (and the jail time for the death threats against your co-workers). But medicine's definition of moderation and yours might differ by a pot or two a day, and more than the daily recommended max is bad for health.
Forget the jitters, the shakes, and the tendency to annoy others by talking waaaay too fast, which aren't the only manifestations you get of coffee overdose but are certainly the most noticeable! The catch is, everyone metabolizes caffeine differently. Some people are lucky. Their bodies process caffeine quickly and efficiently, which helps prevent heart attacks and diabetes. (Not to mention they live longer that way. Metaphorically speaking. Not literally.)
That's lovely, right? But what about the people who are slow metabolizers, genetically predisposed to heart attacks when stimulated by something like caffeine? They're out there. Are you one of them? Would cutting back on the amount of coffee, tea and soda you slurp every day save your life, as well as your life insurance quotes?
Let's talk about those Z's. Do you know how much your caffeine of choice affects your beauty sleep? Some people can drink coffee right before bed and drift off without a problem. Others can have a half a cup at 2pm and stay wide awake for hours after they'd prefer to be in dreamland. Someone who lets that afternoon pick-me-up keep them awake often enough can become run down and irritable, reaching for another cup of coffee or bottle of Mt. Dew to keep that self destructive cycle running over and over again.
Do you know what staying awake too long can actually do to your body? Lack of sleep over a long period of time leads to all kind of health problems, from catching colds faster than usual to encouraging cancer to grow. It sounds dramatic, but sleep is the body's time to heal.
Wait, Cancer? From Coffee? What Kind of Wacky Scare Tactic is This?
New piece of information for you. Every person fights off little cancers at several times in life. It's our immune systems that keep away as many illnesses as possible. No sleep means a poorly functioning immune system and no time to repair the damage we do every day.
Caffeine increases heart rate and can help everyone- athletes and desk jockeys alike- work harder and longer. The science is there- it's called an ergogenic effect, and that sounds great, right? Butthink about how hard you push your body and your brain every...single...day. Without sleep, one can imagine the permanent damage done to the body and brain. The heart. The lungs. Any organ can wear out if pushed too far too often with no proper recouperation.
How is a person supposed to fight off the carcinogens if the body can't rest because of that sweet morning brew? Your body's good, but it's not THAT good!
The lack of sleep from badly timed caffeine consumption isn't the only possible cancer risk from our stimulating friend. Moderate caffeine use has actually been shown in some British and American studies to help fight cancer. Don't cheer just yet, though. Studies also show that more than 400 mg a day has been associated with an increase in the risk of certain cancers.
Are you at risk? Are you extremely sensitive to caffeine, or are you one of the fast metabolizers protected by a bit of caffeine? Do you know for sure?
Probably not. Guess what? Your life insurance company doesn't know either. Your insurance questionnaire may not contain any questions about coffee or tea or energy drinks or chocolate. It will, however, contain a lot of questions about medical conditions- heart trouble, cancer, diabetes, sleep disorders, anxiety, and depression, all of which can result from taking in too much caffeine, and all of which spell bad news for your life insurance quotes.
If you've read this and fall into the more than 400mg of caffeine on a regular basis, you should really consider cutting down. It'll cut down on your health risks, cut down on your consumption expenses, lengthen your body's natural lifespan and, in the process, cut down the cost of your life insurance while it's at it.
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