Feeling anxious and irritable? Your daily coffee fix could be to blame

It’s most people’s favourite way to start the morning: with a hot coffee in hand. Whether you’re catching up on the news, commuting to work or dropping the kids off at school, coffee has become a handy sidekick that gives an extra boost to tackle the day.

According to the British Coffee Association, the UK drinks 95 million cups of java every day. This is an increase of 25 million cups compared to just 10 years ago, and while it may be everyone’s favourite ‘cup of joe’, there are highly addictive properties in caffeine. This means your ‘one a day’ could very easily turn into three or four. Relying on a morning kick may be affecting you in ways you don’t realize.

A recent rise in temperature (not related to the current heatwave), frequent bathroom breaks, dehydration, dizziness and headaches are signs you could be taking your daily java intake too far. A racing heart, restlessness, anxiety, irritability and trembles are also symptoms of the six per cent of Brits who over-caffeinate daily.

If these signs sound all too familiar, it may be time to cut back on your coffee consumption. It is recommended you gradually decrease your intake to avoid withdrawal symptoms such as: intense headaches, dehydration and lethargy. If it’s the comfort of holding a mug that you’ll miss, try swapping coffee with herbal tea, kombucha or cold water (because let’s face it – we could all drink more water).

So how is it possible to build a dependency? Coffee is a common stimulant that increases adrenalin in the body, making you feel awake and energetic. When enjoyed in moderate amounts, coffee helps you focus and feel mentally alert.

Unsure whether you’re part of the population that relies too heavily on a caffeinated routine? It is perfectly safe – and may even be healthy for you – to enjoy between 300 – 400mg of coffee a day. This translates to two medium sized coffees.

The good news is that while it isn’t recommended to drink copious amounts of caffeine, you can still get your morning fix without building a dependency – which means mornings won’t be quite as dreadful.

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