Dietitian warns: Drinking too much coffee can raise your blood pressure

The winter season causes us to drink lots of hot beverages to keep our bodies warm, and one of the most favourite ones is coffee.

READ: Is your coffee really coffee?

Many people drink it to kickstart their day. They can also find themselves drinking coffee throughout the day.

However, should there be a limit to the amount of coffee one drinks?

Wendy Lord, a dietitian based in Sandton, says drinking too much can be dangerous. 

“Coffee should be limited to about four cups per day, limiting your caffeine intake to no more than 400mg per day,” says Wendy. 

Each cup should have one teaspoon of coffee. 

Wendy says this is because coffee contains caffeine. 

“Coffee contains caffeine which is a stimulant which may raise the blood pressure,” says Wendy. 

Apart from raising blood pressure, Wendy says caffeine is a diuretic – meaning that it can cause you to feel dehydrated. 

“It does tend to make you go to the toilet more often. It can dehydrate you,” says Wendy. 

But she adds: “You have to drink quite a lot of coffee for it to have that kind of effect unless you are sensitive to caffeine.”

Wendy says people should rather drink warm water and tea to keep their bodies warm. 

“My recommendation is for people to drink more water than coffee. Replace some of your coffee with caffeine-free teas like rooibos,” she concludes.

READ: The coffee conundrum: consumption is up but trade prices are low