The average worker drinks three cups a day: one early in the morning, meant to get him on his feet and ready to start his day in the office; the second one at lunchtime – most people can’t find a better drink to settle food down; the third cup is probably what gets co-workers together later in the afternoon when everybody feels that the day has been too long and they need a short break.

Coffee drinking has become a habit, but is it a healthy one? The answer is: coffee can be quite useful sometimes, but we are advised to drink it with moderation. It stimulates our central nervous system. Thanks to caffeine, we stay alert in numerous trying circumstances, when we haven’t finished revising for an exam or a project at work is still incomplete. It is also used with medications, as it helps them be more effective.

Yet, we mustn’t turn drinking it into a longtime habit because its side effects are bound to literally ruin our health. There are some complications that may occur when too much caffeine is taken, among which we should mention: anxiety disorder, sleep disorders and even caffeine intoxication – cardiac arrhythmia, insomnia, increased blood pressure and rapid pulse. We might also feel our muscles twitch and – worst case scenario – become delusional.

These are serious problems that can occur when the body has got used to caffeine and the quantity we need in order to feel its effect is far too large. Caffeine is addictive and if we want to keep the addiction under control, we’d better reduce the quantity rather than eliminate it completely. A good way of reducing the quantity of caffeine (and not realize it) is making the coffee less strong and drink it with a little milk which ‘sweetens’ the effect it has upon our nervous system. A couple of cups of coffee a day are enough to enjoy the flavour and keep our health under control.