Long-Term Effects of Caffeine (Side Effects, Health Benefits, and More)

From increased memory to reduced disease risk, there are plenty of benefits and risks to drinking caffeine regularly that you may not have even realized.

May 7, 2024
A cup full of caffeinated coffee.

It takes the caffeine in coffee around 10 minutes to reach your brain from your bloodstream, but it reaches its peak effects 45 minutes after consumption. At this time, you will experience heightened energy and alertness, as well as a boost in mood.

But what happens when you drink coffee regularly over a longer period of time? Let’s look at the long-term effects of caffeine, both the good and the bad. 

1. Effects on Mood

Regularly enjoying a cup of coffee can be a real mood booster. Research has found links between long-term consumption of caffeine and a decreased risk of depression [1]. Studies show caffeine increases the production of serotonin and dopamine, known as the “happy hormones,” and makes you feel good.

May Increase Anxiety Risks

On the flip side, caffeine, especially in large quantities, can cause feelings of anxiety. It triggers the common symptoms of anxiousness, which include accelerated breathing and heart rate, increased blood pressure, and increased cortisol levels. Cortisol is the primary stress hormone in the body, which can be linked to a variety of health issues such as high blood pressure and mood swings if it remains at a high enough level. Therefore, those suffering from anxiety or other conditions that cause panic should be conscious of their caffeine intake.

Related: How To Stop Heart Palpitations From Caffeine?

2. Effects on Blood Sugar 

Regular caffeine consumption could help lower your likelihood of developing type 2 diabetes. Although more research needs to be done, scientists attribute this effect of caffeine down to its ability to affect glucose homeostasis and even its antioxidant properties [4]. In addition, although in the short term it can raise glucose levels, long term consumption of caffeine can also lead to an improvement in the body’s ability to metabolize it [5]. 

However, those who already have a type 2 diabetes diagnosis may need to be careful when it comes to caffeine. For these individuals, it can impair their body’s chronic glucose control [6]. 

3. Effects on Diet & Metabolism

Studies have shown a small but positive link between caffeine consumption and lesser weight gain over time, especially when caffeine levels are increased [3]. According to the study, those who increased their caffeine intake over the years had a smaller weight gain than those who actually reduced their intake.

Caffeine is a stimulant. In the short term, it speeds up your metabolism and your body processes foods quickly. This also means that you burn calories faster, making coffee a great provider of energy for exercise while also boosting your fat-burning potential. 

Drinking coffee also won’t make you feel as hungry. This is because chlorogenic acid, an antioxidant found in coffee, works in tandem with caffeine to ensure that your body extracts and digests as many nutrients from your food as possible, leaving you feeling fuller and more satisfied [2]. 

Caffeine may temporarily reduce our appetite and even contribute to weight loss. But regular consumption also makes us less sensitive to caffeine. We develop caffeine tolerance and may need to increase our intake just to feel the same effects. 

4. Effects on Bone Density

Heavy caffeine consumption can cause you to pass more calcium in your pee [8]. If you don’t have enough calcium to replace what you have lost, you run a higher risk of decreased bone density over time. 

Although there is limited evidence to suggest that long-term caffeine consumption can cause osteoporosis, researchers still emphasize the importance of cutting down on caffeine to promote overall bone health [9].

5. Other Long-Term Benefits

There are other perks to having your daily cup of coffee, too. People who regularly consume caffeine have a decreased risk of Parkinson's Disease, and women who drink coffee have a lower risk of strokes, depression, and dementia [10]. 

FAQs: Long-Term Effects of Caffeine Consumption

We’ve rounded up some of the most common questions you may still have about long-term caffeine consumption and important information to take away from this article.

1. How much caffeine should I have per day?

Official advice from the FDA suggests a safe limit of 400mg of caffeine per day. This roughly equates to around 4 cups of coffee or 8 cups of tea [11]. However, one should also be mindful of the best time to drink coffee.

If you enjoy drinking Vietnamese coffee, you may want to monitor your caffeine intake. Vietnamese coffee is known for its higher caffeine level and stronger effects.

2. Is coffee a good source of caffeine?

Coffee is a good source of caffeine, with an average of around 100mg of caffeine per 8oz. However, please note that different types coffee beans have varying caffeine levels. For example, robusta beans have more caffeine content than arabica. Peaberry, a coffee berry with only one seed instead of two, has more caffeine than robusta.

Check out our 100% robusta (HaNoi) and 100% peaberry robusta (BanMe)

3. Is caffeine healthy for you?

Caffeine is healthy, so long as it is consumed in moderation, and you don’t have any health conditions that could be affected by it, such as anxiety or heart conditions. In fact, studies have shown that long-term consumption can prevent various diseases like Parkinson’s and decrease stroke risk [10]. Coffee also contains various antioxidants as an extra health boost.

Vietnamese coffee, which uses robusta beans, offers many benefits — from boosting mood and cognitive performance to increasing metabolism.

4. How long until caffeine takes effect?

Caffeine is very fast-acting, with its peak short-term effects being in full force 45 minutes after consumption. However, the long-term benefits of caffeine involve consistent daily intake over a few months to years. 

Related: How Long Does Caffeine Last?

5. How do I limit my caffeine consumption?

If you feel that you’re drinking too much caffeine, consider swapping out some of your drinks for lower-caffeine alternatives. For example, if you mainly drink robusta coffee like Ban Me, which has a high caffeine content, consider switching to a robusta-arabica blend like our signature SaiGon OG or DaNang. You could also try our pure arabica, DaLat, which has significantly less caffeine than the others.

References:

  1. Wang, L., Shen, X., Wu, Y., & Zhang, D. (2015). Coffee and caffeine consumption and depression: A meta-analysis of observational studies. Australian & New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry, 50(3), 228–242. https://doi.org/10.1177/0004867415603131
  2. Rojas-González, A., Figueroa-Hernández, C. Y., González-Rios, O., Suárez-Quiroz, M. L., González-Amaro, R. M., Hernández-Estrada, Z. J., & Rayas-Duarte, P. (2022). Coffee Chlorogenic Acids Incorporation for Bioactivity Enhancement of Foods: A Review. Molecules, 27(11), 3400. https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules27113400
  3. Lopez-Garcia, E., van Dam, R. M., Rajpathak, S., Willett, W. C., Manson, J. E., & Hu, F. B. (2006). Changes in caffeine intake and long-term weight change in men and women. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 83(3), 674–680. https://doi.org/10.1093/ajcn.83.3.674
  4. Rebelo, I., & Casal, S. (2017). Coffee: A Dietary Intervention on Type 2 Diabetes? Current Medicinal Chemistry, 24(4), 376–383. https://doi.org/10.2174/0929867323666161003123717
  5. Effects of coffee consumption on glucose metabolism: A systematic review of clinical trials. (2019). Journal of Traditional and Complementary Medicine, 9(3), 184–191. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jtcme.2018.01.001
  6. Lane, J. D., Lane, A. J., Surwit, R. S., Kuhn, C. M., & Feinglos, M. N. (2012). Pilot Study of Caffeine Abstinence for Control of Chronic Glucose in Type 2 Diabetes. Journal of Caffeine Research, 2(1), 45–47. https://doi.org/10.1089/jcr.2012.0003
  7. Torres-Ugalde, Y. C., Romero-Palencia, A., Román-Gutiérrez, A. D., Ojeda-Ramírez, D., & Guzmán-Saldaña, R. M. E. (2020). Caffeine Consumption in Children: Innocuous or Deleterious? A Systematic Review. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 17(7), 2489. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17072489
  8. Reuter, S. E., Schultz, H. B., Ward, M. B., Grant, C. L., Paech, G. M., Banks, S., & Evans, A. M. (2021). The effect of high‐dose, short‐term caffeine intake on the renal clearance of calcium, sodium and creatinine in healthy adults. British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology, 87(11), 4461–4466. https://doi.org/10.1111/bcp.14856
  9. Cooper, C., Atkinson, E. J., Wahner, H. W., O’Fallon, W. M., Riggs, B. L., Judd, H. L., & Melton, L. J. (2009). Is caffeine consumption a risk factor for osteoporosis? Journal of Bone and Mineral Research, 7(4), 465–471. https://doi.org/10.1002/jbmr.5650070415
  10. Abalo, R. (2021). Coffee and Caffeine Consumption for Human Health. Nutrients, 13(9), 2918.
  11. FDA. (2023, September 7). Spilling the Beans: How Much Caffeine is Too Much? U.S. Food and Drug Administration.