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How many cups of coffee do Britons drink every day? 
Drum roll, please
|-----------|
| 95 |
| MILLION |
| CUPS |
|-----------|
(\\__/) ||
(•ㅅ•) ||
/ づ
(In case you are wondering how many cups of tea, instead, those are 100 million)
|-----------|
| 95 |
| MILLION |
| CUPS |
|-----------|
(\\__/) ||
(•ㅅ•) ||
/ づ
(In case you are wondering how many cups of tea, instead, those are 100 million)
Every day - by drinking coffee, tea or energy drinks - hundreds of millions of us flood our bloodstream with the drug
But what does it actually do to us? Is it a good idea? And why does it mean so many trips to the bathroom? We asked an expert...
But what does it actually do to us? Is it a good idea? And why does it mean so many trips to the bathroom? We asked an expert...
8am: The first sip First, we need to remember that everyone is different, so best to read the timings here as a guide
But for most of us the journey starts with a morning sip
And, as a general rule, caffeine stays in a healthy adult's body for between five and six hours
8.05: The placebo effectIt may feel like it's waking you up by the second but that first sip won't have an immediate physical effect
The first sensation is likely psychological, especially if drinking caffeine is part of your daily routine
8.20: The energy boostThis is where things get interesting
It takes about 20 minutes for caffeine to be absorbed into your bloodstream
First your heart rate will increase, followed by improved mental performance from the release of adrenaline - and then euphoria
8.30: Nature callsIt usually takes around half an hour before you need to pee (some people feel the call after 5 minutes)
But, although caffeine is a diuretic, a 2014 study showed a small cup has no links to dehydration
... so you don't need flood the system with water
9.30: Effect on your gutAnother visit to the facilities? Like, right now. There are compounds in coffee that stimulate the bowel so you may feel a... cramp
This isn't caffeine, it's the coffee itself – switching to decaf won't help
11am: The dreaded crashEverything felt fine(ish) an hour ago, so what's this? Crippling tiredness? Headaches? Irritability? Welcome to the caffeine slump
All those perky promises you made earlier this morning are dead
The world is, once again, joyless
12pm: The cravingCaffeine has left the building
It takes a while to get back to normal after the drug exits our systems and you may want a top-up
But beware. More will only start the cycle all over again and studies show caffeine late in the day disrupts sleep
It's a vicious circle: once you've had caffeine, you'll likely find yourself wanting more throughout the day.
As pregnant women are advised to steer clear of caffeine, we explain the biological changes that begin with your morning brew https://www.telegraph.co.uk/health-fitness/body/happens-body-take-sip-caffeine/
As pregnant women are advised to steer clear of caffeine, we explain the biological changes that begin with your morning brew https://www.telegraph.co.uk/health-fitness/body/happens-body-take-sip-caffeine/
