ZME Science
  • CoronavirusNEW
  • News
  • Environment
    • All
    • Animals
    • Climate
    • Eco tips
    • Environmental Issues
    • Green Living
    • Pollution
    • Renewable Energy
    • World Problems
    Huge tanker at risk of collapse in the Caribbean — officials say situation is “stable”

    Huge tanker at risk of collapse in the Caribbean — officials say situation is “stable”

    Electric cars will likely be as cheap as regular ones by 2024

    Electric cars will likely be as cheap as regular ones by 2024

    Scientists resurrect mysterious missing tectonic plate beneath Canada

    Scientists resurrect mysterious missing tectonic plate beneath Canada

    It’s not just a health concern: air pollution is costing European citizens $190 billion per year

    It’s not just a health concern: air pollution is costing European citizens $190 billion per year

    We should expect long-term ice loss even if we stop climate change today, according to a new study

    We should expect long-term ice loss even if we stop climate change today, according to a new study

    World’s largest solar farm will produce 10GW of power in Australia — but most of it will end up in Singapore

    World’s largest solar farm will produce 10GW of power in Australia — but most of it will end up in Singapore

    This white paint cools rooftops below the surrounding temperature, even under direct sunlight

    This white paint cools rooftops below the surrounding temperature, even under direct sunlight

    The Great Plains could be drying down into a new Dust Bowl

    The Great Plains could be drying down into a new Dust Bowl

    This beetle’s armor can survive being run over by a car. Here’s why it’s nearly indestructible

    This beetle’s armor can survive being run over by a car. Here’s why it’s nearly indestructible

    • Climate
    • Animals
    • Renewable Energy
    • Eco tips
    • Environmental Issues
    • Green Living
  • Health
    • All
    • Alternative Medicine
    • Anatomy
    • Diseases
    • Genetics
    • Mind & Brain
    • Nutrition
    The pandemic has messed up our sleep, eating habits, and mental health, a new study reports

    The pandemic has messed up our sleep, eating habits, and mental health, a new study reports

    Electromagnetic fields treat type 2 diabetes in mice

    Electromagnetic fields treat type 2 diabetes in mice

    FDA approves first Ebola treatment

    FDA approves first Ebola treatment

    This protein explains why you get acne — and may offer a new way to cure it

    This protein explains why you get acne — and may offer a new way to cure it

    After scanning canine brains: “Dogs are people, too,” says neuroscientist

    After scanning canine brains: “Dogs are people, too,” says neuroscientist

    Infant feeding bottles may release millions of microplastics during formula preparation

    Infant feeding bottles may release millions of microplastics during formula preparation

    Do you like cheese? You can  thank the Indus Valley Civilization for it

    Do you like cheese? You can thank the Indus Valley Civilization for it

    Men and women are responding differently to the pandemic. Here’s how

    Men and women are responding differently to the pandemic. Here’s how

    Three coffees a day bring headaches your way — stick to one or two and you should be fine

    Three coffees a day bring headaches your way — stick to one or two and you should be fine

    • Alternative Medicine
    • Anatomy
    • Diseases
    • Genetics
    • Mind & Brain
    • Nutrition
  • Future
  • Space
  • Feature
    Time Travel Without the Paradoxes

    Time Travel Without the Paradoxes

    Sir Roger Penrose has been awarded the 2020 Nobel Prize in physics for his work revolutionising our theories regarding black holes and reshaping general relativity. (Robert Lea)

    Singularity Minded: The Black Hole Science that Won a Nobel Prize

    The spicy history of how pumpkin spice got so popular

    The spicy history of how pumpkin spice got so popular

    The mental health of PhD students is at stake: scientific journals should take the blame

    The mental health of PhD students is at stake: scientific journals should take the blame

    Why leaves fall down — and why it happens during Autumn

    Why leaves fall down — and why it happens during Autumn

    These are the best drone photos of the year — and they will blow your mind

    These are the best drone photos of the year — and they will blow your mind

    Why do days get shorter and darker with autumn?

    Why do days get shorter and darker with autumn?

    21 experts you should follow if you want to make sense of the pandemic (and a bonus)

    21 experts you should follow if you want to make sense of the pandemic (and a bonus)

    a Representation of the quantum teleport of information from the surface of Earth to space--a sci-fi's fan's dream, almost. ((IMAGE BY CAS))

    Quantum Teleportation: Separating Science Fact from Science Fiction

    • Feature Post
    • Art
    • Great Pics
    • Design
    • Fossil Friday
    • AstroPicture
    • GeoPicture
    • Did you know?
    • Offbeat
  • More
    • About
    • The Team
    • Advertise
    • Contribute
    • Our stance on climate change
    • Privacy Policy
    • Contact
No Result
View All Result
ZME Science

No Result
View All Result
ZME Science
No Result
View All Result
Home Health & Medicine

Three coffees a day bring headaches your way — stick to one or two and you should be fine

You might want to reconsider that extra cup of coffee.

Mihai Andrei by Mihai Andrei
October 16, 2020
in Health & Medicine, News, Nutrition
A A

While one or two cups don’t really seem to make a difference, drinking three or more cups of coffee a day seems to increase the risk of headaches.

Migraines can be very rough. An estimated 1 billion people around the world suffer from migraines which not only cause debilitating pain, but also render people unable to function properly. The role of coffee in migraines has not been properly explained — and to an extent, the full range of effects caused by coffee are not understood.

Almost 9 in 10 American adults consume coffee on a daily basis. It’s the most widely consumed beverage in the world, with over 400 billion cups consumed each year. Unsurprisingly, coffee has also been studied extensively, but although the fundamentals are pretty well known, the health impacts of coffee are still widely debated. The uncertainty is owed partly to the coffee itself and partly to humans, who process coffee in different ways.

ADVERTISEMENT

The complex effect that coffee has on the human body — or rather, a part of it — has been explored in a new study. A team of researchers looked at the potentially harmful effects of coffee on migraine risk.

“To date, there have been few prospective studies on the immediate risk of migraine headaches with daily changes in caffeinated beverage intake. Our study was unique in that we captured detailed daily information on caffeine, headache, and other factors of interest for six weeks,” commented Suzanne M. Bertisch, principal investigator of the study, of Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School.

Association between servings of caffeinated beverages compared to none and occurrence of migraine on the same day. Image credits: Mostofsky et al

Researchers aren’t exactly certain why migraines happen, but one of the most convincing theories has to do with blood vessels in the brain. The painful throbbing that most people experience during a migraine is owed to inflammation and swelling of blood vessels, which causes an increase in blood flow around the brain. Since coffee can raise blood pressure, it makes sense that coffee would play a role here — and previous studies have suggested that people may experience more migraines after coffee consumption, although coffee is not considered to be the cause of the migraines.

In the latest study, Bertisch and colleagues had 98 adults who suffer from episodic migraines reported in an electronic diary twice a day for six weeks. They reported on their coffee intake and other lifestyle factors, comparing the migraine frequency with coffee consumption.

The data showed that participants experienced an average of 5 headaches per month. However, those who consumed three or more servings reported a substantially larger number of migraines. This suggests that high levels of caffeinated beverage intake may be a trigger of migraine headaches on that day, the researchers note. Participants that had 0, 1, or 2 servings a day had around 1 headache per day, whereas those who had 5 or more servings had over 2 headaches per day on average.

Get more science news like this...

Join the ZME newsletter for amazing science news, features, and exclusive scoops. More than 40,000 subscribers can't be wrong.

   

“Based on our study, drinking one or two caffeinated beverages in a day does not appear to be linked to developing a migraine headache, however, three or more servings may be associated with a higher odds of developing a headache,” noted lead investigator Elizabeth Mostofsky.

It should be noted that it’s a small sample size and the study only established a correlation, not causation, but the methodology is thorough and it suggests a concerning association — although the extent of this concern is still debatable. At the very least, it warrants further investigation in a larger sample size — and for the hardcore coffee drinkers out there, you may want to rethink having that extra cup.

The study “Prospective Cohort Study of Caffeinated Beverage Intake as a Potential Trigger of Headaches among Migraineurs” has been published in the American Journal of Medicine.

Mihai Andrei

Mihai Andrei

Andrei's background is in geophysics, and he's been fascinated by it ever since he was a child. Feeling that there is a gap between scientists and the general audience, he started ZME Science -- and the results are what you see today.

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
  • Coronavirus
  • News
  • Environment
  • Health
  • Future
  • Space
  • Feature
  • More

© 2007-2019 ZME Science - Not exactly rocket science. All Rights Reserved.

No Result
View All Result
  • Coronavirus
  • News
  • Environment
    • Climate
    • Animals
    • Renewable Energy
    • Eco tips
    • Environmental Issues
    • Green Living
  • Health
    • Alternative Medicine
    • Anatomy
    • Diseases
    • Genetics
    • Mind & Brain
    • Nutrition
  • Future
  • Space
  • Feature
    • Feature Post
    • Art
    • Great Pics
    • Design
    • Fossil Friday
    • AstroPicture
    • GeoPicture
    • Did you know?
    • Offbeat
  • More
    • About
    • The Team
    • Advertise
    • Contribute
    • Our stance on climate change
    • Privacy Policy
    • Contact

© 2007-2019 ZME Science - Not exactly rocket science. All Rights Reserved.

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Create New Account!

Fill the forms below to register

All fields are required. Log In

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In

Add New Playlist

This is a demo store for testing purposes — no orders shall be fulfilled. Dismiss

Are you sure want to unlock this post?
Unlock left : 0
Are you sure want to cancel subscription?