Ask A GP: Can Salt In Your Coffee Calm Anxiety And Jitters?

Can salt in your coffee calm anxiety and jitters?Coffee, when drunk in moderation (roughly three to four cups a day, max), may actually be good for our heart healthand lifespan, and may even improve ageing in women.Still, I’ll admit that some days – like this morning, when I filled a four-person French press to the brim – I overdo it. Somewhere between cup three and four, I notice the shakes; should I ever reach mug five, I end up in full-blown panic. These, sadly, are common side effects of too much caffeine. So my ears pricked up when “energy activation” influencer Anastasiia Demina wrote in one of her videos’ captions: “Salt neutralises some of the acidity that irritates your stomach and triggers stress responses”. She added, “A little sodium reduces the adrenaline surge after caffeine. That means the panicky feeling many mistake for ‘alertness’ disappears”. This idea – that salt in coffee can ease overcaffeinated anxiety and calm coffee jitters – sounded life-changing. But is it true? We asked Dr Suzanne Wylie, GP and medical adviser for IQdoctor, for her thoughts.View this post on InstagramA post shared by ANASTASIIA DEMINA | ENERGY ACTIVATION (@demina.energy)The doctor is not a fanSpeaking to HuffPost UK, Dr Wylie said that, sadly, the addition is “unlikely to have any meaningful effect on anxiety or jitteriness” and is not recommended. To understand why the chances of salt helping to counteract the side effects of too much coffee are so low, the doctor explained how (and why) it causes anxiety and jitters to begin with.“The sensation of feeling jittery or anxious after drinking coffee is primarily due to the stimulating effect of caffeine on the central nervous system,” she explained. “Caffeine increases the release of adrenaline and blocks adenosine receptors, both of which heighten alertness but can also trigger feelings of restlessness or anxiety, especially in those who are sensitive to its effects or consume it in large amounts.” Adding salt does not change how those interactions take place. If you’re really distressed by how the amount of coffee you drink makes you feel, Dr Wylie advised, “a more effective approach would be to reduce caffeine consumption by choosing decaffeinated coffee, drinking smaller amounts, or avoiding caffeine later in the day, rather than altering the drink with salt”.So... does salt in coffee have any benefits at all? On his TikTok account, coffee legend James Hoffmann extolled the virtues of adding salt to sharp java to make the drink taste better – it “can amplify sweetness and it can also mitigate or reduce bitterness,” he said. Dr Wylie agreed. “Some people suggest that adding a small amount of salt to coffee can reduce its bitterness or improve its taste, which might make the drink more palatable,” she said, adding that it can “make the drink feel smoother”. Again, though, she thinks we need to exercise caution with the practice. “From a health standpoint, it is... worth noting that excessive salt intake is associated with raised blood pressure and an increased risk of cardiovascular disease,” she said.“While the amount added to a single cup of coffee is likely to be small, regular use could contribute to a higher overall sodium intake. “In summary, while adding salt to coffee may subtly change its taste, it does not mitigate caffeine-induced anxiety or jitteriness in any clinically meaningful way.” Related...Coffee Improves Your Mood – But Only If You Drink It At This TimeThe Snack People Are Eating To Calm An Anxiety SpikeThese 'Healthy' Habits Could Be Staining Your Teeth More Than Coffee

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