RIYADH – Overindulgence in coffee is likely to cause hallucination, insomnia, muscle spasms and restlessness, the Health Ministry has warned, disappointing Saudis and expatriates who are fond of the popular drink. "Coffee will become harmful if you take more than four cups a day," the ministry said in a Twitter message. "If caffeine content in coffee crosses 400 milligrams it could develop a number of symptoms such as nausea and insomnia," the ministry warned. Faster heart beat, breathing difficulty, headache, chest pain, hallucination and muscle spasms are other symptoms, the ministry said in the message carried by Al-Hayat Arabic daily. It advised coffee lovers to drink more water to reduce the effect of high caffeine content as well as to practice physical exercise and eat food rich in fiber, vitamin and minerals. Saudis consume coffee worth SR1 billion while per capita consumption reached three kilograms annually. Many Saudi businessmen have large-scale investment in the field. Saudi Arabia imports more than 20,000 tons of Yemeni coffee valued at SR300 million every year. There are five coffee processing and packaging factories in the Kingdom – three in Jeddah and one each in Riyadh and Al-Ahsa. Saudis' love for coffee is rooted in their Arab culture and it is considered a symbol of hospitality. Most of them take coffee almost daily. An international coffee and chocolate exhibition is held in Riyadh every year drawing a large number of coffee lovers across the Kingdom. The ministry's warning aimed mainly to caution the public against high caffeine content in coffee but it did not mention other caffeinated drinks, some of them having caffeine content of 500 milligrams. Other government departments have cautioned the public against such drinks and imposed controls on them to reduce their negative effects on public health. Coffee lovers in the Kingdom could not believe the ministry's warning. Shakespeare Al-Harbi rejected the ministry's warning, saying, "Tomorrow they will say coffee contains coronavirus." Eissa, another fan, was not ready to accept the ministry's statement and wanted an expert opinion. Shafie wrote: "Coffee is the name of love that will not end." Some others reacted to the ministry's warning with ridicule. Ahmed Al-Fuhaid wrote: "If coffee causes hallucination then three fourth of Saudi society would have been affected by it." A female fan who called herself Qamar: "I cannot live without coffee." Many other Saudis have taken the ministry's warning positively and reduced their coffee intake. Saif Al-Zahrani asked whether addition of milk would reduce the impact of caffeine and an expert replied the mixing of caffeine with some ingredients of milk would make it hard to digest. The ministry has advised the public not to mix coffee with milk and drink them separately to benefit from both. Social media activist Ghada said coffee would make people jittery and shaky before sleep. The ministry said it was quite natural, especially because of the high caffeine content. It advised people to avoid drinking coffee before going to bed. Despite the repeated warnings, the number of coffee fans is increasing year after year. Modern studies have showed that coffee is good for preventing Alzheimer's and controlling diabetes. About two billion cups of coffee are consumed daily by people worldwide. Experts have expressed their fears that coffee would disappear by 2080 due to high consumption and climatic change. There are more than 80 ways of preparing coffee. Sept. 29 is observed as International Coffee Day.
