Q Do I have to give up coffee completely? I would like to keep my one morning cup. (38, designer)
A You do not have to quit outright, but adjusting the total amount and the timing helps. Up to about 400mg of caffeine a day (three to four cups) is the usual guide; with palpitations, take less than that and avoid caffeine after early afternoon.
Detailed Answer
In practice "let us adjust it" is followed far more reliably than "stop it." We suggest this order.
First, stop completely for two weeks to see whether palpitations decrease. This is not treatment but confirmation. No change means coffee is not the culprit; a clear drop means it is involved.
Then restart with the single morning cup and find your own limit. The same amount absorbs faster on an empty stomach and provokes a bigger reaction, so after food, with water, sipped slowly is better.
Caffeine has a half-life of around five hours, so half of a 3pm cup is still present at 10pm. For people whose palpitations peak at night, an afternoon cut-off is the single most effective change.
Korean Medicine Clinic Perspective
Korean medicine regards coffee as warm in nature and inclined to push energy upward. It can help someone whose body runs cold and sluggish, but it worsens symptoms in someone whose heat already floats upward and whose sleep is shallow. That is why the same advice applies differently to different people.
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