If you’ve been drinking coffee for any length of time, you’ve probab...
It’s really nice, this coffee stuff, ain’t it? Warms you up on a cold day, keeps you going when the temperature rises, grinds away the rough edges after a hard night and makes the hours at work seem like minutes. The temptation with coffee is to just keep pounding it down but you might not want to do that.
According to the American Dietetic Association’s Complete Food and Nutrition Guide, which isn’t much of a bedtime read, “for most healthy adults, moderate amounts of caffeine 200 to 300 milligrams a day, or about two cups of coffee poses no physical problem.”
Okay, so two cups is good. But is three cups of coffee too much? In a word – yes.
According to the boffins who study this kind of thing for a living, you should not only keep it to two cups per day, but you should also actively seek to reduce your caffeine consumption in soft drinks and chocolate, and even over-the-counter and prescription medications. In fact, if there are other factors influencing your health, you might want to go even a step further and reduce the caffeine in your caffeine.
If you–
It’s time to switch to decaf, or even give coffee a miss altogether for a while.
Look, we’re all big fans of the brewed stuff around here. We send it down like water, but we also go to the gym, eat healthily, and take a few hours each night to just sit and relax. Coffee can get you through the stressful times, but if the stresses aren’t dealt with at their root cause, then you’re only going to be stressed again tomorrow.
Make sure that for every coffee you drink, you drink two full glasses of water, to help your system replenish what the caffeine takes out. For every cup of coffee that you NEED to get through the day, sit at home on the couch for one hour every night and read. Doesn’t matter what you’re reading (magazines, books, the back of a cereal box) the point is, you need to give your body a chance to slow down and relax naturally.
And, on top of that, ditch the sodas and chocolates altogether. Sure, we know you enjoy them, but you also know full well that they’re doing bad things to your insides.
Ultimately, coffee has to be seen as a trade-off. If you want to enjoy a cup of Joe, look after yourself in other areas and you’ll be sucking down the espressos for decades to come.
The National Soft Drink Association resource of caffeine contents.
| Drip | 115-175 mg of caffeine |
| Espresso | 100 |
| Brewed | 80-135 |
| Instant | 65-100 |
| Decaf, brewed | 3-4 |
| Decaf, instant | 2-3 |
| Tea, iced | 70 |
| Tea, brewed, imported | 60 |
| Tea, brewed, U.S. | 40 |
| Tea, instant | 30 |
| Mate | 25-150 |
The variability in the amount of caffeine in a cup of coffee or tea is relatively large even if prepared by the same person using the same equipment and ingredients day after day.
Caffeine is present in tea leaves and in coffee to the extent of about 4%. Tea also contains two other alkaloids, theobromine and theophylline. These last two relax the smooth muscles where caffeine stimulates the heart and respiratory systems.
The effects of theobromine are, compared to caffeine and theophylline, relatively moderate. However, cocoa contains eight times more theophylline than caffeine. As well, caffeine has been shown to combine with other substances for added potency. Thus the effects of theobromine might be enhanced by the caffeine in chocolate.
Theobromine is highly toxic to dogs and kills many dogs per year via chocolate poisoning. It takes quite a dose to reach fatal levels (more than 200 mg/kg bodyweight) but some dogs have a bad habit of eating out of garbage cans and some owners have a bad habit of feeding dogs candy. A few Oreos won’t hurt a dog, but a pound of chocolate can do considerable damage.
CONTINUED AT How Much Caffeine In A Cup Of Coffee, Tea, Cola or Chocolate Bar
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Llewellyn says
My Grandma gave me coffee with lots of milk and a bit of sugar at age 10 too sooth my chronically morning sore throat. I had chronic tonsillitis. It worked better than any medicines. By the time I was 15 coffee was a morning ritual. I gave up sodas when I was 18. I do drink water and juices. I’m 44 now, I still drink coffee all day. My Grandma is 92. Retired from insurance company at the age of 81. She worked there for 59 years and drank it all day then when she got home. It kept her going she had 4 kids. She cant drink it all day and night like she use to. She drinks Half caffeinated in the morning.She said she is living proof Coffee is good for you.
Doris R says
I drink abt 8 cups of coffee every morning. Thats by the pot. Which is like 3 or 4 coffee mugs and most of time if it gets cold in my cup I toss it. I used liquid creamer Coffee Mate Fat Free French Vanilla. I can drink the whole pot and go back to sleep so lets say I do not drink it for the caffine. Lol. I drink it bc I love to drink it. My husband tells me I drink too much but I don’t eat breakfast and I drink coffee til abt 11am bc I don’t work. I take kids to school and I come home and do housework. So I really don’t know how much coffee is too much. I know ppl who drink it all day long and half the night and I don’t do that, so I think I do pretty good.
Nikki says
I drink 2 to 3 pots of coffee a day, and have for a couple of decades. I’m 44 years old. I look 10 years younger. I learned years ago that coffee, so long as you drink it within the first 20 minutes after its been brewed, is loaded with anti oxidants, which keeps you young. I’m also a chain smoker for 25 years, so I should look at least 10 years older than I am. It’s all about the coffee. However I’ve only just recently realized that my brewing strength is at least half of the manufacturer’s suggestion. I use 1 scoop of coffee per pot, which equals about the same amount you would get in a pre packaged serving, my scooper equals 4 tablespoons. The manufacturer’s usual recommendation is 1 tablespoon per 6 ounces of water. 1 brewed pot for me is about 80 ounces. so I’m clearly not using or consuming as much coffee as I thought I was, and probably am consuming just the right amount. This would explain why I can drink coffee clear up to bed time and still be able to sleep, and I’m never wired. I love my coffee all day all night. :-)
Sarah says
Dear lord! Some of you here are so immature! I’m studying Nutrition and coffee is one of my main focuses. Coffee in small to moderate amounts can have some really GREAT health benefits- such as increased memory, fighting of Alzheimer, sped up brain function, POSSIBLE fight of some cancers, and glowing skin- but too much (more than two regular sized coffee mugs of straight coffee- filled two thirds of the way) not only VOIDS all the health benefits but it poses many, many dire Side effects!
These bad effects aren’t limited to smokers or people with present health issues- but they can make the issues much much worse.
The Ailments include- but are not limited to:
-High (very high) chance of heart arrhythmia (Irregular beat with can lead to heart failing, heart attack, bad circulation, ect)
-ADDICTION (100% chance of becoming addicted if you drink high amounts of coffee for as little as two weeks.) (Symptoms of the addiction are head aches, shakes, withdraws, severe irritability, depression, extra consumption of coffee)
-Insomnia of course. Caffeine inhibits the production of melatonin in the brain, which makes it so you cannot fall asleep and if you do you have a very restless night. Which can cause Depression, anxiety, under eye bags, crankiness, ect. (You should never have caffeine after 2PM.)
-Exhaustion
– SLOWED BRAIN FUNCTION. You brain becomes used to the sped up blood flow after a while and comes to compensate for it. So if drinking one cup of coffee in the beginning made you think faster and become more alert then soon your brain would begin running at normal capacity with that same amount- slowing down greatly with out it. So you would turn to more coffee until the same thing happened, then more and more. (This is one of the first signs of a caffeine addiction.)
-Destroying of your Kidneys and Liver.
-Premature death. (Anywhere from 1-40 years premature. Depending on how much of a coffee addict you are)
-weight gain that is hard to loose
-unhealthy weight loss
-inability to deal with stress correctly
—-There are many more serious problems that come with over consumption of coffee. I would encourage you all to look into them. Aswell as the benefits associated with light caffeine intake.
Basically, if you start needing to turn to coffee find something more healthful to give you an energy boost. Take a nap, exercise, watch a movie you like. Something to get the happy endorphins and dopamine flowing in the brain. (But stay away from junk food as much s possible. You’ll find that a healthy diet and exercise regiment will give you more energy (with out a crash or head ache) then all the coffee you could consume in one day.
I don’t mean become a vegan body builder, but factor in at least 30min to 4hours (4 hours is a little extreme but some people can make it) of physical activity. WALKING IS THE BEST! Walk around the block, through a park, with your dog (or get some one to pay you to walk their dog). Or you can jog or go to a gym. Bike riding is good too, but it does pose as many benefits as walking and jogging. Swimming is my favorite- but it can be hard to find a decent swimming hole. (Also- If you’re married or with a partner you trust. Sex is the perfect exercise. 15+min, with a balanced diet and you’ll be fit as a horse).
A balanced diet is far easier to achieve then you would think. You can buy healthy frozen meals (Always read the nutrition facts though. NEVER buy anything with corn syrup!) and it doesn’t take much to look up healthy versions of many favorite foods online. Please look into it!
Noda says
Hahahaha, I’m sitting here at 4 am on like my 3’d cup of esspresso…. I might be dicked over on this, I drink too much coffee. But, It’s better than smoking meth and crack and being up for days. Trust me, Heavy coffee use still feels better than light meth use. Ha.
efren says
So in a nutshell, moderation is key. For coffee, one cup a day is, according to most health sites, not bad, actually a good habit. But more than 2 per day will probably cause health problems.
Shirl says
My mother loved her coffee in the morning, and had to have it … medium strong and hot. She drank that one mug cup in the morning as long as I can remember. She lived to be 96.
jonathan jessup says
i just had 2 liters of coffee and im freaking out what do i do?!?!?!
Lulu says
Is that too much please answer me
Lulu says
I drink coffee every morning and i drink it with that coffee cream that is hazelnut
keri says
For all of you asking questions: post it as a new forum – a separate question all in itself and you will get replies. Do it on this website, another one like Yahoo answers and most important if its health related: Ask your doctor. There are also websites out there paid and free that you can ask an actual doctor. A side note to one of the questions: Yes, caffeine can definently cause anxiety and make existing anxiety worse. It can also cause irratibility and anger if you have more than your body is used to. Add in sleep deprivation and it can have bad results in that aspect. We are all different – some people dont react that way and some people do. There are also definite groups of people who shouldnt drink caffeine: Certain health conditions (high blood pressure, heart issues, anxiety, etc), and pregnant and nursing women.
tom patrick says
i want to know what most people consider a cup of coffe.by that i mean how many ounces.No real coffee drinker would say six but when we talk about cups what do we mean.I suffer from an anxiety disorder and the first thing the DR. said was give up coffee and i tried but i can not so now i do half caff or de caff.thats all1!
G R C MENON says
In my opinion 2 or 3 cups per day is good for every one.
katy says
A lot of these comments are quite disturbing. People actually BRAGGING about how they drink 10 pots of coffee a day, with no water or anything. It’s insane.
Fact – caffeine is a diuretic. Meaning that it causes your body to release water. Meaning that the more coffee you drink, the greater chances are that you’re walking around dehydrated. Don’t get me wrong, I love coffee. I don’t drink it every day, but when I do, I enjoy it. I’d say a heavy day for me would be around 30 oz throughout the day, a light day would be one 16 oz serving (two cups.)
All people on here – no matter what your opinions are on coffee or the effects of caffeine, you must realize that you must be NICE to your body, give it some good ol fashioned WATER… at least 1 glass of water for every cup of coffee you drink, in addition to the 64 oz you’re supposed to drink anyway. I’ve been on “diets” before where I replaced everything I drank with water (no soda, coffee, etc.) and I had more energy than I’ve ever had with any amount of caffeine. Plus, I could actually sleep at night. My weight dropped, my skin cleared up, my stomach problems ceased.
Guys, whatever you do, don’t skip the water – add it to your coffee if you must, but your body needs it.
Lacey says
I’m 15, I just started drinking coffee and I’m having about 3 coffee’s in 2 hours. All i drink is coffee.I play hockey 6 times a week, will the coffee effect my physical condition or no?
Dan says
After drinking nearly 10 cups a day for 20 years of doing software development work, it is definitely time to cut back. I will drink it with no water until my urine turns dark yellow (forgetting that I need water!)… This can\’t be good for anyone. I also think at this level, it can and will elevate your blood pressure. It is hard to kick the habit… I\’m thinking of just trying hot water instead, and only having 1 cup in the morning…
Bernard says
2 cases of beer per day could be worse
Marius says
The numbers are not ok. Espresso, REAL ITALIAN ESPRESSO, has way less than any drip coffee you might make yourself or buy at your local coffee shop.
Even full cup, espresso has around 65mg caffeine, where the average SMALL cup of drip coffee has 120. If you get a Venti 330, a Grande 415mg.
Espresso, as the age old saying say, is a lot of goodness (taste, pick me up kick and all) concentrated in a very small doze. You don’t need to HYDRATE yourself with coffee. Grab the morning and occasional during the day pick me up espresso, but forget about the commercial BS. So much sugar anyway.
Niels says
Coffee taste so good! Put my max now back to 2 cups a day. The diference is that I have my sleep back, since many many years. And I’m looking forwart, and realy enjoy these two cups, to wake up! I used to drink many coffee, 10 a day, as a habit….resulting in nevousness, stomach cramps and bad sleep. The thing is; that you onely know the difference, when you limitate…. I drink tee now, black thé. People who drink thé are more happy they say. It’s true!
Mark says
To reduce caffeine without brewing weak coffee, add 1 part ground roasted chicory, sold by Reily Foods of New Orleans as Coffee Partner, to 2 parts coffee. Or buy Luzianne or CMD coffee and chicory blend from the same company. It makes a strong, smooth cup of coffee with about 1/3 less caffeine.
Ronee says
I am concerned about my 40 year old daughter. She uses 1/2 cup of grounds to each 1 cup of water. She is literally drinking sludge and refuses to listen to anyone. She drinks 2 mugs in the morning and more in the evening along with tea at night. Obviously she is addicted to caffene, but I don’t know what to do about the coffee to water ratio she is using. And just how strong is strong? I would think that you can make sludge without the cost of wasting this much coffee per cup and the taste buds would not know the difference. Do I just shut up and watch her drink this sludge, is there evidence out there that she is killing herself? Any input would be appreciated.
bj says
i used to drink ttoo much- 10-35 cups depending on mood. thankfully i now take a holistic approach and only drink red bull it saved me
Daw's Door says
Screw Coffee, Red Bull and ProPlus is what one needs!!!
Ka says
I am a total caffeine addict! Used to drink the instant stuff, but since 2 years I only drink brewed coffee. As the taste is much better than instant, I drink more coffee as well. Now I am at 6 cups a day. But here is the thing; I remember one of my teachers coffee addiction, 1 cup per lesson, and in his late forties he had a heart attack during class and was brought to the hospital. Don’t worry, he made it. Problem is that he drank way to much coffee and that contributed to the heart attack. This is what I am afraid of, as sometimes when I drink coffee I can feel my heart beat too fast, and I become super alert. Its only 6 cups a day, but I do feel that its too much. But I so need it sign…
Jake says
Im 11 and I love coffee, but I was wondering if it was possible that you can drink two cups of coffee and maybe have a stomach ache, or having and extreme headache or something, so I experimented and nothing happened. So I just stuck with one because that all we need to kick the day.
Cappuccino says
Well, coffee is very good but it has to be limit. I think replacing your coffee for tea, as suggested on the post, is a great choice. Coffee is delicious but it can become a bad habit, as anything that can go out of control, when you get addicted.
Anita says
I recently had an aortic valve replacement. I also have an irregular heartbeat. I am otherwise a very healthy female in my late 50’s. Is it safe for me to have 50-150mg. of caffine per day?
Saad says
Hello,
Can anyone tell me how can we calculate the amount of caffine in a coffee. Either it is per cup base or the amount of coffee you are using in the cup. Everyone talking in terms of number of cups but I think if your are putting coffee equal to two cups in one cup then?
So can anyone tell me how much on average, we use coffee?
I put usually, put three tea spoons in a cup.
Judy N. Piodena says
Bad habit but coffee is my boyfriend.my day is not complete and I can’t concentrate without it.
Andrea says
I LOVE coffee! I could drink it all day, however I only have 2-3 cups a day as that covers the caffeine intake I can have in a day. I love the taste and love to try new brands all the time.
Jake says
In response to #28 Chris, if you really want to get through those college courses start researching vitamins / dosages (not the fda dosages) and get lots of sleep. Real men drink coffee. You’re probably a great guy, but I fear that you’re not as well adjusted as your professors want you to believe as they cash your tuition checks. You should read more, because the answers are already out there.
Arigatomina says
Crazy lady here! You’re right, I guess coffee is acidic, I looked it up and concede that point. Maybe that’s why I get the urge to sugar and creamer it down every once in a while.
I don’t know when we’re supposed to actually believe the health professionals. They keep changing their minds every few years. When I was in high school they said coffee was bad, would dehydrate you and pump you full of nasty chemicals. It was as bad as cigarettes! When I was in college they said it was a nuetral, neither acidic nor alkaline, just right for those who don’t want to push themselves in either direction. You can still find health books with this (false information?) today. After I graduated they pushed coffee further into the “healthy” category by saying it was as great an antioxidant as green tea, the number one antioxidant in the US since we drink so darn much of it. Unless you add sugar, which kills the antioxidant properties (this is what I was thinking of when I talked about sugar ruining the health benefits…I think.) Who knows. They’ll probably change their minds again in a few years, anyway.
I the meantime, just wiki the health benefits of coffee. This stuff is in health books, too, for those who don’t trust wiki:
“…current evidence suggests that caffeinated beverages contribute to the body’s daily fluid requirements no differently from pure water.”
How about that? They went from saying it’s a diuretic to saying it’s not one and it only took 12 years. It’s still speculation, of course, they could change their minds again in a few years, and they still want you to drink it in moderation regardless. But if you read through the list of benefits, especially for women, it’s easy to defend drinking 3-5 cups per day throughout your life.
Acantha says
I swear, some of you are nuts. Replacing other drinks with coffee? MAY effect you in the future? 20 cups, A DAY!? Let’s be reasonable and think for a moment. Does it even seem reasonable to consume that much caffeine? Keeping in mind caffeine is a drug? Your body needs water. I don’t give a damn if it tastes bad. it needs it. You are 70% water, not 70% coffee, no matter what you think. And to the crazy lady up top, sugar and milk are not acids. Sugar isn’t either an acid or a base, and milk is a base. Sweet does not equate acid. Yeesh. Just don’t drink any after 8, then after 7, then after 6… until you get to 2. 2 is said to be the limit. Start small. Do decaf. Drink tea. Tea often has half the caffeine. I drink coffee often, but I drink tea two, and I’ve drank coffee since I was 11, tea I was even younger. Moderation. And here is a proven fact to help you:
Fresh apples wake you up more than coffee in the mornings. So just try that. It would be one less cup. You’re not invincible and coffee can be really harmful to the body and mind.
Robin Fox says
Okay I have read alot of the posts and I love coffee myself. My husband and I drink coffee every morning and when my husband is almost finished our Maltese/Chiwawa gets near him ready to finish off the rest of the cup. He gets about a 1/4c everyday with sugar in the bottom. He loves it! I always say the dog is not mine because I dont know if its good for him or not and I would not give him coffee or any dog and he’s NOT drinking mine :o)
Tiyamel says
Hmmm ok i love coffee and i mean love the stuff, black and double strength, no sugar, i work nightshifts and used to drink about 10 cups a night – now at double strength that equates to 20 cups, i got real worried so stopped drinking that at work and switched to high caffeine energy drinks, so when i wake up its the black stuff and when i get to work i take a couple of energy drinks – 160mg caffeine per can, i drink 2 per night, when i get home i then switch to tea and i drink 3 to 4 large mugs of tea before bed, ive never had a problem before, and to be honest i was more worried that these energy drinks probably were doing me more harm than the coffee, but from the table up top im actually consuming far less caffeine than i used to but i dont feel any different – altho i think if i missed that first wonderful cup i’d probably chew someones head off
Joseph C says
I drink a lot of coffee, at least 5 cups a day.I find that it helps to drink lots of water in addition to coffee. I usually only drink coffee and water during the day, maybe orange juice in the morning, but nothing else, definitely not soda. I’ve cut out all soda. I used to drink coffee + sodas + fast food. Bad combination. I would have no energy, even with the coffee, and in general, I felt like crap. So now that I’ve cut out the soda and fast food, in addition to drinking more water, I feel a lot better.
Jenna-na-na says
I love my coffee. I sip it out of a straw so my teeth stay white. :) I drink lots of it. I’ll drink hot coffee in the morning & afternoon, then switch to iced coffee. I drink plenty of water in between though, because I LOVE water, & I heard you’re supposed to re-hydrate if you drink lots of coffee. I drink ice-tea with dinner, & I don’t drink soda. I’m not much of a sugar/candy/chocolate person. I do have anxiety though, which is NOT from the coffee, & depression. I’m on meds for those. And I smoke, which I want to quit, but my dr. said “now is not a good time because of your anxiety”. I did not know that coffee causes more anxiety. I need to cut back a little I guess. I know it’s good though & this may sound gross, but I use the bathroom a lot, & doesn’t that get rid of toxins & help people lose weight? I’m underweight now, & need to gain a few pounds, which I’m working on, but when you urinate, you lose toxins, right? So, re-hydrate, etc…Sorry to sound like an idiot, just asking!
RON COLLINS/CANADA says
michell if your dad is going to leave you 5 million dollars tell him to keep doing what he is doing, if not he needs pro help he is killing him self i had five cups of coffee in one hour and ended up in the hospital /beware my friend beware
Boing says
Funny coffee story: It is possible to get high on caffeine. I did this by accident once; I had gotten very little sleep one night, and so the next morning I made myself some extra-strong mocha to pack in my lunch so I could stay awake in the afternoon. Trouble was, I was tired enough to forget that it takes 1/2 Tbsp instant coffee to make 1 cup, not a whole Tbsp. So I ended up chugging the equivalent of 5-6 cups of coffee in one lunch break–that’s 400-600 mg of caffeine!
What followed was about 45 minutes of hyperactivity and euphoria, about 45 minutes of feeling absolutely zonked, and after that a gradual return to normal, with slight feelings of sleepiness, lasting about 3 hours. I did not realize what was going on until about 20-25 minutes into the 1st phase, when I was talking with a friend about how sleep-deprived we both were, and remembered making the mocha! By about dinnertime I felt normal again.
I would not recommend caffeine as a legal recreational drug, however; it requires very high doses, which long-term would likely damage the adrenals, and possibly the liver, heart, and kidneys, and the high is very short and the recovery time relatively long.
So use a calculator for your coffee!
bran says
coffee good not drinking coffee bad
Wickett says
I drink 3 – 4 cups sometimes in one day. However, I so very rarely drink cokes or tea. All of my caffeine comes from coffee. I see no harm in that. I also do not drink caffeine past 3PM usually.