Raise your hand if you are lucky enough to survive a marathon workday without a morning coffee. Caffeine can give you that extra energy you need at certain times of the day, but too much can have negative effects. As with everything, the key is in the middle ground, but do you know how much caffeine you can drink a day without it becoming a health risk?
Do you know how much caffeine you can take a day?
Each person is a world and the effects of caffeine in each one vary according to constitution, age, diseases, gender, etc. However, according to the Organization of Consumers and Users (OCU), moderate caffeine consumption includes between 100 and 300 mg of this substance. Below 100 mg, it could be considered a low consumption, but above 300 mg it is high or very high, with the consequences that this can cause.
On the other hand, the UK Health Service (NHS) advises against pregnant women taking more than 200mg of caffeine per day. An excess can cause babies to be born with less weight and have a greater chance of suffering certain problems in the future. For children and adolescents, the EFSA (European Authority for Food Safety) limits daily consumption to about 3 mg per kilo of body weight.
Remember that coffee is one of the most common sources of caffeine, but you can also find it in other substances such as tea, cola, energy drinks, chocolate, and even certain medications.
How much caffeine is in each cup?
You already know how much caffeine you can take a day, but what does this translate into? Take note of how much caffeine is in each cup you drink daily according to the UK health service.
- There is about 140 mg of caffeine in a cup of filter coffee.
- In a cup of instant coffee, this number drops to 100 mg.
- In a cup of tea there are 75 mg of caffeine
- A can of cola has about 40mg
- A 250 ml can of energy drink, there is about 80 mg of caffeine
Negative effects of excessive caffeine
Too much caffeine can cause certain preventable health problems if you gradually reduce your intake. These are the negative effects of caffeine.
- Someone who drinks a lot of caffeine may feel that their pulse is racing or that they have certain palpitations.
- As a result of drinking too much caffeine, you may also feel nervous, irritable, agitated, and have trouble relaxing.
- Caffeine can lead to dependence, since when you stop taking it, discomfort and lack of energy can appear.
- Excessive consumption can cause poisoning with vomiting and diarrhea, as well as a little disorientation according to the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
- Too much caffeine can also cause insomnia.