This content references scientific studies and academic research, and is fact-checked to ensure accuracy. Our team of licensed nutritionists and dietitians strives to be objective, unbiased, and honest. We are committed to bringing you researched, expert-driven content to help you make more informed decisions around food, health, and wellness. We know how important making choices about your overall health is, and we strive to provide you with the best information possible.
Is there really such a thing as having too much coffee? Hate to break it to you, but yes. You really can have too much of a good thing. But when it comes to the actual limit of how much coffee you can have in a day, the number is a lot higher than you would expect.
In fact, according to the Mayo Clinic, you can have at least four cups of coffee on a daily basis! Sound almost impossible?
Let's do the math. Keep in mind that many other sources of caffeine exist, including tea, soft drinks, energy drinks, chocolate , and certain medications 6 , 7. The caffeine content of your morning joe can range from 50 to over mg. Many sources recommend mg of caffeine per day as the safe upper limit for healthy adults. If you drink too much coffee over a short period, you may experience mental and physical symptoms, including:. If you experience such symptoms after drinking coffee, you may be sensitive to caffeine and should consider cutting your intake or avoiding caffeine altogether.
You would have to drink more than cups However, there are a few rare cases of people dying after taking caffeine supplements 8. Ingesting too much caffeine can cause various symptoms, mostly related to your brain and digestive system.
Caffeine affects people in different ways. These genes affect the enzymes that break down caffeine in your liver, as well as receptors in your brain that are affected by caffeine.
The effects of caffeine on sleep are also genetically determined. Some people can drink coffee and go to sleep immediately, while others are kept awake throughout the night.
Depending on your genetic makeup, you may tolerate a lot of caffeine — or very little. Most people are somewhere in the middle. Your acquired tolerance is also very important. Those who drink coffee every day can tolerate much more than those who drink it rarely.
If you have anxiety, panic disorder, heart arrhythmia, high blood pressure, diabetes , or other medical conditions, you may tolerate less caffeine. If you want to know more about your tolerance, speak to your medical provider. Sensitivity to caffeine is highly variable and depends on genes and receptors for caffeine in your brain. While high caffeine intake causes adverse side effects, coffee is associated with many health benefits.
It has even been linked to increased longevity. In one study in , people ages 50—71, those who drank 4—5 cups of coffee per day had the lowest risk of death over the 12—year study period Two other reviews backed similar results 12 , However, research is mixed.
One recent study found that drinking 4 cups or more per day was linked to an increased — not decreased — risk of death in people under age 55 Nonetheless, variations in volume between differently sized coffee cups are generally not very great. As all of these studies were observational in nature, they cannot prove that coffee caused the reduction in disease — only that coffee drinkers were less likely to get these illnesses. In most cases, decaf coffee should have the same beneficial effects.
If you're like most adults, caffeine is a part of your daily routine. Usually, it won't pose a health problem. But be mindful of caffeine's possible side effects and be ready to cut back if necessary. There is a problem with information submitted for this request. Sign up for free, and stay up-to-date on research advancements, health tips and current health topics, like COVID, plus expert advice on managing your health.
Error Email field is required. Error Include a valid email address. To provide you with the most relevant and helpful information and to understand which information is beneficial, we may combine your e-mail and website usage information with other information we have about you. If we combine this information with your PHI, we will treat all of that information as PHI, and will only use or disclose that information as set forth in our notice of privacy practices.
You may opt-out of e-mail communications at any time by clicking on the Unsubscribe link in the e-mail. Our Housecall e-newsletter will keep you up-to-date on the latest health information. Mayo Clinic does not endorse companies or products. Advertising revenue supports our not-for-profit mission. Any use of this site constitutes your agreement to the Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy linked below. A single copy of these materials may be reprinted for noncommercial personal use only.
This site complies with the HONcode standard for trustworthy health information: verify here. This content does not have an English version. This content does not have an Arabic version. See more conditions. Healthy Lifestyle Nutrition and healthy eating. Products and services. Caffeine: How much is too much? By Mayo Clinic Staff. Thank you for Subscribing Our Housecall e-newsletter will keep you up-to-date on the latest health information. Please try again. Something went wrong on our side, please try again.
Show references Lieberman HR, et al. Daily patterns of caffeine intake and the association of intake with multiple sociodemographic and lifestyle factors in U.
Journal of the American Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Department of Health and Human Services and U. Department of Agriculture. Accessed Feb.
0コメント