Caffeine: How much is too much? - Mayo Clinic

You may want to cut back if you're drinking more than 4 cups of caffeinated coffee a day (or the equivalent) and you have side effects such as:. COVID-19:Advice,updatesandvaccineoptions FindoutaboutCOVID-19,COVID-19vaccines,andMayoClinicpatientandvisitorupdates. Skiptositenavigation SkiptoContent ThiscontentdoesnothaveanEnglishversion. ThiscontentdoesnothaveanArabicversion. Search RequestanAppointmentFindaDoctorFindaJobGiveNow LogintoPatientAccount English Español العربية 简体中文 TwitterFacebookPinterestYouTube English Español العربية 简体中文 Search Search AllMayoClinicTopicsCareatMayoClinicOverviewAppointmentsLocationsPatient&VisitorGuideInternationalServicesMedicalDepartments&CentersDoctors&MedicalStaffPatientOnlineServicesBilling&InsuranceClinicalTrialsInternationalBusinessCollaborationsAboutMayoClinicContactUsHealthInformationOverviewDiseases&ConditionsA-ZSymptomsA-ZTests&ProceduresA-ZDrugs&SupplementsA-ZHealthBooksHealthyLivingProgramMayoClinicHealthLetterMayoClinicVoiceAppsHealthyLifestyleFeaturedconditions Braintumor,breastcancer,coloncancer,congenitalheartdisease,heartarrhythmia.Seemoreconditions. ForMedicalProfessionalsOverviewProviderRelationsCareLinkOnlineReferralsContinuingMedicalEducationMayoClinicLaboratoriesAskMayoExpertVideoCenterJournalsandPublicationsResearchOverviewResearchFacultyLaboratoriesCoreFacilitiesCenters&ProgramsDepartments&DivisionsClinicalTrialsInstitutionalReviewBoardPostdoctoralFellowshipsTrainingGrantProgramsCollegeofMedicineandScienceOverviewMayoClinicGraduateSchoolofBiomedicalSciencesMayoClinicAlixSchoolofMedicineMayoClinicSchoolofContinuousProfessionalDevelopmentMayoClinicSchoolofGraduateMedicalEducationMayoClinicSchoolofHealthSciencesGivingtoMayoClinicOverviewGiveNowPhilanthropyinActionFrequentlyAskedQuestionsContactUstoGive AppointmentsatMayoClinic MayoClinicoffersappointmentsinArizona,FloridaandMinnesotaandatMayoClinicHealthSystemlocations. RequestAppointment HealthyLifestyleNutritionandhealthyeating Print Sections BasicsNutritionbasicsHealthydietsHealthycookingHealthymenusandshoppingstrategiesNutritionalsupplementsIn-DepthExpertAnswersMultimediaResourcesNewsFromMayoClinicWhat'sNew Productsandservices Caffeine:Howmuchistoomuch?Caffeinehasitsperks,butitcanposeproblemstoo.Findouthowmuchistoomuchandifyouneedtocurbyourconsumption.ByMayoClinicStaff Ifyourelyoncaffeinetowakeyouupandkeepyougoing,youaren'talone.Millionsofpeoplerelyoncaffeineeverydaytostayalertandimproveconcentration. Howmuchistoomuch? Upto400milligrams(mg)ofcaffeineadayappearstobesafeformosthealthyadults.That'sroughlytheamountofcaffeineinfourcupsofbrewedcoffee,10cansofcolaortwo"energyshot"drinks.Keepinmindthattheactualcaffeinecontentinbeveragesvarieswidely,especiallyamongenergydrinks. Caffeineinpowderorliquidformcanprovidetoxiclevelsofcaffeine,theU.S.FoodandDrugAdministrationhascautioned.Justoneteaspoonofpowderedcaffeineisequivalenttoabout28cupsofcoffee.Suchhighlevelsofcaffeinecancauseserioushealthproblemsandpossiblydeath. Althoughcaffeineusemaybesafeforadults,it'snotagoodideaforchildren.Adolescentsandyoungadultsneedtobecautionedaboutexcessivecaffeineintakeandmixingcaffeinewithalcoholandotherdrugs. Womenwhoarepregnantorwhoaretryingtobecomepregnantandthosewhoarebreast-feedingshouldtalkwiththeirdoctorsaboutlimitingcaffeineusetolessthan200mgdaily. Evenamongadults,heavycaffeineusecancauseunpleasantsideeffects.Andcaffeinemaynotbeagoodchoiceforpeoplewhoarehighlysensitivetoitseffectsorwhotakecertainmedications. Readontoseeifyoumayneedtocurbyourcaffeineroutine. Youdrinkmorethan4cupsofcoffeeaday Youmaywanttocutbackifyou'redrinkingmorethan4cupsofcaffeinatedcoffeeaday(ortheequivalent)andyouhavesideeffectssuchas: Headache Insomnia Nervousness Irritability Frequenturinationorinabilitytocontrolurination Fastheartbeat Muscletremors Evenalittlemakesyoujittery Somepeoplearemoresensitivetocaffeinethanareothers.Ifyou'resusceptibletotheeffectsofcaffeine,evensmallamountsmaypromptunwantedeffects,suchasrestlessnessandsleepproblems. Howyoureacttocaffeinemaybedeterminedinpartbyhowmuchcaffeineyou'reusedtodrinking.Peoplewhodon'tregularlydrinkcaffeinetendtobemoresensitivetoitseffects. You'renotgettingenoughsleep Caffeine,evenintheafternoon,caninterferewithyoursleep.Evensmallamountsofsleeplosscanaddupanddisturbyourdaytimealertnessandperformance. Usingcaffeinetomasksleepdeprivationcancreateanunwelcomecycle.Forexample,youmaydrinkcaffeinatedbeveragesbecauseyouhavetroublestayingawakeduringtheday.Butthecaffeinekeepsyoufromfallingasleepatnight,shorteningthelengthoftimeyousleep. You'retakingmedicationsorsupplements Somemedicationsandherbalsupplementsmayinteractwithcaffeine.Examplesinclude: Ephedrine.Mixingcaffeinewiththismedication—whichisusedindecongestants—mightincreaseyourriskofhighbloodpressure,heartattack,strokeorseizure. Theophylline.Thismedication,usedtoopenupbronchialairways,tendstohavesomecaffeine-likeeffects.Sotakingitwithcaffeinemightincreasetheadverseeffectsofcaffeine,suchasnauseaandheartpalpitations. Echinacea.Thisherbalsupplement,whichissometimesusedtopreventcoldsorotherinfections,mayincreasetheconcentrationofcaffeineinyourbloodandmayincreasecaffeine'sunpleasanteffects. Talktoyourdoctororpharmacistaboutwhethercaffeinemightaffectyourmedications. Curbingyourcaffeinehabit Whetherit'sforoneofthereasonsaboveorbecauseyouwanttotrimyourspendingoncoffeedrinks,cuttingbackoncaffeinecanbechallenging.Anabruptdecreaseincaffeinemaycausewithdrawalsymptoms,suchasheadaches,fatigue,irritabilityanddifficultyfocusingontasks.Fortunately,thesesymptomsareusuallymildandgetbetterafterafewdays. Tochangeyourcaffeinehabit,trythesetips: Keeptabs.Startpayingattentiontohowmuchcaffeineyou'regettingfromfoodsandbeverages,includingenergydrinks.Readlabelscarefully.Butrememberthatyourestimatemaybealittlelowbecausesomefoodsordrinksthatcontaincaffeinedon'tlistit. Cutbackgradually.Forexample,drinkonefewercanofsodaordrinkasmallercupofcoffeeeachday.Oravoiddrinkingcaffeinatedbeverageslateintheday.Thiswillhelpyourbodygetusedtothelowerlevelsofcaffeineandlessenpotentialwithdrawaleffects. Godecaf.Mostdecaffeinatedbeverageslookandtastemuchthesameastheircaffeinatedcounterparts. Shortenthebrewtimeorgoherbal.Whenmakingtea,brewitforlesstime.Thiscutsdownonitscaffeinecontent.Orchooseherbalteasthatdon'thavecaffeine. Checkthebottle.Someover-the-counterpainrelieverscontaincaffeine.Lookforcaffeine-freepainrelieversinstead. Thebottomline Ifyou'relikemostadults,caffeineisapartofyourdailyroutine.Usually,itwon'tposeahealthproblem.Butbemindfulofcaffeine'spossiblesideeffectsandbereadytocutbackifnecessary.   Thereisaproblemwith informationsubmittedforthisrequest.Review/updatethe informationhighlightedbelowandresubmittheform. FromMayoClinictoyourinbox Signupforfree,andstayuptodateonresearchadvancements,healthtipsandcurrenthealthtopics,likeCOVID-19,plusexpertiseonmanaginghealth. Email ErrorEmailfieldisrequired ErrorIncludeavalidemailaddress LearnmoreaboutMayoClinic’suseofdata. Toprovideyouwiththemostrelevantandhelpfulinformation,andunderstandwhich informationisbeneficial,wemaycombineyouremailandwebsiteusageinformationwith otherinformationwehaveaboutyou.IfyouareaMayoClinicpatient,thiscould includeprotectedhealthinformation.Ifwecombinethisinformationwithyourprotected healthinformation,wewilltreatallofthatinformationasprotectedhealth informationandwillonlyuseordisclosethatinformationassetforthinournoticeof privacypractices.Youmayopt-outofemailcommunicationsatanytimebyclickingon theunsubscribelinkinthee-mail. Subscribe! Thankyouforsubscribing OurHousecalle-newsletterwillkeepyouup-to-dateonthelatesthealthinformation. Sorrysomethingwentwrongwithyoursubscription Please,tryagaininacoupleofminutes Retry ShareTweet March19,2022 Showreferences LiebermanHR,etal.DailypatternsofcaffeineintakeandtheassociationofintakewithmultiplesociodemographicandlifestylefactorsinU.S.adultsbasedontheNHANES2007-2012surveys.JournaloftheAmericanAcademyofNutritionandDietetics.2019;doi:10.1016/j.jand.2018.08.152. 2015-2020DietaryGuidelinesforAmericans.U.S.DepartmentofHealthandHumanServicesandU.S.DepartmentofAgriculture.https://health.gov/our-work/food-nutrition/2015-2020-dietary-guidelines/guidelines.AccessedFeb.1,2020. Spillingthebeans:Howmuchcaffeineistoomuch.U.S.FoodandDrugAdministration.https://www.fda.gov/consumers/consumer-updates/spilling-beans-how-much-caffeine-too-much.AccessedSept.20,2019. DuyffRL.Thinkyourdrinks.In:AcademyofNutritionandDieteticsCompleteFoodandNutritionGuide.5thed.HoughtonMifflinHarcourt;2017. BordeauxB.Benefitsandrisksofcaffeineandcaffeinatedbeverages.https://www.uptodate.com/contents/search.AccessedSept.20,2019. Pureandhighlyconcentratedcaffeine.U.S.FoodandDrugAdministration.https://www.fda.gov/food/dietary-supplement-products-ingredients/pure-and-highly-concentrated-caffeine.AccessedSept.20,2019. Caffeine.NaturalMedicines.https://naturalmedicines.therapeuticresearch.com.AccessedFeb.7,2020. SeemoreIn-depth ProductsandServicesAvailableHealthProductsfromMayoClinicStoreBook:CookSmart,EatWellBook:LiveYoungerLongerBook:MayoClinicFamilyHealthBook,5thEditionBook:TheMayoClinicDietTheMayoClinicDietOnlineBook:MayoClinicBookofHomeRemediesBook:MayoClinic5StepstoControllingHighBloodPressureNewsletter:MayoClinicHealthLetter—DigitalEditionBook:MayoCliniconDigestiveHealth Seealso3dietchangeswomenover50shouldmakerightnowAddedsugarAlcoholuseAlkalinewaterAreenergydrinksbull?ArtificialsweetenersandothersugarsubstitutesAutismspectrumdisorderanddigestivesymptomsBadfoodhabitsatwork?Getbackontrackin5stepsBestoilforcooking?DietaryguidelinesBreastfeedingnutrition:TipsformomsIscaffeinedehydrating?CaloriecalculatorCanwhole-grainfoodslowerbloodpressure?CarbohydratesChartofhigh-fiberfoodsCholesterol:TopfoodstoimproveyournumbersCoconutwater:Isitsuperhydrating?CoffeeandhealthDietsoda:Howmuchistoomuch?DietaryfatsDietaryfiberPricklypearcactusDoessoyreallyaffectbreastcancerrisk?Don'tgettrickedbythese3heart-healthmythsDon'tgocuckooforcoconutwaterEatmoreofthesekeynutrientsEggs:Badforcholesterol?Fiber:Solubleorinsoluble?FitmorefiberintoyourdietGettoknowthenewNutritionFactslabelHealthy-eatingtip:Don'tforgetfiberHiddensourcesofsodiumHigh-fructosecornsyrupHigh-proteindietsHowtotracksaturatedfatTakeoutcontainersIstheremoretohydrationthanwater?JuicingisnosubstituteforwholefoodsJuicingLimitbadfats,onestepatatimeMakefoodlabelsrequiredreadingMonosodiumglutamate(MSG)Needasnack?Gonuts!Needmorefiber?Take3stepsNutritionrulesthatwillfuelyourworkoutNutsandyourheart:EatingnutsforhearthealthOmega-3infishOmega-6fattyacidsPhenylalanineProtein:Heart-healthysourcesHealthfoodsPortioncontrolPlanninghealthymealsHigh-fiberdietSodiumStepawayfromthesaltshakerSteviaTaurineinenergydrinksTimetocutbackoncaffeine?TransfatUnderweight:AddpoundshealthfullyWantahealthierdinnertime?SciencesayschangeyoureatingspaceDailywaterrequirementWhat'sconsideredmoderatealcoholuse?What'sthedifferencebetweenjuicingandblending?Workingout?RemembertodrinkupYerbamateShowmorerelatedcontent Advertisement MayoClinicdoesnotendorsecompaniesorproducts.Advertisingrevenuesupportsournot-for-profitmission. Advertising&Sponsorship Policy Opportunities AdChoices MayoClinicPress Checkoutthesebest-sellersandspecialoffersonbooksandnewslettersfromMayoClinicPress. NEWwomen’sresource–TakingCareofYou-MayoClinicPressNEWwomen’sresource–TakingCareofYouNEW–TheEssentialDiabetesBook-MayoClinicPressNEW–TheEssentialDiabetesBookNEW–MayoCliniconHearingandBalance-MayoClinicPressNEW–MayoCliniconHearingandBalanceFREEMayoClinicDietAssessment-MayoClinicPressFREEMayoClinicDietAssessmentMayoClinicHealthLetter-FREEbook-MayoClinicPressMayoClinicHealthLetter-FREEbook OtherTopicsinPatientCare&HealthInfo Diseases&ConditionsA-Z SymptomsA-Z Tests&ProceduresA-Z Drugs&SupplementsA-Z HealthBooks HealthyLivingProgram MayoClinicHealthLetter MayoClinicVoiceApps . ART-20045678 HealthyLifestyle Nutritionandhealthyeating In-Depth CaffeineHowmuchistoomuch MayoClinicFooter RequestAppointmentSymptomCheckerGiveNowContactUsAboutMayoClinicEmployeesSiteMapAboutThisSite LegalConditionsandTermsAnyuseofthissiteconstitutesyouragreementtotheTermsandConditionsandPrivacyPolicylinkedbelow. TermsandConditions PrivacyPolicy NoticeofPrivacyPractices NoticeofNondiscrimination ManageCookies ReprintPermissionsAsinglecopyofthesematerialsmaybereprintedfornoncommercialpersonaluseonly."Mayo,""MayoClinic,""MayoClinic.org,""MayoClinicHealthyLiving,"andthetriple-shieldMayoCliniclogoaretrademarksofMayoFoundationforMedicalEducationandResearch.HONThissitecomplieswiththeHONcodestandardfortrustworthyhealthinformation:verifyhere.©1998-2022MayoFoundationforMedicalEducationandResearch(MFMER).Allrightsreserved.