The FDA recommends healthy adults limit themselves to milligrams of caffeine—roughly four or five cups of coffee—per day. Pregnant and breastfeeding women , meanwhile, should stick to milligrams of caffeine, or less. So whether or not, say, three cups of coffee a day might be too much really depends on the caffeine content in your particular brew. Well, your head won't explode if you sip slightly more than the recommended amount on a given day, but there are a few reasons to stay within those caffeine guidelines.
In the short-term, drinking too much coffee and caffeine can cause jitters, an upset stomach, diarrhea, and an increased heart rate, says Jessica Cording, RD, author of The Little Book of Game Changers. As a result, you might feel irritable, uneasy, and anxious, and may also have trouble sleeping. In the long run, consistently drinking too much coffee can even increase your risk of developing cardiovascular disease.
According to a The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition study published earlier this year, people who consistently drank six or more cups of coffee per day had a 22 percent increased risk of developing cardiovascular disease compared to people who had just a cup or two. Caveat alert: Not all studies show the same results! Research presented at the British Cardiovascular Society Conference found no correlation between drinking up to 25!! Though that's not to stay you're not at risk of other coffee-related issues, like stomach issues and anxiety.
Ultimately, though everyone handles coffee a little differently, experts recommend sticking to no more than four to five cups of coffee a day, just to be safe.
If you need a coffee reset, Cording recommends cutting back slowly. A few ways to do so: cut yourself off after 2 p. If you turn to coffee because you just love the relaxing experience of sipping on something warm during the day, Cording recommends subbing in a different warm beverage—like herbal tea—to see if it also hits the spot.
Of course, if you love your coffee and have zero issues with however much you drink on the reg, keep doing what you're doing within reason. It may also decrease total sleeping time, especially in the elderly 13 , Although coffee and tea are the most concentrated sources of caffeine, it is also found in soda, cocoa, energy drinks and several types of medication.
For example, an energy shot may contain up to mg of caffeine, while some energy drinks provide as much as a whopping mg per can Importantly, the amount of caffeine you can consume without affecting your sleep will depend on your genetics and other factors. In addition, caffeine consumed later in the day may interfere with sleep because its effects can take several hours to wear off.
Research has shown that while caffeine remains in your system for an average of five hours, the time period may range from one and a half hours to nine hours, depending on the individual One study investigated how the timing of caffeine ingestion affects sleep.
Researchers gave 12 healthy adults mg of caffeine either six hours before bedtime, three hours before bedtime or immediately prior to bedtime. Both the time it took all three groups to fall asleep and the time they spent awake at night increased significantly Summary: Caffeine can help you stay awake during the day, but it may negatively impact your sleep quality and quantity. Cut off your caffeine consumption by the early afternoon to avoid sleeping problems.
However, caffeine itself also seems to stimulate bowel movements by increasing peristalsis, the contractions that move food through your digestive tract On the other hand, some studies suggest that caffeinated beverages may worsen gastroesophageal reflux disease GERD in some people. This seems to be especially true of coffee 23 , 24 , In a small study, when five healthy adults drank caffeinated water, they experienced a relaxation of the muscle that keeps stomach contents from moving up into the throat — the hallmark of GERD Since coffee can have major effects on digestive function, you may want to cut back on the amount you drink or switch to tea if you experience any issues.
Summary: Although small to moderate amounts of coffee can improve gut motility, larger dosages may lead to loose stools or GERD. Reducing your coffee intake or switching to tea may be beneficial. Rhabdomyolysis is a very serious condition in which damaged muscle fibers enter the bloodstream, leading to kidney failure and other problems. Common causes of rhabdomyolysis include trauma, infection, drug abuse, muscle strain and bites from poisonous snakes or insects.
In addition, there have been several reports of rhabdomyolysis related to excessive caffeine intake, although this is relatively rare 26 , 27 , 28 , In one case, a woman developed nausea, vomiting and dark urine after drinking 32 ounces 1 liter of coffee containing roughly mg of caffeine.
Fortunately, she recovered after being treated with medication and fluids Summary: People may develop rhabdomyolysis, or the breakdown of damaged muscle, after they ingest large amounts of caffeine.
A detailed review suggests that although caffeine triggers certain brain chemicals similarly to the way cocaine and amphetamines do, it does not cause classic addiction the way these drugs do In one study, 16 people who typically consumed high, moderate or no caffeine took part in a word test after going without caffeine overnight.
Only high caffeine users showed a bias for caffeine-related words and had strong caffeine cravings In another study, caffeine users completed questionnaires after going 16 hours without consuming it. Daily users had greater increases in headaches, fatigue and other withdrawal symptoms than non-daily users Summary: Going without caffeine for several hours may lead to psychological or physical withdrawal symptoms in those who consume large amounts on a daily basis. However, it has been shown to raise blood pressure in several studies due to its stimulatory effect on the nervous system 33 , 34 , 35 , Elevated blood pressure is a risk factor for heart attack and stroke because it may damage arteries over time, restricting the flow of blood to your heart and brain.
High caffeine intake has also been shown to raise blood pressure during exercise in healthy people, as well as in those with mildly elevated blood pressure 37 , Therefore, paying attention to the dosage and timing of caffeine is important, especially if you already have high blood pressure.
Summary: Caffeine seems to raise blood pressure when consumed at high doses or prior to exercise, as well as in people who rarely consume it. But the caffeine keeps you from falling asleep at night, shortening the length of time you sleep. Whether it's for one of the reasons above or because you want to trim your spending on coffee drinks, cutting back on caffeine can be challenging.
An abrupt decrease in caffeine may cause withdrawal symptoms, such as headaches, fatigue, irritability and difficulty focusing on tasks. Fortunately, these symptoms are usually mild and get better after a few days.
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.
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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.
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