The general recommendation is to make a moderate consumption, at most 3 to 4 cups a day. Recent studies link the intake of this drink with multiple health benefits. How much coffee is too much coffee?
“Without coffee I am not a person”. This is perhaps the most repeated mantra in the mornings by those who without this drink are not able to start the day.
A cup when waking up is ritual, another after eating is customary and a few more distributed during the working day end up falling out of inertia. But how much coffee can we drink without harming our health?
How Much Coffee Is Too Much Coffee?
The recommended daily dose of caffeine, the chemical compound responsible for waking us up, depends on factors such as age, medical history and physical condition.
According to the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), a healthy adult can safely consume about 400 milligrams of caffeine a day, the equivalent of about 3 mg per kilogram of body weight. To ensure safe consumption, these caffeine intakes should be below 200 mg per dose. In other words, the key is to avoid ingesting large amounts of this substance at once.
But where do you find these energy injections? According to some estimates, a cup of filtered coffee contains 90 grams of caffeine, a can of energy drink or an espresso 80, a black tea 60 and a can of Coca-Cola about 50. This means that we can enjoy three to four cups of coffee a day without endangering our health.
But before we continue, we must remember that the effects of coffee are not immediate. From the moment you take your first sip, it will take between 30 minutes and an hour for your body to begin to take effect.
After 3/4 hours, half of the caffeine you ingested will be gone. The rest will take about 14 hours longer to be removed from the body, which is why it is advisable not to abuse coffee as bedtime approaches.
What happens if we go too far?
If we consume coffee beyond our means, our morning ally can play a trick on us. Adverse effects of caffeine abuse include nervousness, irritability, insomnia, anxiety, headaches, muscle tremors, increased heart rate and blood pressure, intestinal and cardiovascular problems. In extreme cases, excessive consumption has also been associated with arithmias and epileptic seizures.
Above 500 milligrams, caffeine intake can lead to intoxication or overdose. According to some estimates, the lethal dose of caffeine is in the 10 grams of substance per kilo of body mass, although this figure will depend on each individual. It is known as LD50 because, if exceeded, it is estimated that it could kill 50% of those who suffer from it.
How do we calculate this?
In order to calculate the maximum amount of caffeine we can consume in a day we must take into account some factors. Such as weight, age, disease history and our tolerance to these substances.
From this point of view, it should always be borne in mind that the “general recommendations” on coffee consumption are an average, which means that it cannot be applied to everyone.
Pages such as caffeineinformer, for example, allow us to know our limits in relation to the intake of different beverages. According to the calculations made on this page, an individual of 70 kilos could consume a maximum of 5.5 espressos in one day and if he exceeded 136.8 he would be dead. For someone of 80 kilos, 14.2 classic Coca-Colas would be his limit and 354 cans of this drink would lead to death.
Good news and bad news
If you can’t live without your daily cup(s) of coffee, I have good news and bad news for you. The good news is that, as experts point out, moderate consumption of this drink not only poses no risk, but can also have health benefits.
This is the case, for example, of recent studies in which coffee intake is linked to lower mortality. In previous research, had also been associated with a lower risk of liver problems and neurodegenerative damage.
The bad news is that, according to studies, regular intake leads to a certain tolerance towards its effects. This means that if you normally drink a lot of coffee you will notice less and less of its effects.
On the contrary, if you have never tasted a sip of tea, it is likely that the first sip of this drink and feel all the effects of caffeine running through your veins.
