We all know that person who is a bear until they have had that first cup of coffee in the morning. They growl and may even knock you over on their way to the coffee pot. You may even be that person. Are you drinking too much caffeine?

The Morning Cup

Morning coffee is more American than baseball or apple pie. Starbucks and Dunkin Donuts literally bank on it. Though, to be honest, my preference for take-out caffeine is a chai latte from Panera. (I was not paid for this advertisement.)

People take their coffee any number of ways. Black, with milk or cream, light or dark, with or without sugar. They may prefer a simple cup or an espresso or a latte. The type of coffee bean may matter or even how its brewed. Like me, they may even bypass the coffee altogether and put on a pot of tea.

In either case, you are still going to get some caffeine. Even when you ask for decaffeinated, only 97% of the caffeine is removed. You drink it anyway. Why? Caffeine gives you a burst of energy. It makes you feel more alert and focused, ready to tackle the day.

Too Much Caffeine

Believe it or not, there is such a thing as too much caffeine. Drinking less than 300 mg of caffeine per day is generally no problem. More than that, up to 500 mg, people may get anxious, irritable, nauseous, and restless. They may even get palpitations and tremors at that amount. Beyond 500 mg though, watch out. You could reach a toxic level of caffeine that can trigger cardiac arrhythmias and even hallucinations. Amounts above 3,000 mg could even be fatal.

In 2017, 16-year-old Davis Allen Cripe died from a caffeine overdose. It is said he consumed a large Mountain Dew, a McDonald’s cafe latte, and an energy drink (type unknown) in less than two hours. Without underlying heart problems or other health issues, with a negative drug screen, the coroner attributed his death to caffeine. It is suspected the teenager slipped into a cardiac arrhythmia that led to cardiac arrest. Caffeine poisoning like this is rare, but it needs to be taken seriously.

Everything in Moderation

There is actually a Death by Caffeine calculator you can check to find out how much caffeine is too much for your body weight. You can even look up specific drinks and sizes. Apparently, my daily safe maximum would be 6.3 cups of chai tea (my caffeine of choice) but 157 cups would do me in.

It’s not worth putting yourself in harm’s way. Not to mention that you can get some nasty withdrawal headaches if you suddenly stop drinking caffeine. Like anything in life, enjoy but take care. Don’t drink from the pot like Phil Connors does in Groundhog Day!

 

All About Decaffeinated Coffee. (2022). National Coffee Association USA. https://www.ncausa.org/Decaffeinated-Coffee

Fox, M. (2017). Caffeine Overdose Killed South Carolina Teen, Coroner Rules. NBC News. https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/south-carolina-teen-died-caffeine-overdose-coroner-rules-n759716

How Americans drink their coffee: everything you need to know about it. (2013). Fine Dining Lovers. https://www.finedininglovers.com/article/how-americans-drink-their-coffee-everything-you-need-know-about-it

MacDonnell, K. (2020). 20 Coffee Brewing Methods & Their Differences. Coffee Affection. https://coffeeaffection.com/coffee-brewing-methods/