Go Ahead, Have a Fourth Cup of Coffee
If you’re one of the millions of Americans who consume coffee or other caffeinated beverages to get through the workday, here’s some good news. A new scientific review of the safety of caffeine suggests that drinking up to four cups of coffee, or about 400 milligrams of caffeine, is fairly safe.
The review, which is by far the most comprehensive of its kind , was conducted by Esther Myers, research systematic reviewer at the International Institute of Life Sciences . Myers and her team, who are presenting the results this week at the Experimental Biology Conference in Chicago, examined how different levels of caffeine affect people in the short and long term, with a focus on identifying any adverse effects on cardiovascular health. musculoskeletal, reproductive, or behavioral areas.
In over 700 studies on the safety of caffeine consumption at various levels, the team found ample evidence that 400 milligrams of caffeine, or four cups of coffee, is safe for healthy adults daily. It won’t make you healthier, but it won’t do any harm either. Pregnant women are better off with 300 milligrams or less, or three cups of joe. However, this 400 mg limit is not new. It has been distributed by the FDA and the International Food Information Board since about 2003, when it was done in a small Health Canada survey . Now it’s safe to say that the recommendation was correct.
What can happen if you drink more of this per day? Myers’ team found evidence of an association with depression and dysphoria (general dissatisfaction with life), as well as anxiety, hypertension, and even high sperm counts with DNA damage in men. A fifth cup of coffee throughout the day is sometimes unsafe if you’re healthy, Myers says, but it’s best not to make it a habit. And if just one cup of coffee is already too much caffeine for you, you might be better off drinking tea .