Do you feel sleepy without coffee? FDA: Excessive caffeine intake may cause death

Do you drink a cup of coffee or tea first thing in the morning, hoping to start your day with a caffeinated kick? Do you follow it up with a caffeinated beverage or two, and then have several more cups of coffee throughout the day? Experts at the FDA caution that caffeine can be part of a healthy diet for most people, but too much caffeine may pose a risk to your health.

1. What foods and drinks contain caffeine?

Caffeine is found naturally in the plants that make coffee, tea, and chocolate. It is also found in some plants used as flavorings, such as guarana, or in popular South American alternative teas, such as yerba mate (Ilex paraguariensis) and wintergreen (Ilex guayusa). Caffeine can also be added as an ingredient to foods and beverages.

2. How do I know how much caffeine is contained in food or drinks?

Most food labels will indicate how much caffeine they contain. If not, be careful when purchasing. In addition, there are several online databases that can estimate the caffeine content of certain foods and beverages (such as coffee and tea).

For reference, a 350ml serving of caffeinated soft drinks typically contains 30 to 40mg of caffeine, an 80ml serving of green or black tea contains 30-50mg of caffeine, and an 80ml serving of coffee is closer to 80 to 100mg of caffeine. The caffeine content in energy drinks ranges from about 40-250mg per 80ml serving.

3. How do I know if I’ve consumed too much caffeine?

For healthy adults, the FDA states that consuming 400 mg of caffeine per day, or about four to five cups of coffee, is fine, but this depends on how people react to caffeine and how quickly their bodies metabolize (break it down).

If you experience symptoms such as insomnia, jitters, anxiety, rapid heart rate, stomach discomfort, nausea, headache, and irritability, it means that you are consuming too much caffeine and you should pay attention to reducing it.

4. Is excessive caffeine intake dangerous to health?

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) estimates that rapid ingestion of about 1,200 mg of caffeine (12 cups in a row), or 0.15 tablespoons of pure caffeine, can lead to toxic effects such as seizures. The risk of caffeine overdose increases with the concentration of caffeine in the product, especially pure and highly concentrated caffeine products, which have caused at least two deaths in the United States in the past few years. These products are usually labeled as dietary supplements and consist of pure or highly concentrated caffeine in powder or liquid form, and are usually sold in bulk packaging, with up to thousands of servings per container.

Just one teaspoon of pure powdered caffeine contains as much caffeine as 28 cups of coffee, while half a cup of highly concentrated liquid caffeine products contains as much caffeine as more than 20 cups of coffee. These toxic substances can cause serious health consequences, even death.

5.How to reduce the side effects of caffeine?

If you are used to drinking caffeinated beverages every day and now want to quit, it is best to do so gradually. Stopping suddenly will cause withdrawal symptoms. Unlike opioid or alcohol withdrawal, caffeine withdrawal is not dangerous, but it will make you uncomfortable, with headaches, anxiety and tension. (Sun Huan/Translation)

References:

FDA official website "Spilling the Beans: How Much Caffeine is Too Much?"