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Caffeine has its perks, but it can pose problems too. Find out how much is too much and if you need to curb your consumption. By Mayo Clinic StaffIf you rely on caffeine to wake you up and keep you going, you aren't alone. Millions of people rely on caffeine every day to stay alert and improve concentration. How much is too much?Up to 400 milligrams (mg) of caffeine a day appears to be safe for most healthy adults. That's roughly the amount of caffeine in four cups of brewed coffee, 10 cans of cola or two "energy shot" drinks. Keep in mind that the actual caffeine content in beverages varies widely, especially among energy drinks. Caffeine in powder or liquid form can provide toxic levels of caffeine, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has cautioned. Just one teaspoon of powdered caffeine is equivalent to about 28 cups of coffee. Such high levels of caffeine can cause serious health problems and possibly death. Although caffeine use may be safe for adults, it's not a good idea for children. Adolescents and young adults need to be cautioned about excessive caffeine intake and mixing caffeine with alcohol and other drugs. Women who are pregnant or who are trying to become pregnant and those who are breast-feeding should talk with their doctors about limiting caffeine use to less than 200 mg daily. Even among adults, heavy caffeine use can cause unpleasant side effects. And caffeine may not be a good choice for people who are highly sensitive to its effects or who take certain medications. Read on to see if you may need to curb your caffeine routine. You drink more than 4 cups of coffee a dayYou may want to cut back if you're drinking more than 4 cups of caffeinated coffee a day (or the equivalent) and you have side effects such as:
Even a little makes you jitterySome people are more sensitive to caffeine than are others. If you're susceptible to the effects of caffeine, even small amounts may prompt unwanted effects, such as restlessness and sleep problems. How you react to caffeine may be determined in part by how much caffeine you're used to drinking. People who don't regularly drink caffeine tend to be more sensitive to its effects. You're not getting enough sleepCaffeine, even in the afternoon, can interfere with your sleep. Even small amounts of sleep loss can add up and disturb your daytime alertness and performance. Using caffeine to mask sleep deprivation can create an unwelcome cycle. For example, you may drink caffeinated beverages because you have trouble staying awake during the day. But the caffeine keeps you from falling asleep at night, shortening the length of time you sleep. You're taking medications or supplementsSome medications and herbal supplements may interact with caffeine. Examples include:
Talk to your doctor or pharmacist about whether caffeine might affect your medications. Curbing your caffeine habitWhether 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. To change your caffeine habit, try these tips:
The bottom lineIf 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. Sign up for free, and stay up to date on research advancements, health tips and current health topics, like COVID-19, plus expertise on managing health. To provide you with the most relevant and helpful information, and understand which information is beneficial, we may combine your email and website usage information with other information we have about you. If you are a Mayo Clinic patient, this could include protected health information. If we combine this information
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. What happens if you take 200 mg of caffeine?A healthy adult can consume around 400 milligrams of caffeine daily, which means you can safely have about four cups of coffee in a day unless otherwise advised by your doctor. Consumption of 200 milligrams of caffeine doesn't cause any significant harmful effects in healthy people.
How long will 200 mg of caffeine last?How long does 200mg of caffeine last? The half-life of caffeine can be anywhere from three to seven hours. So, if you drink 200 mg of caffeine, you'd still have 100 mg in your system about five hours later, and a quarter of it about 10 hours later. It can take up to 12 hours for caffeine to fully leave your system.
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