How Much Tea or Coffee is OK in a Day?

Answer

Do not drink more than eight cups (150 mL) of coffee or twenty(!) cups of tea a day.

The Science

The official guidelines advise against consuming more than 400 mg of caffeine daily.

• A 150 mL cup of tea contains 20 mg of caffeine. Almost no one will hit the caffeine ceiling by drinking tea.
• A 150 mL cup of coffee contains 50 mg caffeine, though this number varies based on the brewing method and reduces if milk is added. Remember that the Western world uses a 235 mL cup (and a 300 mL mug), while a 150 mL cup is more prevalent in India.
• People with high blood pressure (more than 160/100 mmHg) should avoid more than three cups (total 500 mL) of coffee a day, as it increases their risk of getting a heart attack and stroke.
• Pregnant women are advised to stay below 200 mg of caffeine daily. Nursing mothers or pregnant women should avoid more than four cups of coffee daily.
• A 100 mg of caffeine causes 6 mg of calcium loss, while most of our diets are deficient in calcium by 250 to 500 mg daily. So if you have fragile bones, reduce your coffee intake to half the above recommendations.
• A 250 mL glass of most soft drinks (aerated drinks or soda, as they are called in the U.S.A.) has 50 mg of caffeine. Watch out for excess consumption.
• Even non-cola drinks such as orange- and lemon-flavoured aereated drinks can have similar caffeine amounts.
• Some energy drinks are spiked with caffeine. Control their consumption as exceeding 1,200 mg of caffeine a day can trigger epileptic seizures.
• Decaffeinated drinks have less caffeine than regular ones, but not zero caffeine. Check the label.

To Read More

• U.S. Food & Drug Administration: Spilling the Beans: How Much Caffeine is Too Much?
• Health.com: How To Know if Your Coffee Habit Is Too Much Caffeine
• On this Website: How coffee can make you more tired

First Published on: 25th April 2023
Image Credit: Image by Drazen Zigic on Freepik