Most people can’t do without a cup of coffee daily; they need it to jumpstart their day and function properly. Caffeine is an essential part of people’s lives. When taken in moderation, it is very beneficial, but too much of anything can be a bad thing, and caffeine is not an exception. Abusing it can put your health and even your life at risk. But when does caffeine become too much? This article will explain what amount of caffeine is lethal and what isn’t.
When Is Caffeine Lethal?
Research shows that caffeine becomes lethal for most people when they consume about 10 grams of it. Caffeine overdose is very rare because it involves the consumption of high doses of caffeine in its powdered or tablet form and not in beverages. The reason is quite simple.
According to exercise and nutrition specialist Jennifer Temple, it is difficult to overdose on caffeine from drinking beverages because of the amount and time it takes. Caffeine in a cup of coffee ranges from around hundred to two hundred milligrams, an energy drink has fifty to three hundred milligrams, while a can of soda doesn’t have up to seventy milligrams.
The specialist says that a person has to drink up to thirty of the most caffeinated drinks in rapid succession to be able to reach the lethal 10 grams range, but that your body will stop you before you reach that level. The way it does this is by making you get sick so you’ll throw up.
Ninety percent of adults in the world consume caffeine daily. It can be found in different beverages like tea, soda, etc., and even chocolate has little caffeine. According to Temple, caffeine taken in moderation is not harmful. Studies have shown that caffeine increases concentration, mental energy, and alertness, but the primary effect (the reason why a lot of people take it) is that it cancels out fatigue.
Some people have more sensitivity to caffeine than most, which is why some people will take a couple of cups of coffee or soda and experience an increase in blood pressure or a decrease in the heart rate; sometimes, they even have trouble sleeping. On the other hand, some people can take several cups of coffee and will hardly feel any effect.
So yes, caffeine can be lethal at toxic levels and can even cause some unpleasant side effects, but death by caffeine is very rare.
