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Caffeine Comparisons: How Much You Really Consume
The milligram count in your coffee, tea, soda, energy drink, chocolate, or medication
How much caffeine is in a cup of coffee? That’s like asking how much sugar is in a cookie. It depends on the type of cookie, how it’s made, and how big it is. Caffeine quantities vary wildly in coffee — in ways you might not realize. Many other drinks pack quite a buzz, too, as do some painkillers and other drugs, and anything containing chocolate.
So is caffeine even safe? Yes, up to around 400 milligrams (mg) a day for most people, according to the Food and Drug Administration. As a stimulant, it perks us up and enhances cognitive abilities. Coffee, along with its caffeine, contains other health-boosting chemicals and compounds, such that coffee drinking is strongly linked to better heart health, lower overall disease risk, and longer life. Same for tea, too. (Not true for soda.)
Some people, however, are more sensitive to caffeine than others, so if it makes you jittery, causes headaches, or upsets your stomach, your “safe” threshold might be lower, or coffee simply might not be for you. And even serious coffee lovers should be aware of some important cautions, which I’ve included at the bottom of this article.
