How Many Cups of Coffee Per Day is Safe to Drink?

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Coffee is a very controversial beverage. Depending on who you ask, it can either be a healthy beverage or an addictive one.

Coffee is actually a very complex beverage, with various bioactive compounds. It is the single biggest source of antioxidants for many individuals as per Authority Nutrition.

Studies have linked coffee to various health benefits. These include a reduced risk of type 2 diabetes, heart attack, dementia, liver cancer and stroke.

The caffeine content in coffee can even help boost your metabolism, thus potentially boosting weight loss. Due to this, you should have no second thoughts about drinking as many cups of coffee daily, as you want, right?

The answer is No. Due to its caffeine content, there is a limit to the amount of coffee or other caffeinated beverages, you can drink.

How Many Cups of Coffee Per Day is Safe to Drink?
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How Much Caffeine is In One Cup of Coffee?

Caffeine, is one of the active ingredient in coffee. It it the most commonly consumed psychoactive substance in the world.

The caffeine content in a cup of coffee varies, but it ranges from 50 to 400+ mg per cup. A small home-brewed cup of coffee may contain 50 mg, while a big 16 oz Starbucks grande may contain over 300 mg.

As a general rule, an average 8 oz cup of coffee can contain around 100 mg of caffeine. Several sources suggest that 400 mg of caffeine or about 4 cups of coffee, are safe for most healthy adults.

Remember that there are other sources of caffeine aside from coffee. These includes soft drinks, tea, chocolate and energy drinks.

The total amount of caffeine in one cup of coffee, can range from 50 to over 400 mg. Various sources recommend that about 400 mg of caffeine daily, as the safe upper limit for healthy individuals.

The USDA recommends about 400 mg of caffeine per day or at five 8-ounce cups a day as per the nutritionist and author of Eating in Color.

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People Tolerate Varying Amounts of Caffeine

The amount an individual can safely consume per day, may be a bit higher. As per the research conducted by Harvard epidemiologist Rob van Dam, PhD, he has found no increased risk of death from any cause in individuals who drank up to 6 cups daily.

Experts have agreed that you should never exceed the National Institutes of Health’s marker for excessive coffee consumption, which is ten 8-ounce cups.

But there are exceptions to the general rules stated. If you have a hard time controlling conditions such as anxiety, diabetes, high blood pressure or GERD (gastroesophageal reflux disease), it is an excellent idea to cut back on coffee or just switch to decaf.

Even if you are healthy, coffee’s effect on the body is highly unique on an individual. Studies have found that individuals with certain gene variants, metabolize caffeine faster in the liver.

Due to this, they can consume more, minus the unpleasant side effects. But if you are a slow caffeine metabolizer, just half a cup can make you feel jittery.

How Do You Determine Your Ideal Caffeine Level?

If you are not experiencing any form of medical conditions that could be affected by caffeine, you can keep the 5 to six cup limit in mind. But always listen to your body.

If just one cup of coffee, makes you bounce off the walls, then keep your intake low. Try not to exceed your typical daily consumption by too much. Your body likes consistency.

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