{"id":9287,"date":"2023-11-03T20:30:44","date_gmt":"2023-11-03T20:30:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/infundpros.com\/finance\/heres-exactly-how-much-caffeine-its-safe-to-drink-a-day\/"},"modified":"2023-11-03T20:30:45","modified_gmt":"2023-11-03T20:30:45","slug":"heres-exactly-how-much-caffeine-its-safe-to-drink-a-day","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/infundpros.com\/?p=9287","title":{"rendered":"Here\u2019s exactly how much caffeine it\u2019s safe to drink a day"},"content":{"rendered":"

A recent lawsuit against Panera Bread that implicates the chain\u2019s caffeinated \u201cCharged Lemonade\u201d in the death of a college student with a heart condition may have given some folks renewed jitters about whether their go-to energy drink is still safe to sip.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\n

The student, Sarah Katz, 21, drank Panera\u2019s Charged Lemonade \u2014 which contains up to 390 milligrams of caffeine in a 30-ounce serving \u2014 in September 2022, according to the lawsuit filed in the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas. She died later that day, and the suit brought by her parents accuses the chain of failing to warn consumers about its ingredients. The company was not immediately available for comment. But it is now displaying an enhanced disclosure about its Charged Lemonade, a spokesperson told NBC this week.\u00a0<\/p>\n

So, is 390 milligrams a lot of caffeine?\u00a0<\/p>\n

It\u2019s quite a lot, in fact. Healthy adults should stick to less than 400 milligrams of caffeine a day, according to the FDA. The problem is that many of us are probably sipping more of this stimulant than we realize, maybe even well exceeding this recommended daily limit, which could pose health risks like insomnia, nervousness, restlessness, nausea, increased heart rate and other side effects.\u00a0<\/p>\n

But what does 400 milligrams of caffeine actually look like?\u00a0<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n<\/figure><\/div>\n

Well, that\u2019s about eight cans of Diet Coke (or 11 cans of regular Coca-Cola
\n KO,
\n -0.61%<\/bg-quote>
\n soda), or four cups of home-brewed coffee, so you probably don\u2019t have to worry about completely giving up on your favorite coffee or caffeinated drink just yet. (Well, unless it\u2019s loaded with sugar, which is another story.) The FDA notes that a 12-ounce can of a caffeinated soft drink typically contains 30 to 40 milligrams of caffeine; an 8-ounce cup of green or black tea counts 30-50 milligrams; and an 8-ounce cup of coffee is closer to 80 to 100 milligrams.\u00a0<\/p>\n

It\u2019s importation to know portion size, though. Keep in mind that a \u201ccup\u201d is 8 ounces, or smaller than what you probably consider a \u201ccup\u201d of coffee to be. So a single grande Starbucks
\n SBUX,
\n +2.64%<\/bg-quote>
\n hot drip coffee, for example, is 16 ounces \u2014 or two cups of coffee, really. Many standard mugs or coffeehouse servings today are also set at 12 to 16 ounces.\u00a0<\/p>\n

What\u2019s more, the caffeine content of different brews and drinks can vary widely. So on Starbucks\u2019s site, a grande (16-ounce) Pike Place Roast coffee actually comes in at 310 milligrams of caffeine. In other words, that single Starbucks coffee drink is already almost hitting your daily recommended caffeine cap, before you consider the other caffeine that you might be consuming throughout the day from getting a second cup of coffee; sipping tea, soda or energy drinks; eating chocolate; or taking supplements. Some painkillers, like those targeting headaches, might also have caffeine in them. <\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\n

\n \u201c<\/span>The American Academy of Pediatrics advises against kids under 12 consuming any caffeine, period. And the AAP recommends that teens 12 to 18 sip less than 100 milligrams of caffeine a day.\u201d<\/span>\n <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

The caffeine cap is even lower for kids and teens. In fact, the American Academy of Pediatrics advises against kids under 12 consuming any caffeine, period, writing, \u201cThere is no proven safe dose of caffeine for children.\u201d And the AAP recommends that teens 12 to 18 sip less than 100 milligrams of caffeine (maybe two 12-ounce cans of soda) a day. But energy drinks like Celsius and Prime that are popular on TikTok may pack an over-caffeinated punch that easily exceeds that 100-milligram limit. A single 12-ounce can of Celsius Original contains 200 milligrams of caffeine, for example, while the Celsius Heat variety counts 300 milligrams of caffeine in a single 16-ounce can. That\u2019s double and triple the recommended amount of caffeine for teens daily.\u00a0<\/p>\n

But on the flip side, Red Bull has a relatively low 80 milligrams of caffeine in a single 8.4-ounce can \u2014 well below that Starbucks coffee.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Caffeine counts can get confusing. So here\u2019s a chart comparing the caffeine content of some popular coffees, sodas and energy drinks, to help you get a better idea of how close a single serving comes to pushing you over the recommended 400 milligrams of caffeine for adults each day.\u00a0<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n<\/figure><\/div>\n

Health experts told MarketWatch that many people \u2014 and kids, teens and young adults, in particular \u2014 aren\u2019t worried about their caffeine intake the same way that they may watch their sugar or sodium. <\/p>\n

\u201cI see a lot of younger patients, particularly young men, that are drinking these caffeinated drinks in the morning, or before they go to the gym, and the feeling is that it helps them perform better,\u201d Dr. John Whyte, the chief medical officer at WebMD, told MarketWatch. <\/p>\n

Indeed, a recent Mintel market report valued the U.S. energy-drink industry at $21.1 billion worth of sales in 2022, which is forecast to hit $22.7 billion in 2023, largely thanks to young men. \u201cEnergy drinks are largely a younger consumers\u2019 category, with men aged 18-34 leading consumption,\u201d it noted. But there\u2019s plenty of potential to get more younger women on board, as \u201cthe narrowest gap exists between men and women for hybrid energy drinks (coffee, ice tea, etc),\u201d it added.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe biggest myth is that \u2018caffeine doesn\u2019t hurt me,\u2019 because you don\u2019t hear about it being regulated as much,\u201d Whyte from WebMD continued, \u201cand so people are more concerned about sugar and calorie counts than caffeine.\u201d <\/p>\n

Yet the FDA warns that toxic effects, like seizures, can be observed with the rapid consumption of around 1,200 milligrams of caffeine.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cCaffeine itself, remember, is a stimulant,\u201d Whyte added. \u201cIt\u2019s going to increase your heart rate. It\u2019s going to increase your blood pressure because it\u2019s going to constrict the blood vessels and make your heart work harder and make it go faster. And it may make you more dehydrated.\u201d <\/p>\n

And this can have a greater impact on kids and teens, who are drawn to energy drinks in particular, noted Dr. Mark Corkins, the chair of the American Academy of Pediatrics committee on nutrition. \u201cKids think [caffeinated energy drinks] are cool. It\u2019s an \u2018adult\u2019 drink. And we all like our stimulants. They make us feel good,\u201d Corkins told MarketWatch. <\/p>\n

But higher concentrations of caffeine can hit younger consumers harder, because kids and teens are obviously smaller than adults. \u201cFor a kid, one cup of coffee [or one energy drink] is a bigger dose per kilogram [of body weight] compared to a grown man,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

So what can we do?\u00a0<\/p>\n

First, be aware of the signs of caffeine overdose, which include:\u00a0<\/p>\n