Up to 400 milligrams (mg) of caffeine a day appears to be safe for most healthy adults. That's roughly the amount of caffeine in four cups of brewed coffee, 10 cans of cola or two "energy shot" drinks. Keep in mind that the actual caffeine content in beverages varies widely, especially among energy drinks.
Likely Effective for
Mental alertness. Drinking caffeinated coffee throughout the day seems to increase alertness and thinking skills. Caffeine can also improve alertness after sleep deprivation. Even one cup of caffeinated coffee can reduce fatigue and increase alertness.
For healthy adults, the FDA has cited 400 milligrams a day—that's about four or five cups of coffee—as an amount not generally associated with dangerous, negative effects. However, there is wide variation in both how sensitive people are to the effects of caffeine and how fast they metabolize it (break it down).
Hu said that moderate coffee intake—about 2–5 cups a day—is linked to a lower likelihood of type 2 diabetes, heart disease, liver and endometrial cancers, Parkinson's disease, and depression.
For the most part, depending on your health condition, drinking coffee on an empty stomach doesn't have significant health effects. Drinking coffee daily without breakfast has adverse health effects because skipping a morning meal can affect your body's metabolism.
Low to moderate doses of caffeine (50–300 mg) may cause increased alertness, energy, and ability to concentrate, while higher doses may have negative effects such as anxiety, restlessness, insomnia, and increased heart rate. [2] Still, the cumulative research on coffee points in the direction of a health benefit.
These problems include: The high acidity of coffee can interfere with your hormones and impact the amount of oil your skin produces. Coffee drinks with dairy products increase your risk of developing acne. Dehydration from coffee and other drinks such as soda or alcohol may also cause skin redness or inflammation.
In this battle over health benefits, coffee comes out on top. Coffee drinkers can raise a mug to fiber, microbiome health and lowering risk for cancer and diabetes. But tea drinkers, do not despair. Tea is undoubtedly good for your blood pressure, cholesterol, stress levels, mental health and productivity.
"No, caffeine does not directly cause belly fat. The main cause for increased or excessive belly fat is being in a calorie surplus. Caffeine does not contain calories, therefore could not directly cause belly fat," Rasmussen explains.
Although moderate consumption of coffee may not lead to weight gain, having excess coffee makes you gain weight. This is because the sugar syrups, add-ons, larger servings, whipped cream, sweetened milk, full-fat milk, and sugar increase the calorie content of coffee.
Quitting has made me feel empowered. I experience less anxiety - Caffeine is a naturally-occurring chemical stimulant that affects the central nervous system. I no longer feel the racing heart feeling I used to get and my anxiety has calmed down overall.
Milk coffee has more calories because of the infusion of milk and sugar, but it boasts an impressively high calcium content as well. While both black coffee and milk coffee offer antioxidant benefits, black coffee contains more of the essential nutrient niacin.
For most people, drinking caffeinated beverages close to bedtime is a recipe for a poor night's sleep. Try to avoid caffeine for up to 6 hours before bedtime.
"While coffee consumption was associated with a lower risk of elevated liver stiffness, this didn't include fatty liver disease, or steatosis," said Tapper. "Overall, our findings showed that if coffee has an effect on the liver, it is likely by reducing fibrosis, or scar tissue."