When our clients ask us how much caffeine is too much, it’s because they are already consuming so much coffee, tea, and energy drinks throughout the week that it’s affecting their sleep quality. Caffeine consumption is so widespread in the United States that some of our biggest international exports are coffee chains like Seattle’s Best and Starbucks.
Coffee and other caffeinated drinks are also well-liked in nations like Taiwan, South Korea, in Japan, but in the US, we consume so much coffee that some states beat out entire countries in international listings.
In this article, our experts at MediPlan Diet Services will help you determine whether you’re consuming too much caffeine and what you can do to fight caffeine addiction.
Is Caffeine Addiction a Legitimate Condition?
Like most plant-derived drugs, people can abuse caffeine by consuming too much, even if it creates a detrimental effect on their lives. Caffeine addiction is a legitimate condition where victims pathologically depend on coffee, caffeine pills, or energy drinks to function. Studies from Kendler and Prescott reveal that around 16% of Americans present symptoms of caffeine addiction.
Caffeine is one of the safest drugs on the planet, and it has virtually no side effects unless you have too much too often. However, it can have some nasty adverse effects on some people, like children who may experience palpitations by drinking half a cup of coffee.
People with anti-anxiety medications and patients with high blood pressure will see more negative effects from caffeine consumption than the average person, and most doctors advise against it. Consuming caffeine even when it can be hazardous to your health is a telltale sign of caffeine addiction.
How Much Caffeine is Just Right?
“How much caffeine is too much?”, is probably the most common question our dieticians get at MediPlan Diet Services.
Coffee is delicious, and with the popularity of microbrewers who can serve it iced, hot, black, or with a thousand different sweeteners, you can have it just the way you like it. However, caffeine has a habit of sneaking up on people even without drinking coffee.
You can find caffeine in:
- Most chocolate food items
- Soda
- Teas
- Food supplements
- And many other products
Most nutritionists and dieticians recommend only 400 milligrams of caffeine consumption daily for healthy adults and about 100 milligrams a day for teens. Adults should not consume more than ten cans of caffeinated sodas or eight cups of brewed coffee, and teens should only drink two cans of cola or one cup of coffee per day.
Call Your Caffeine Consumption Experts Today
Caffeine has become the most consumed stimulant worldwide because of coffee sales. Recent surveys reveal that an average American consumes 3.5 cups of coffee per day, making it the caffeine delivery system of choice in most western workplaces. However, many coffee drinkers don’t know about the downsides and risks of overconsumption.
If you want to learn how much caffeine is too much for your height, weight, age, and lifestyle, call MediPlan Diet Services today at 901-362-7546, and we will give you a free consultation.