The optimal amount of caffeine per day
So you like your coffee or tea, energy drinks, or caffeinated mints. But you're afraid too much caffeine is unwise.
In a meta-study published in the British Medical Journal, the researchers looked at the results of 218 other studies, most of them observational, to find the optimal amount of coffee consumption per day [1].
The result?
Three to four 8-ounce cups per day will not only satisfy your caffeine cravings, but it results in some great health benefits.
The study found that compared to people who don't drink coffee, those who consume three cups per day had:
- A 30 percent lower risk of death from stroke
- A 19 percent lower risk of death from cardiovascular disease
- A 15 percent lower risk of death from coronary heart disease
- Lower risk of some types of cancer
- Lower risk of diabetes
- Lower risk of gallstones
- Lower risk of gout
- And may help people cope with Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease, and depression
And what is more, if you drink more than three cups a day, it is not detrimental to your health, but the benefits are not as pronounced as when consuming the optimal amount of coffee.
An article in Inc.com says [4]:
Scientists have for years noticed that people who drink coffee seem to be less likely to die from all sorts of causes, including heart disease, stroke, or diabetes. Perhaps the best evidence yet for this comes from two massive studies: one of more than 400,000 people in the US by the National Institutes of Health and and another of more than 500,000 Europeans. Both studies found that regular coffee drinkers were less likely to die from any cause than people who don't sip a daily brew.
400 mg of caffeine per day is safe
An article on the website of the Mayo Clinic, which employs some of the world's premiere medical experts, says most healthy adults can have up to 400 milligrams of caffeine a day without health risks [2].
There are about 100 mg of caffeine in a cup of coffee, so you can safely have four cups a day. That's about 10 cans of cola, or two energy shot drinks.
But the amounts of caffeine vary widely in many products, even different kinds of coffee, so you might want to check out the Viter Energy Mints blog titled "How much caffeine is in a cup of coffee?" [3] That blog gives the caffeine milligram tally for many products, including many different types of coffee, soft drinks, tea, and chocolate and candy.
Mayo says if you feel jittery or nervous, can't sleep, get headaches, a fast heartbeat, muscle tremors, or frequent urination, you might want to start by cutting back on the caffeine, especially if you take more than 400 mg a day.
Also, doctors say pregnant women should limit their caffeine intake to 200 mg per day, and children and adolescents should probably not take any at all, or very limited amounts.
Some people may find that even just small amounts of caffeine can make them jittery. For those people, maybe try decaffeinated tea or coffee.
Try caffeine microdosing
A Viter Energy Mints blog explored "Caffeine microdosing: What is it, and should you try it?" [5] According to dietitian Melissa Meier, caffeine microdosing involves consuming tiny amounts of caffeine throughout the day.
“Caffeine is a stimulant drug and in the right dose it can make you feel alert, but overdoing it can leave you feeling anxious, cranky, and tired,” she says.
To achieve the optimal dose of caffeine, consume somewhere between the 60 mg and 100 mg range. This is equivalent to:
- A regular cup of joe (100 mg)
- An espresso shot (85 mg)
- Two cups of green tea (45 mg x 2 = 90 mg)
- Two caffeine mints (40 mg x 2 = 80 mg)
By staggering your caffeine fix throughout the day, you optimize your intake and get the most bang for your cup – have a productive, focused day without the jitters.
Charles Czeisler, PhD professor in sleep medicine at Harvard Medical School, having a massive dose of caffeine early in the day can only cause sleepiness later on in the day [6].
Caffeine is a "great drug," this doctor says on YouTube.
"Their caffeine levels soar only to fall as the day progresses in the face of rising sleepiness. They might be better off taking much smaller more frequent doses of caffeine, equivalent to a quarter of a cup of coffee, as the day wears on," he says.
A study by Czeisler and scientists at the Division of Sleep Medicine at Harvard Medical School showed that subjects who practiced caffeine microdosing had better cognitive test results.
The study also reveals that caffeine microdosing may keep alertness and performance beyond the 9-to-5. According to James Wyatt, lead author of the study:
Our results highlight the impairments in cognition that accompany all work schedules that lie outside the usual 9 to 5 workday. In addition, they reveal an entirely new way to use caffeine to maintain alertness and performance in the face of sleep loss.
This practice is especially beneficial for those working night shifts, essential workers, military, doctors, emergency first responders, and practically anyone who needs to stay awake and alert in their job.
How do you do caffeine microdosing?
Take lesser amounts of caffeine, and spread them across the day. Try a cup of coffee in the early morning, a Viter Energy Mint around 10 a.m. and again at noon, and another cup of coffee at 2 p.m.
Of course, if you don't want to fill up on coffee and lattes and other caffeinated liquids, but you still want that caffeine. Viter Energy Mints [8] are just the ticket. The tasty mints perk you up and refresh your breath.
Viter Energy Mints have 40 mg of caffeine, B vitamins, and of course, mint, which has a host of health benefits (see our blog "What is peppermint? What are its benefits?" [7]). Experts advise against taking caffeine too late in the dayso as to avoid sleep disruptions.
Each has 40 mg of caffeine in a sugar-free mint, equal to about one-quarter of a mug of coffee. You can take one mint per half-hour or hour to get a steady stream of caffeine into your bloodstream, or four in quick succession to equal about one mug of java.
Conclusion
You don't have to do microdosing to get the full health effects of coffee, but you can realize caffeine's brain-boosting potential very well with caffeine microdosing.
Sources:
[1] https://www.bmj.com/content/359/bmj.j5381
[3] https://www.goviter.com/blogs/viter-energy-blog/how-much-caffeine-is-in-cup-coffee
[6] https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2004/05/040512041022.htm
[7] https://www.goviter.com/blogs/viter-energy-blog/peppermint-benefits
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