Can You Overdose on Coffee?

Coffee is part of the daily routine of many people around the world. It's largely safe and for Americans comprises their richest source of antioxidants in their diets. What makes coffee addicting is of course caffeine. It is also the key ingredient in a drug called speed. Those who love the bad movies of the 90s may remember a horror offering called the Faculty in which speed was used against the aliens. While coffee is legal while speed is not, it is possible to overdose on Java.

It may seem strange or nearly impossible to do so, but the hospitalization of a recent teenager due to ingesting too much espresso proves that the truly determined can overdose on any drug, even if it is a legal substance. Jasmine Williams may have only drank seven cups a day which may seem tame by America's java drinking standards, but the brew drank by Americans to start their day and as part of their daily routine is not as concentrated as the Italian format of espresso.

In small doses caffeine is known for its ability to increase alertness, in large doses however it leads to nervousness, increased urination, excitements, restlessness, nausea and a flushed face. People with anxiety disorders are often advised to stay away from caffeine in large doses because of these negative effects. How do we determine though, how much coffee is safe for an individual drink?

Much like how quickly you succumb to a drunken state after ingesting alcoholic beverages depends on your body weight, so too will the amount of caffeine you can safely ingest. Great Britain's Department of Health recommends no more than two cups of espresso a day, according to the BBC. It is no secret that caffeine can be addictive but as long as you drink less than 600 milligrams of a caffeine containing substance per day you should be safe.

Of course, if a person is really concerned about their daily intake of caffeine or coffee in particular he or she could always convert to a religion that forbids it, but there are not too many of those around. While it is often touting as improving alertness British researchers in Bristol found that the levels of alertness were the same for caffeine drinkers as for those who did not drink such beverages. Whether this is due to building up tolerance or the drug just not being that effective was beyond the scope of the research.

As long as coffee is drank in moderation it is quite healthy for you so most people do not have to worry about a sudden trip to the emergency room from too much java causing their heart to pump blood incorrectly.

Sources:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/magazine/6945697.stm