Recommended daily caffeine intake

The Food Standards Agency (FSA) advises that caffeine intakes of up to 400mg per day are unlikely to cause adverse effects in healthy adults. An NHS GP explains this equates to roughly four or five cups of instant coffee, or somewhat more cups of tea, which typically contains between 50 and 80mg per cup.

It is important to remember that the 400mg limit covers all sources of caffeine across the whole day, including chocolate, and some ‘fast acting’ medications. For pregnant women, the NHS recommends a stricter limit of no more than 200mg per day. Caffeine is known to cross the placenta and a developing baby cannot metabolise it effectively. Exceeding the daily limit regularly is linked with disrupted sleep, raised anxiety, heart palpitations and high blood pressure.

Naturally occurring vs artificial caffeine

Caffeine is a naturally occurring chemical compound found in coffee and cocoa beans, tea leaves, guarana berries and the kola nut. These are plants that have been consumed by humans for centuries. When you drink a cup of tea or a freshly brewed coffee, the caffeine is entirely natural, produced by the plant as a defence against insects. Cola drinks traditionally derived their caffeine from the kola nut, hence the name ‘cola’. Nowadays most major cola brands use synthetic caffeine as it is cheaper to mass produce than sourcing and refining kola nuts. Energy drinks such as Red Bull, Monster and Rockstar contain caffeine that is almost entirely added artificially, often alongside other stimulants such as taurine and B vitamins. From a health perspective, your body handles naturally-occurring and artificially-added caffeine in exactly the same way. However, the majority of artificial caffeine is used in quantities that can make it harmful.