Diet - caffeine

The American Medical Association Council on Scientific Affairs states that moderate tea or coffee drinking likely has no negative effect on health, as long as you live an otherwise healthy lifestyle.

• Three 8 oz. cups of coffee (about 250 milligrams of caffeine) per day and 5 servings of caffeinated soft drinks or tea is considered an average or moderate amount of caffeine.
• Ten 8 oz. cups of coffee per day is considered excessive intake of caffeine.

People who may want to avoid caffeine or only drink small amounts of it include:

• People who are prone to stress, anxiety, or sleep problems
• Women with painful, lumpy breasts
• People with acid reflux or stomach ulcers
• People with high blood pressure that does not respond to treatment
• People who have problems with fast or irregular heart rhythms
• People who have chronic headaches

Carefully watch how much caffeine a child gets. Even though caffeine is safe in moderate amounts, it is a stimulant. A hyperactive child may need to avoid caffeine.

Small amounts of caffeine during pregnancy are safe, but large amounts are strongly discouraged.

• Caffeine, like alcohol, travels through your bloodstream to the placenta and can have a negative affect on your baby. Because caffeine is a stimulant, it increases your heart rate and metabolism -- both of which directly affect the baby.
• It is okay to have one or two cups of coffee, tea, or cola a week, but try to give them up completely if you can.

Many drugs will interact with caffeine. Talk to your health care provider or pharmacist about possible interactions with caffeine whenever you take medications.

Review Date: 05/05/2011
Reviewed By: Alison Evert, MS, RD, CDE, Nutritionist, University of Washington Medical Center Diabetes Care Center, Seattle, Washington. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.

A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC, also known as the American Accreditation HealthCare Commission (www.urac.org)