How many cups of coffee a day are safe?
The EFSA considers up to 400 mg of caffeine per day safe for healthy adults—about 4 cups of filter coffee. Pregnant women: max. 200 mg. Remember to count caffeine from tea, cola, and energy drinks.
How many cups of coffee a day are safe?
The EFSA considers up to 400 mg of caffeine per day safe for healthy adults—about 4 cups of filter coffee. Pregnant women: max. 200 mg. Remember to count caffeine from tea, cola, and energy drinks.
Why that is
The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) published a comprehensive risk assessment on caffeine in 2015, which is still the gold standard today. The key takeaways:
Recommended upper limits:
| Group | Max. caffeine/day | Equals approx. |
|---|---|---|
| Healthy adults | 400 mg | 4 cups filter coffee |
| Pregnant/nursing women | 200 mg | 2 cups filter coffee |
| Teens (12–18 yrs) | 3 mg/kg body weight | ~1–2 cups |
| Children | 3 mg/kg body weight | not recommended |
Single dose: Up to 200 mg of caffeine at once is considered safe for adults.
Why “cups” is an imprecise measure:
- A cup of filter coffee (200 ml) contains 80–120 mg of caffeine—depending on the bean and dosage.
- A single espresso contains 50–70 mg.
- Cup sizes vary: a large mug (350 ml) has almost twice as much as a regular cup.
- Cafe chains often serve 300–500 ml—those aren’t “cups” in the EFSA sense.
It’s not just coffee that counts:
- Black tea: 30–50 mg per cup
- Green tea: 20–40 mg per cup
- Cola (330 ml): 30–40 mg
- Energy drink (250 ml): 80 mg
- Dark chocolate (50 g): 25–35 mg
If you have two coffees in the morning, an energy drink at noon, and a cola in the evening—you’re already close to the limit.
In practice at Green Wall Coffee
At Sophienstraße 27, I sometimes ask guests how much coffee they’ve already had. Not out of concern, but because the fourth espresso in the afternoon rarely tastes better than the first one in the morning. Drinking less, but more consciously—that’s our philosophy.
Related questions
- How much caffeine is in a cup of coffee?
- Is coffee healthy or unhealthy?
- How long does caffeine stay in the body?
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