Caffeine is found in coffee, chocolate, energy drinks and soda, among other foods and drinks.
Some Caffeine drinks
LONDON, England, June 17, 2015 – Consuming too much caffeine on a regular basis may be damaging to your health, according to the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA).
Elevated blood pressure, heart problems, insomnia and panic attacks are among the health issues linked to excess caffeine consumption.
According to the EFSA, many people were exceeding the safe limit because they were unaware of all the different sources of caffeine.
Coffee; tea; energy drinks; soft drinks, especially cola, and chocolate are all popular sources of the drug, which is often used as a stimulant to help us get through the day while remaining alert.
The EFSA was tasked with assessing all the evidence to determine safe consumption levels and found that 400mg a day, in healthy adults, has no ill health consequences.
This tied in with guidelines in many countries, but the EFSA warned that many people are still consuming too much.
Around 33 per cent of Danes, 17 per cent of people living in the Netherlands and 14 per cent in Germany consume more than the 400mg safe limit.
Safe limits for pregnant women and children are much lower, moreover.
The limit is 200mg a day in pregnant women due to the impact on the growing foetus.
And while the report acknowledged that there was a limited amount of data on safe levels for children, the EFSA recommended 3mg per day for every kilogram the child weighs.
The main health issues linked to exceeding the safe daily limit for caffeine were: elevated blood pressure, increased heart rate, irregular heartbeat, tremors, nervousness, panic attacks and insomnia.
Approximate caffeine content of commonly consumed items:
Cup of filtered coffee – 90mg Standard energy drink – 80mg Espresso – 80mg Cup of tea – 50mg Can of cola – 40mg Bar of dark chocolate – 25mg Bar of milk chocolate – 10mg
