How much coffee is too much?

via FitSugar

You Asked: How Much Coffee a Day Is Too Much?

Dear Fit,
I just got a fancy coffee maker for Christmas, and now I'm finding myself enjoying at least three or four cups a day. My husband says that's too much. Is he right? Is there a danger in having too much caffeine?
—Caffeinated Carol

Ooh, this is a tough question for me because I'm with you — I love coffee, but it's the caffeine we need to worry about. For the average person, up to 300 milligrams of caffeine a day is considered a safe amount to consume. Since caffeine is a stimulant, if you have too much each day, it could affect your sleep patterns, heart rate, blood pressure, headaches, or digestion. Overdoing it with caffeine may also be associated with miscarriages or cause a woman to give birth to a smaller baby.
It may surprise you to find out how much caffeine is in your favorite hot beverages so read more.

Drink Amount of Caffeine
8 oz. Short cup of Starbucks Coffee 180 mg
12 oz. Tall cup of Starbucks Coffee 260 mg
16 oz. Grande cup of Starbucks Coffee 330 mg
20 oz. Venti cup of Starbucks Coffee 415 mg
1 oz. Starbucks Espresso 75mg
8 oz. Organic Black Tea 65mg
8 oz. Organic Green Tea 50 mg
16 oz. Starbucks Hot Chocolate 25mg

I won't beat around the coffee beans here. There are definite health benefits to drinking a cup of joe, such as antioxidants for overall health and improved memory. Java may also help ease muscle pain, and coupled with working out, drinking coffee may help prevent skin cancer. A recent study also suggests that drinking a few cups a day may help you live longer.
So while coffee is good for you, too much caffeine is not. Even if you enjoy two eight-ounce cups, that's 360 mg of caffeine — 60 mg over the recommended limit. One ounce of coffee contains about 21 mg of caffeine, so stick to no more than a total of 14 ounces of joe a day. If you want to enjoy this hot beverage throughout your day, sip on four- to five-ounce cups, three times a day.