Is it possible to overdose on caffeine and why is it dangerous?

What does it contain?

Caffeine is a naturally occurring alkaloid. Has mild narcotic properties. However, a person is able to consume products containing this substance without much harm to the body.

Caffeine is an odorless, white crystalline powder. Has a bitter taste. But in this form it is rarely found. As a rule, most often it enters the human body with certain foods.

Products:

• Coffee. It ranks first in caffeine content. The amount of this substance depends on what variety is chosen and how the coffee is prepared. The amount of drink you drink plays a big role. An overdose occurs when drinking coffee uncontrollably.
• Tea comes in second place. Black tea contains less substance than green tea. Young tea leaves contain more alkaloid than old ones.
• Cocoa also contains caffeine, but in small quantities. This drink is less dangerous for the human body, but an overdose is possible.
• The compound is present in chocolate. There is not much of it, but chocolate has a tonic effect on the body.
• Contained in mate and guarana plants used for food.
• This substance is found in Coca-Cola. The full recipe for the drink is kept secret, but the presence of caffeine is known.
• This alkaloid can be found in almost all energy drinks.
• The substance is contained in some medications.

Thus, caffeine can be found in many products. You should not use them uncontrollably to avoid overdose.

Sources of caffeine

Caffeine is found in many products. The most obvious are caffeinated drinks such as coffee, tea, cola and energy drinks. Manufacturers also add caffeine to some products, such as candy.

Medicines such as cold and flu tablets also sometimes contain caffeine.

Caffeine supplements are widely available in tablet or powder form. These forms often contain much more caffeine than coffee, and it is difficult for people to measure how much they have taken. Caffeine powder can contain between 3,200 and 6,400 mg of caffeine per teaspoon. Average caffeine content per 100 milliliters of some products:

• Cola - 9.7 mg;
• Green tea - 12.1 mg;
• Milk chocolate – 20 mg
• Black tea - 22.5 mg;
• Energy drink - 32 mg;
• Dark chocolate - 59 mg;
• Black coffee - 74.7 mg;
• White coffee - 86.9 mg;
• Cappuccino - 101.9 mg;
• Espresso - 194 mg.

Effect of caffeine on the body

How does caffeine affect the body?

Coffee is one of the most popular morning drinks. It has certain effects on the human body.

Actions:

• Excitation processes in the cerebral cortex become stronger.
• Conditioned reflexes are strengthened.
• Mental and physical performance increases.
• Motor activity increases.
• The feeling of fatigue decreases and drowsiness disappears.

Thanks to the substance, the production of the “joy” hormone dopamine is increased. As a result, the person is alert, active and cheerful. That’s why people get used to coffee drinks so quickly.

However, consuming such products in large quantities can lead to an overdose. Simply exceeding the dose of caffeine per day will result in some discomfort.

Signs:

• sleep disturbance,
• increased urination,
• diarrhea,
• heartburn,
• high pressure,
• irritability.

Therefore, you should not abuse products containing caffeine to avoid an overdose.

A lethal dose is 10 to 20 grams of caffeine in its pure form. However, such an amount is quite difficult to obtain at a time.

When is caffeine especially harmful?

Caffeine is especially harmful on an empty stomach

When we drink tea or coffee on an empty stomach, it stimulates the production of hydrochloric acid in it. This can be a problem because during normal functioning, hydrochloric acid is only produced when food is digested. If the stomach has to produce it to digest regular cups of coffee, then it may turn out that it will not be enough when it comes to digesting a large meal.

This will cause undigested protein to end up in the small intestine, which can lead to a variety of health problems from bloating and gas to colon cancer.

Caffeine is especially harmful when taken with a cigarette

The simultaneous use of nicotine and caffeine puts a powerful strain on the heart by narrowing the blood vessels and reducing the elasticity of the aorta.

A cup of coffee and a cigarette on an empty stomach is a double irritation of the gastric mucosa, which leads to excessive secretion of stomach acid and, as a consequence, to ulcers and gastritis.

Scandinavian scientists have found that the cholesterol content in human blood increases significantly when the chemicals that make up coffee and tobacco are combined. The doctors of the Athens Institute of Medicine fully support their Scandinavian colleagues in this matter, who in their studies have proven that the combined effect of coffee and cigarettes is many times more dangerous than each individual element.

Caffeine is especially harmful for pregnant and breastfeeding women

Everything that the body of an expectant or nursing mother consumes immediately enters the body of her child. Within a few minutes after a nursing mother drinks coffee, caffeine is detected in her milk. It’s mind-boggling - we give an infant a drug that has a stimulating effect on the central nervous system. It is no coincidence that nature has arranged it so that a newborn sleeps almost twenty-four hours a day. This means that this is needed as a protective influence, as a calming effect. And here are the lion's doses of a potent stimulating drug...

In addition, consuming high doses of caffeine during pregnancy doubles the risk of miscarriage.

Caffeine is especially harmful in instant coffee

If there are any useful substances in regular coffee beans, they are completely absent in instant coffee. After all, this is a cheap product, made on a synthetic basis, which can only invigorate and drive away drowsiness for a short time. Powdered, granulated varieties of coffee are of purely unnatural origin and contain absolutely no useful microelements and minerals.

Caffeine is especially harmful for patients with stomach ulcers and gastritis

Many of the compounds in coffee, such as caffeine and various acids found in coffee beans, can irritate your stomach and the lining of your small intestine. People with stomach problems should completely avoid caffeine consumption.

Caffeine is especially harmful if you have cardiovascular disease

Because of its ability to increase blood pressure, as well as cholesterol and triglyceride levels.

Symptoms of caffeine poisoning

Symptoms of caffeine overdose can be quite severe. In case of mild poisoning, they will gradually pass; severe intoxication manifests itself with clear signs.

Symptoms:

• lack of coordination
• severe overexcitation
• problems with vision and hearing,
• nausea, vomiting,
• confusion, hallucinations,
• rapid heartbeat, which can gradually turn into failure,
• blueness of the skin,
• breathing problems, asthma attacks,
• insomnia, irritability,
• headache,
• elevated body temperature.

If such signs of overdose are detected, you should quickly call a doctor.

You can be poisoned not only by food, but also by medicines containing this substance. One such medication is caffeine sodium benzoate. Symptoms of an overdose of tablets are similar to those that occur during intoxication with products. The medicine has certain contraindications. You must strictly follow your doctor's instructions to avoid overdose.

Symptoms of overdose or poisoning

Symptoms of caffeine poisoning appear gradually. Symptoms become more pronounced after each consumption of coffee or caffeine-containing drugs and can be presented by:

• dizziness, headaches with a feeling of squeezing in the temporal areas;
• increased drowsiness or lethargy with hypnotic effects;
• hypertension or increased blood pressure;
• polyuria or increased amount of urine output;
• tachycardia or rapid heartbeat with the development of arrhythmia and extraordinary contractions of the heart muscle;
• hyperthermia or increased temperature;
• tachypnea or rapid and shallow breathing;
• sensations of a panic attack;
• redness in the cheek area;
• pain in the stomach, heartburn, nausea and vomiting.

Severe intoxication is accompanied by a deep coma, and cardiovascular and respiratory failure causes death.

First aid and treatment

A person with a caffeine overdose must be given first aid until doctors arrive. What to do in this case?

First aid:

• A poisoned person should be taken out into fresh air, loosen tight clothing, and loosen belts and ties.
• Gastric lavage is performed. You cannot restrain the gag reflex, this is how the body tries to get rid of toxins. It is necessary to rinse the stomach if the cause of an overdose is sodium benzoate tablets. In this case, a large amount of toxic substances can be removed.
• The victim is provided with rest.

After which the person is handed over to doctors.

Further treatment is carried out in the hospital. Doctors use various methods for therapy.

Actions:

• Magnesium sulfate is injected into the stomach,
• diprazine and morphine hydrochloride are used intramuscularly,
• medications are prescribed to relieve anxiety,
• if necessary, plasma substitutes are used,
• In addition, doctors use various vitamin therapy to restore the functioning of all organs.

Overdose is treated until complete recovery.

Lethal dose of coffee for a person at one time

Let’s note right away: you won’t drink that much. Even if you make the drink very concentrated, you physically will not be able to drink much of it, the body will quickly feel the overdose and begin to get rid of intoxication through vomiting and diarrhea. Your heart is pounding, you feel extreme weakness, muscle cramps - it is unlikely that in this state you will take a few more sips, and they will linger in your body.

Sometimes, after drinking 5-7 cups of coffee in a day, people feel as if they are dying. Fear of death, cold sweat, dizziness, racing heart, inability to breathe - all these symptoms of an overdose of your favorite drink are familiar to many coffee lovers. But in fact, everything goes away in 15-20 minutes. If you realize that you have drunk a lot of coffee, try to induce vomiting, drink clean water, calm down and provide access to oxygen.

They are unlikely to kill you by treating you to a cup of coffee, even incredibly strong one. People with cardiovascular diseases usually monitor their condition and drink strong coffee carefully. After a few sips you will already feel that you are not feeling well and stop.

Lethal dose of coffee for a teenager

But children and teenagers need to be closely monitored, not allowing them to drink a lot of coffee. In 2011, a girl died of a caffeine overdose after drinking just two cans of energy drink in a row—a total of 480 milligrams of caffeine, a dose that would be unlikely to cause even the slightest discomfort for many adults. It is the combination of energy drinks and coffee, as well as coffee the morning after a stormy alcoholic party, that mainly leads to the fact that teenagers and young adults can receive a lethal dose at one time.

• A safe dose of caffeine for adults is about 600 mg of caffeine, that is, 3-4 cups of coffee per day. 5 or 6 cups may lead to overdose.
• A safe dose of caffeine for a teenager is 200-400 mg, that is, no more than two cups per day, and not in a row, and not after alcohol, energy drinks or cigarettes.

If it seems to you that you have consumed a lethal dose of coffee, your heart hurts greatly, hallucinations begin, vomiting and drinking water do not help - call an ambulance. This type of poisoning is unpleasant in the hospital, but most likely you will survive.

Caffeine overdose and sports

Because of caffeine's ability to enhance performance, some athletes use it to improve their workout performance. This should be done carefully, following some tips.

Adviсe:

• Products containing caffeine must be taken at least an hour before training.
• You should not drink more than a couple of cups of coffee per day.
• It is better to avoid energy drinks, because they contain sugar. By the way, it’s also better not to add it to tea and coffee.
• Caffeine also tends to dehydrate the body, so you should drink more fluids.

If you use caffeine wisely, you can avoid overdose and other negative consequences.

Harm of caffeine to human health

The main factors of the negative effects of caffeine:

• disturbance of the rhythm of the cardiovascular system;
• exhaustion of the nervous system;
• dehydration of the body;
• harm to the adrenal glands;
• negative effect on the stomach;
• interferes with the absorption of vitamins and minerals;
• contains acrylamide;
• bad for bones;
• may cause heartburn.

And now about them in a little more detail.

Caffeine is addictive

Caffeine addiction is similar to drug addiction

“Purine alkaloids (caffeine, theobromine and theophylline), when systematically consumed at a level of 1000 mg per day, cause a person to constantly need them, reminiscent of alcohol addiction. Coffee contains caffeine up to 1500 mg/l.” (Wikipedia). Simple arithmetic allows us to calculate that in order to get this gram of caffeine (which is addictive), it is enough to drink about 2/3 of a liter of coffee. This is either two large (three hundred gram) mugs of coffee per day, or three or four smaller ones.

Caffeine has a negative effect on the cardiovascular system

Caffeine increases the risk of cardiovascular disease through a number of negative cardiovascular effects.

Caffeine increases blood pressure, and hypertension is a risk factor for atherosclerosis and heart disease.

Caffeine inhibits the enzyme phosphodiesterase, which is responsible for the destruction of cyclic AMP. This interferes with the control of fat and blood glucose levels, causing a marked and long-lasting increase in blood glucose and free fatty acid levels. It also tends to raise cholesterol levels and thus increases the risk of developing atherosclerosis.

Because of caffeine's cardiovascular stimulation, it seems reasonable to assume that drinking 4 to 5 cups of coffee per day will increase the risk of myocardial infarction.

Exhaustion of the nervous system

Coffee enters the nervous system in the form of a neurochemical or, as it is also called, adenosine, which is produced by neurons throughout the day. And the more cups of coffee you drink, the more it is produced, which leads to exhaustion of the nervous system. And, as you understand, this is also bad for health.

Caffeine promotes dehydration

Another negative effect of caffeine is dehydration. Caffeine acts as a diuretic, which may be beneficial for people suffering from bloating. For healthy people, caffeinated drinks are among the biggest contributors to cellular dehydration, despite high fluid intake. Dehydrated cells have difficulty absorbing nutrients and eliminating their waste products.

Caffeine can flush out your adrenal glands

Large amounts of caffeine can lead to adrenal fatigue caused by the rush it creates in the body. Adrenal fatigue is especially severe in children. Common symptoms of adrenal burnout include irritability, anxiety, sleep problems, hunger fluctuations, mood swings, and lethargy.

Caffeine has a negative effect on the stomach

Perhaps the most negative effect of caffeine on the body occurs in the digestive system. It blocks the absorption of magnesium, a key mineral that is essential for colon regulation and normal healthy bowel movements. Coffee itself exacerbates the problem by acting as a laxative, causing the intestines to move food masses before absorbing water and mineral nutrients from them. This increases dehydration and malnutrition. Coffee also increases stomach acid levels, and higher levels of acid can cause permanent damage to the intestines and cause ulcers.

Caffeine negatively affects the absorption of vitamins and minerals.

The diuretic effect of caffeine causes the loss of potassium, calcium, magnesium, zinc and other minerals, B vitamins, especially thiamine, B1 and vitamin C.

Caffeine, and especially coffee, reduces the absorption of iron and calcium, especially when taken with food. These minerals are extremely important for women. Thus, osteoporosis and anemia are more common among regular coffee consumers.

In children and teens, caffeinated drinks interfere with the absorption of essential minerals needed for growth and development.

Coffee contains acrylamide

Acrylamide is a potentially carcinogenic (cancer-causing) substance that is formed when coffee beans are roasted at high temperatures. The darker the roast, the higher the acrylamide level. In fact, coffee has been identified as one of the main sources of this dangerous chemical.

Caffeine is bad for bones

Caffeine reduces the body's ability to absorb calcium, which in turn reduces bone density and can lead to skeletal problems and osteoporosis.

Heartburn problems

Heartburn can be caused by coffee because it relaxes the lower esophageal sphincter. This small muscle must remain tightly closed after you have eaten to prevent the stomach contents from entering and burning the thin lining of the stomach with hydrochloric acid.

Caffeine relaxes the esophageal sphincter, so Coca-Cola and energy drinks with high caffeine content can also contribute to heartburn, but especially coffee. Even decaffeinated coffee regularly causes heartburn problems in some people, and researchers believe that other compounds in coffee besides caffeine may also contribute.

Decrease and increase in pressure

Everyone knows that people with high blood pressure should not drink coffee. However, this statement is not entirely true. If a person constantly drinks coffee in the morning, then without it it will be very difficult for him to start his day. After all, the body has already adjusted, and the pressure is already reduced by the morning. And only a coffee drink can normalize it.

Green tea, on the contrary, lowers blood pressure more than increases it.

Experiments should not be carried out to avoid overdose and other consequences.

How many cups of coffee does it take to die?

No laboratory studies have ever been conducted to definitively answer this question. There has not been a single recorded case in which this drink caused death. Yes, coffee can cause a heart attack, possibly even stress, but only if the person has taken a large amount of alcohol or has chronic diseases. This does not concern healthy people; they do not have to worry about their lives.

Sometimes on the Internet you can come across messages that in some country death occurred from taking large amounts of caffeine. We are talking about pure caffeine tablets, alcoholic energy drinks with caffeine powder. This is not a cup of morning coffee that you drink in the morning to lift your tone.

Scientists concluded that those who died from a high dose of caffeine drank approximately 200 mg per 1 kg of body weight at a time. For the dose to be lethal, a person must simultaneously take two grams, in any form: tablets, powders, solution.

Important! A person poisoned by coffee is always saved by emergency medical care. Therefore, it is simply impossible to die after drinking a cup of your favorite drink. .

One cup of Espresso coffee (30 ml) contains about 60 milligrams of caffeine. A cup of Americano (200 ml) – 150 mg. In other words, if a person weighs 70 kg, it would take 223 cups of Espresso to die. 178 cups of Americano will have a similar effect.

No one can drink such a large volume at once. Even if you drink one cup every 15 minutes, the amount of caffeine will be around 2.4 grams. You can die if the dose exceeds 13.4 g. If the level of caffeine in the blood reaches 7.2 grams, doctors will not allow death to occur.

Teenager and coffee: a lethal dose of coffee for a teenager

The effect of coffee on a teenager

Children should not drink coffee in large quantities, and parents must strictly monitor this.

An indicative case is when a girl drank two cans of energy drink at once - this amounted to 480 milligrams of caffeine. As a result, doctors were unable to save her.

An adult would not feel even a little discomfort. Mixing coffee with energy drinks, especially if alcoholic drinks were consumed at the party, leads to a lethal dose.

Lethal dose of coffee in mugs: maximum dose per day. Taking 600 milligrams of caffeine is absolutely safe for an adult. He may not be afraid of an overdose if he drinks no more than 4 cups in one day. To prevent an overdose, a teenager should not drink more than 2 cups a day, especially after smoking, drinking alcohol or any energy drink. If symptoms of overdose appear, you should immediately call a doctor.

Danger for the driver: can drivers drink coffee?

Studies have shown that if you are going on a trip, it is better not to drink coffee. Yes, the caffeine included in the drink makes a person more alert and raises his tone. However, in addition to caffeine, it contains theobromine.

Theobromine has a powerful hypnotic effect. That is why, when it begins to get light, many drivers become inattentive and begin to fall asleep while driving. The result is an accident on the highway.

The maximum amount of theobromine is found in instant coffee. Therefore, ground coffee is considered the most dangerous when driving a car. A granulated drink will be much safer.

Unfortunately, coffee manufacturers do not want to indicate on the packaging that this product contains a substance that causes a hypnotic effect.

What dose of coffee is lethal? The lethal dose is not calculated by the number of spoons. For Espresso coffee, the average amount that fits in a teaspoon is 7 grams. For death to occur, you will need 223 of these spoons, in other words, 1.5 kg of ground coffee.

How much coffee do you need to drink at once to die?

Lethal (lethal) dose of caffeine: 10 grams or 100 cups of coffee

No one can drink that much coffee at once. Even a highly concentrated drink is simply impossible to drink - our body will immediately detect an overdose and take all measures to eliminate intoxication: vomiting, diarrhea.

At the same time, your heart will begin to beat strongly and muscle cramps will appear. In this state, a person simply cannot force himself to continue drinking the drink. After 5-8 cups, an overdose may occur. Its characteristic features, which coffee lovers have encountered more than once, are:

• cold sweat;
• dizziness;
• increased heart rate;
• impossible to take a breath.

These symptoms disappear after about 20 minutes. But if you had to drink too much coffee, you need to induce vomiting, calm down, and start breathing deeply.

Caffeine analogues and their harm

Caffeine has analogues that have similar effects on the body.

Analogues:

• Caffeine sodium benzoate,
• Eufillin,
• Teofedrine,
• Temisal.

These substances are included in medications. If taken in excess, caffeine overdose may occur. The symptoms are similar to those that occur with caffeine poisoning.

An overdose of caffeine can cause some harm to the human body, and even cause death. Therefore, you should be careful about products that contain this substance.

Is it possible to die from a coffee overdose? - the answer is on our portal here

Symptoms of intoxication

Caffeine is an insidious substance that can be addictive if consumed regularly in excess. It is sometimes credited with being the most popular "legal" drug in the world. Caffeine addiction is classified as a mental illness. In the International Classification of Diseases (ICD), it is classified under “Mental and behavioral disorders caused by the use of other stimulants.” The body easily absorbs it, it quickly enters the bloodstream, being absorbed by the walls of the stomach. The first symptoms of caffeine intoxication can appear half an hour after drinking the drink and last a long time:

• high blood pressure,
• redness of the skin due to a strong rush of blood to the muscles,
• headaches, noises and ringing in the ears, nervousness, overexcitation,
• difficulty breathing, rapid pulse, internal tension,
• tachycardia, arrhythmia, pain in the heart area,
• weakness in the limbs, trembling throughout the body, convulsions, severe dizziness,
• increased sweating, heat, fever, heartburn,
• strong shine in the eyes, anxiety, irritability,
• indigestion, frequent urination,
• sleep disorders,
• uncontrolled flow of speech, thoughts, long periods of fatigue.

If you find two or three of the above symptoms, this already indicates an overdose of the substance. It can be eliminated at home. Over time, caffeine overdose is accompanied by nausea, vomiting, stomach upset and increased diuresis. But such consequences can be caused by drinking a low-quality drink.

Symptoms of poisoning resemble signs of hypersensitivity to it, and they can occur even from products with a low content of this substance - dark chocolate, cocoa, chicory.

Facts about caffeine sensitivity:

• sensitivity to it increases with a person’s age,
• women are more susceptible to it than men,
• diseases of the heart and blood vessels lead to increased susceptibility to the effects of this substance,
• irregular consumption of caffeine-containing drinks increases sensitivity to it,
• the substance may interact with medications in different ways, you need to read the instructions carefully,
• people with low body weight are many times more sensitive to the product than those with normal or overweight.