Coffee lovers rejoice: Drinking 4 cups a day is NOT bad for your health, study finds

  • Scientists reviewed around 740 studies into the effects of caffeine on humans
  • They found that consuming 400mg - around 4 cups - was the safe limit for adults
  • As long as this amount isn't often breached, there's no need to worry, experts say

Coffee lovers rejoice - drinking up to four cups of your favourite beverage each day won't damage your health.

Scientists made the findings after reviewing more than 740 studies into the effects of caffeine on humans.

They found consuming 400mg - the equivalent of four cups - was safe for adults, an amount that has long been deemed the limit.

So long as this quantity isn't regularly breached, there is no need to worry about consumption, the researchers said.

Scientists found that consuming 400mg of caffeine daily - the equivalent of four cups - was the safe limit for adults

Scientists found that consuming 400mg of caffeine daily - the equivalent of four cups - was the safe limit for adults

The findings were also true for 300mg for pregnant women - the equivalent to that of three cups. 

Despite being found to reduce inflammation and boost brain function, caffeine has long been linked to heart disease and dementia. 

The most available and widely-used psychoactive substance in the world is also known to cause and worsen anxiety.

To try and determine its effects on health, researchers carried out a review of studies published between 2001 and 2015. 

They looked at five effects of caffeine on health: acute toxicity, bone, heart, brain and reproductive.

Lead author Dr Eric Hentges, executive director of the International Life Sciences Institute (ILSI), said: 'This provides evidence that furthers our understanding of caffeine on human health.

'Also, this provides the research community with data and valuable evidence to support the development and execution of future research on caffeine safety that will impact public health.

'We concluded that the previously-defined levels of caffeine intake in a healthy caffeine consumer (400mg) were not associated with overt, adverse effects.

WALK UP STAIRS - DON'T DRINK COFFEE

Forget your morning coffee - spend 10 minutes walking up and down some stairs instead.

It sounds like a nightmare to anyone who's struggling to get fired up after a mid-week night out.

But according to research published last week, that little bout of exercise will do far more for your energy levels than if you were to take the elevator while slurping on a soda or a cappuccino - and saves you some money.

'We found, in both the caffeine and the placebo conditions, that there was not much change in how they felt,' said Patrick O'Connor, a professor in the department of kinesiology at the University of Georgia who co-authored the study.

'But with exercise they did feel more energetic and vigorous.' 

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'The complete transparency with which the data has been shared will encourage other researchers to build upon this work.'

Despite the study, published in the journal Food and Chemical Toxicology, being part-funded by the ILSI, the American Beverage Association and the National Coffee Association also donated towards the research. 

The EU’s food safety watchdog advised a daily limit of 400mg in its first guidelines on caffeine consumption in 2015.

The European Food Safety Agency warned those who break the limits run the risk of a host of health problems, from anxiety to heart failure.

Its warning also showed links between high caffeine intake in pregnancy and having a baby that is underweight.

The NHS says that too much caffeine can cause a miscarriage. There are also links to birth defects.

However, with coffee far from the only food or drink to contain caffeine, people may unintentionally be going over the safe limit, 

The average cup of tea contains 50mg, while a can of the energy drink Red Bull has 80mg per can. 

A small bar of plain dark chocolate has up to 50mg of caffeine, while milk chocolate has around half that.

Coke, a drink often perceived as being high in caffeine, has just 30mg per can. While the drug is also often added to painkiller pills to given them an extra kick.