Caffeine is common in many ingested products. From pain killers to beverages to food, caffeine is a presence in many items we consume daily, and many people can't even start their day without consuming great amounts of caffeine. But can you overdose on caffeine, and if so, what constitutes a caffeine overdose? Can you die from consuming too much caffeine? Here is what I found out.
On average, a healthy consumption of caffeine is between 250-350 mg in a single day, which approximates to about 3 cups of coffee. This is a typical consumption for many people. However, some people (particularly those who do not consume a lot of caffeine daily, and therefore do not have a "tolerance" for it) can exhibit signs of caffeine overdose at any amount in excess of 250 mg. The symptoms of a mild caffeine overdose, being nonfatal, are the typical signs that people get from a high caffeine intake. These symptoms include a rapid or increasing heart rate, inability to sleep or restlessness, a flushed face appearance, stomach upset, vomiting, random and constant flow of thinking or speaking, or muscle twitching. While some people exhibit these signs of irritation with caffeine over-indulgence after just a small amount of consumption (the average cup of coffee contains between 100-200 mg), others who have a higher tolerance to caffeine can consume well over the healthy amount before showing signs of overdose.
Can a caffeine overdose be fatal? Actually, it can, but it takes a lot of caffeine to do so. A fatal caffeine overdose is categorized as LD_50, which means the amount that must be overdosed to cause 50% fatality in people. The LD_50 of caffeine varies from person to person due to weight, but in general, the fatal ingestion averages to be 150mg per kilo. In other words, for every kilo a person weighs, multiply that by 150, and that is the amount of milligrams that can be fatal to a person who consumes it. On average, a fatal dose of caffeine is around 50- 200 cups of coffee, again depending on weight of the individual consuming. In grams, a fatal dose of caffeine is anywhere from 7-12 grams (remember, a single cup of coffee is typically under 200 mg).
On average, if a person is consuming less than the amount of caffeine that causes them the nasty jittery side effects, they are likely OK. However, if a person is consuming far more caffeine than is recommended (like 7 espressos), then they will likely feel the effects of overdose, but will it kill them? Probably not. It's safe at any rate to watch the amount of caffeine one drinks in a day to be sure they aren't overdoing it.
