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Caffeine and Health

Caffeine is a natural chemical stimulant that can also be created synthetically for consumption.

Natural caffeine is found in coffee beans, tea leaves, cacao beans, Caffeine is a chemical stimulant found naturally in some plants such as coffee
guarana berries, and yerba maté leaves. Caffeine preparations can beans, tea leaves, and cacao beans. It can be made synthetically and added to drinks,
food, tablets, and supplements.
be added to drinks, food, tablets, or powdered supplements. In the
US, about 85% of adults consume caffeine daily, and average in-
take is 135 mg per day (equivalent to 12 oz of coffee). The most com-
mon source of caffeine is coffee for adults and soft drinks and tea Effects of caffeine use at moderate doses (40-200 mg or 16 oz of coffee per day)
for teenagers. Possible benefits of caffeine Possible harms of caffeine
• Increased alertness • Increased anxiety and sleep difficulty
How Does the Body Absorb and Metabolize Caffeine? • Decreased fatigue • Withdrawal symptoms (headache,
• Improved reaction time fatigue, depression) if regular
Caffeine is absorbed into the bloodstream within 45 minutes after • Decreased appetite which may use is stopped suddenly
• Lower infant birth weights if used
ingestion. Metabolism of caffeine varies among individuals, but its slightly reduce weight gain
at high doses during pregnancy
• Decreased risk
duration of action is typically 2.5 to 4.5 hours. Pregnancy and some of depression Very high doses (≥1200 mg)
medications (oral contraceptives, certain antidepressants, cardio- and suicide by overuse of caffeinated
energy supplements
vascular medications, and antibiotics) slow caffeine removal from
• Severe anxiety
the bloodstream. In contrast, cigarette smoking increases the rate • Increased blood
pressure
of caffeine removal from the bloodstream. • May be fatal if
mixed with alcohol

Beneficial Effects of Caffeine

Caffeine in moderate doses (40-200 mg) acts within the brain to
tions. This may occur with overuse of caffeine tablets or supple-
decrease fatigue, increase alertness, and decrease reaction time.
ments in liquid form (energy drinks) or powdered form. Consum-
Caffeine also may decrease appetite and slightly reduce weight gain.
ing caffeinated energy drinks or energy shots together with alcohol
In moderate doses, caffeine has been associated with decreased risk
is dangerous and has resulted in deaths.
of depression and suicide in some studies.

Possible Health Benefits of Drinking Coffee

Medical Uses of Caffeine
Some studies have shown decreased mortality associated with drink-
Caffeine is used to treat intermittent pauses in breathing (apnea) in
ing 2 to 5 standard cups of caffeinated or decaffeinated coffee per
premature infants. Addition of caffeine to commonly prescribed pain
day. In some reports, regular consumption of both caffeinated and
relievers (such as acetaminophen) can decrease acute pain from cer-
decaffeinated coffee has been associated with a reduced risk of
tain conditions, such as migraines.
type 2 diabetes and endometrial cancer. In other reports, both caf-
feinated and decaffeinated coffee consumption was associated with
Common Negative Effects of Caffeine
lower risk of liver cancer, gallstones, and gallbladder cancers, but the
Caffeine leads to temporary increases in blood pressure in individu-
potential benefit was stronger with caffeinated coffee. Consump-
als with minimal or no prior use. Caffeine, particularly in higher
tion of caffeinated coffee has also been associated with a reduced
doses, can cause anxiety, as well as difficulty falling asleep if con-
risk of Parkinson disease and liver cirrhosis.
sumed late in the day. Abrupt cessation of caffeine in regular users
may result in withdrawal symptoms, which typically peak at 1 to 2
days and include headache, fatigue, and depressed mood. Because
higher caffeine intake in pregnancy is associated with lower infant FOR MORE INFORMATION
birth weight, caffeine consumption should not exceed 200 mg per National Library of Medicine
day during pregnancy. medlineplus.gov/caffeine.html

Effects of Caffeine in Very High Doses To find this and other JAMA Patient Pages, go to the For Patients
Ingestion of very high doses of caffeine (1200 mg or more) can cause collection at jamanetworkpatientpages.com.
agitation, severe anxiety, elevated blood pressure, and palpita-

Author: Kristin Walter, MD, MS
Author Affiliation: Associate Editor, JAMA.
Conflict of Interest Disclosures: None reported.
Source: van Dam RM, Hu FB, Willett WC. Coffee, caffeine, and health. N Engl J Med.
2020;383(4):369-378. doi:10.1056/NEJMra1816604
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