How much caffeine is safe per day?

For healthy adults who are not pregnant, the FDA and EFSA both cite about 400 mg a day, roughly two to three 12-ounce cups of coffee, as an amount not generally associated with negative effects. That figure is a general reference for typical healthy adults, not a target, and it does not apply to pregnancy, children, or people with conditions or medications that raise caffeine sensitivity.

How much caffeine is in a cup of coffee?

It varies by size and preparation. A standard 240 ml (8-ounce) cup of brewed coffee is commonly around 95 mg, and a larger 355 ml (12-ounce) cup can reach roughly 140 mg, according to EFSA and USDA FoodData Central reference values. A single espresso shot is typically about 60 to 130 mg. Because amounts vary so much, these are approximate ranges rather than exact figures.

How much caffeine is safe during pregnancy?

Authorities advise keeping caffeine under 200 mg a day during pregnancy. ACOG states that moderate consumption of less than 200 mg/day does not appear to be a major contributing factor in miscarriage or preterm birth, and EFSA gives the same 200 mg/day figure. That total includes coffee, tea, cola, chocolate, and energy drinks combined, and the same guidance is generally extended to breastfeeding. A clinician can confirm an individual's situation.

Is caffeine safe for teenagers or kids?

There is no established adult-style safe daily amount for children and adolescents. EFSA proposed only a body-weight-based level of about 3 mg per kilogram per day, which is a small absolute amount for a child, and the American Academy of Pediatrics states that caffeine and other stimulants in energy drinks have no place in the diet of children and adolescents. The safest approach for this age group is to minimise caffeine and avoid energy drinks.

Does caffeine affect sleep?

It can. EFSA found that even a single 100 mg dose, less than a typical cup of coffee, may affect sleep duration and patterns in some adults, especially close to bedtime. Caffeine takes several hours to clear, so an afternoon or evening dose can still be active at night. The how-much-sleep-do-you-need guide covers sleep needs in more detail.

Can I get addicted to caffeine?

Regular caffeine use leads to tolerance in many people, and stopping abruptly can cause temporary withdrawal symptoms such as headache, fatigue, and irritability for a few days. For most people this is a mild physical dependence rather than addiction in the sense used for harmful substances. Anyone cutting back is generally more comfortable tapering gradually than quitting all at once.

Nutrition

How Much Caffeine Per Day Is Safe?

For healthy non-pregnant adults, authorities place a general daily limit at around 400 mg of caffeine. Pregnancy guidance is lower, at under 200 mg a day, and there is no safe adult-style amount for children. Here is what the FDA, EFSA, and ACOG actually say.

Written by Michael Harley, Independent Health & Nutrition ResearcherLast reviewed: Jun 8, 2026

Caffeine is a mild stimulant that occurs naturally in coffee beans, tea leaves, cacao, and a few other plants, and it is added to many soft drinks, energy drinks, and some medicines. It is the most widely consumed stimulant in the world, and for most adults a moderate daily amount is considered safe. The question is how much counts as moderate, and the answer depends a great deal on who is drinking it.

This guide is general and educational. It covers the daily limit that health authorities cite for healthy adults, roughly how much caffeine is in common drinks, the lower limit advised in pregnancy, why there is no equivalent safe amount for children and teenagers, and how individual sensitivity, sleep, and dependence fit into the picture.

The essentials at a glance

For healthy non-pregnant adults, the FDA cites about 400 mg of caffeine a day (roughly two to three 12-ounce cups of coffee) as an amount not generally associated with negative effects, and EFSA reaches the same 400 mg/day figure.
EFSA also notes that single doses up to about 200 mg (around 3 mg per kilogram of body weight) do not raise safety concerns for healthy adults.
In pregnancy the advice is lower: ACOG and EFSA both place the limit at under 200 mg of caffeine a day.
There is no established adult-style safe daily amount for children and adolescents, and the American Academy of Pediatrics says caffeine-containing energy drinks have no place in their diet.
Sensitivity varies a lot between people, even a single 100 mg dose can disturb sleep in some adults, and certain medical conditions and medications raise sensitivity, so 400 mg is a general reference for healthy adults, not a target.
Coffee is the main source for most adults, but tea, energy drinks, cola, chocolate, and some medicines all add to the daily total.

The general adult limit

Two major authorities converge on the same figure. The US Food and Drug Administration, in its consumer guidance "Spilling the Beans: How Much Caffeine Is Too Much?", states that for most adults it has cited 400 milligrams a day, about two to three 12-fluid-ounce cups of coffee, as an amount not generally associated with negative effects. The European Food Safety Authority, in its 2015 scientific opinion on caffeine, independently concluded that habitual intakes up to 400 mg per day (about 5.7 mg per kilogram of body weight) consumed throughout the day do not raise safety concerns for healthy adults in the general population. EFSA adds a single-dose figure as well: single doses up to about 200 mg, roughly 3 mg per kilogram of body weight, do not raise safety concerns for healthy adults.

The scope of that 400 mg figure matters as much as the number. It applies to healthy adults who are not pregnant. EFSA's 400 mg conclusion explicitly excludes pregnant women, and the FDA notes wide variation in both how sensitive people are to caffeine and how quickly they metabolize it. The figure is a population reference for a typical healthy adult, not a personal goal to reach and not a green light for everyone.

How much is in common drinks

Caffeine content varies widely by product, portion size, and preparation, so the amounts below are approximate ranges from EFSA's reference table and USDA FoodData Central, not exact figures for any one brand. A regular cup of brewed coffee usually supplies somewhere around 95 mg for a standard 240 ml (8-ounce) cup and can reach roughly 140 mg in a larger 355 ml (12-ounce) serving; a single espresso shot tends to fall in the range of about 60 to 130 mg depending on its size. Brewed black tea is lower, commonly around 25 to 50 mg a cup. A standard 355 ml can of cola contains roughly 30 to 40 mg, and a typical 250 ml can of energy drink is around 70 to 80 mg, though larger cans and concentrated "shot" products can carry much more. Chocolate adds a smaller amount, on the order of 10 to 25 mg per 50 g bar.

Because coffee is the predominant source for most adults, contributing between roughly 40 and 94 percent of total intake across EFSA's surveys, a daily total adds up quickly. Two to three regular cups of coffee can sit near the 400 mg general adult reference on their own, before any tea, cola, energy drinks, or caffeinated medicines are counted. Reading product labels and keeping a rough running tally is the simplest way to know where a day actually lands.

Caffeine in pregnancy

Pregnancy is the clearest case where the general adult figure does not apply. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, in a committee opinion that was reaffirmed in 2023, states that moderate caffeine consumption, defined as less than 200 mg per day, does not appear to be a major contributing factor in miscarriage or preterm birth, while noting that the relationship of caffeine to fetal growth restriction remains undetermined. EFSA reaches the same threshold from the other direction: caffeine intakes from all sources up to 200 mg per day, consumed throughout the day, do not raise safety concerns for the foetus.

The practical upshot is that the safe-zone for pregnancy is under 200 mg of caffeine a day from all sources combined, which is roughly one to two regular cups of coffee, with everything else, tea, cola, chocolate, and energy drinks, counting toward the same total. The same 200 mg/day guidance is generally extended to breastfeeding. Anyone who is pregnant, planning a pregnancy, or breastfeeding is best served by confirming their own situation with their clinician rather than relying on a general figure.

Adolescents and children

There is no caffeine figure for children and teenagers that carries the same authority as the 400 mg adult reference. EFSA did not set a separate adult-style daily milligram ceiling for this group; instead it proposed a body-weight-based level of about 3 mg per kilogram of body weight per day, which is a much smaller absolute amount for a child than for an adult. Health authorities treat caffeine for the young with far more caution than for adults, and the concern centers on energy drinks in particular.

The American Academy of Pediatrics is unambiguous on this point. In its clinical report on sports and energy drinks, the AAP concluded that caffeine and other stimulant substances contained in energy drinks have no place in the diet of children and adolescents. Energy drinks can carry high and sometimes poorly labelled doses of caffeine alongside other stimulants, and they are marketed heavily to young people. The safest reading for this age group is to minimise caffeine generally and to avoid energy drinks, with any specific questions about a child's intake directed to a pediatrician.

Sensitivity, sleep, and dependence

How a person responds to caffeine is highly individual. The FDA notes wide variation in both sensitivity and how quickly people metabolize caffeine, and some medical conditions, such as certain heart rhythm problems or anxiety, and some medications can raise sensitivity so that a normally modest amount feels like too much. The same dose that one person barely notices can leave another jittery, anxious, or with a racing heart.

Sleep is one of the most common effects. EFSA found that even a single 100 mg dose of caffeine, less than is in a typical cup of coffee, may affect sleep duration and patterns in some adults, particularly when consumed close to bedtime. Caffeine takes several hours to clear from the body, so an afternoon or evening coffee can still be working when it is time to sleep. The how-much-sleep-do-you-need guide covers sleep needs and habits in more detail. Finally, regular caffeine use leads to tolerance for many people, and stopping abruptly can cause temporary withdrawal symptoms such as headache, fatigue, and irritability for a few days. This general dependence is mild for most people and differs from the way the term addiction is used for harmful substances, but it is a reason to taper rather than quit cold for anyone who decides to cut back.

Frequently asked questions

How much caffeine is safe per day?: For healthy adults who are not pregnant, the FDA and EFSA both cite about 400 mg a day, roughly two to three 12-ounce cups of coffee, as an amount not generally associated with negative effects. That figure is a general reference for typical healthy adults, not a target, and it does not apply to pregnancy, children, or people with conditions or medications that raise caffeine sensitivity.
How much caffeine is in a cup of coffee?: It varies by size and preparation. A standard 240 ml (8-ounce) cup of brewed coffee is commonly around 95 mg, and a larger 355 ml (12-ounce) cup can reach roughly 140 mg, according to EFSA and USDA FoodData Central reference values. A single espresso shot is typically about 60 to 130 mg. Because amounts vary so much, these are approximate ranges rather than exact figures.
How much caffeine is safe during pregnancy?: Authorities advise keeping caffeine under 200 mg a day during pregnancy. ACOG states that moderate consumption of less than 200 mg/day does not appear to be a major contributing factor in miscarriage or preterm birth, and EFSA gives the same 200 mg/day figure. That total includes coffee, tea, cola, chocolate, and energy drinks combined, and the same guidance is generally extended to breastfeeding. A clinician can confirm an individual's situation.
Is caffeine safe for teenagers or kids?: There is no established adult-style safe daily amount for children and adolescents. EFSA proposed only a body-weight-based level of about 3 mg per kilogram per day, which is a small absolute amount for a child, and the American Academy of Pediatrics states that caffeine and other stimulants in energy drinks have no place in the diet of children and adolescents. The safest approach for this age group is to minimise caffeine and avoid energy drinks.
Does caffeine affect sleep?: It can. EFSA found that even a single 100 mg dose, less than a typical cup of coffee, may affect sleep duration and patterns in some adults, especially close to bedtime. Caffeine takes several hours to clear, so an afternoon or evening dose can still be active at night. The how-much-sleep-do-you-need guide covers sleep needs in more detail.
Can I get addicted to caffeine?: Regular caffeine use leads to tolerance in many people, and stopping abruptly can cause temporary withdrawal symptoms such as headache, fatigue, and irritability for a few days. For most people this is a mild physical dependence rather than addiction in the sense used for harmful substances. Anyone cutting back is generally more comfortable tapering gradually than quitting all at once.

References

Spilling the Beans: How Much Caffeine Is Too Much? · US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Accessed 2026-06-07.
Caffeine (summary of the 2015 Scientific Opinion on the safety of caffeine, EFSA Journal 13(5):4102) · European Food Safety Authority (EFSA). Accessed 2026-06-07.
Scientific Opinion on the safety of caffeine (2015), EFSA Journal 13(5):4102 · EFSA Panel on Dietetic Products, Nutrition and Allergies (NDA). Accessed 2026-06-07.
Committee Opinion No. 462: Moderate Caffeine Consumption During Pregnancy (Reaffirmed 2023) · American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG). Accessed 2026-06-07.
Sports drinks and energy drinks for children and adolescents: are they appropriate? (Pediatrics 2011;127(6):1182) · American Academy of Pediatrics, Committee on Nutrition and Council on Sports Medicine and Fitness. Accessed 2026-06-07.
FoodData Central (caffeine content of common beverages) · US Department of Agriculture (USDA). Accessed 2026-06-07.