What is the lethal dose of caffeine?

Just what does it take to ingest a lethal dose of caffeine? The answer is hard to pin down, in part because it happens so rarely, but it's clearly a hell of a lot. In an email, Jack James, the editor-in-chief of the Journal of Caffeine Research, says that overdose for adults requires roughly 10 grams of caffeine. read more

Energy drinks, though, might be raising the stakes. "In the past it was generally accepted that it is virtually impossible for a normal, healthy person to consume a lethal dose of caffeine when taken in one of its usual dietary forms," James says. read more

The lethal dose for caffeine is in the neighborhood of 150 milligrams per kilogram of body weight (one kilogram equals roughly 2.2 pounds). While the average person’s caffeine consumption is around 200 milligrams a day, the Mayo Clinic advises against exceeding 500 to 600 milligrams per day. read more

Recommendations for caffeine levels are different for aged 18 and under. The calculator is intended for use only by adults over 18. See more about caffeine limits for children and teens. read more