# Caffeine **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 30, 2000, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/caffeine/20920 "2000-05-30T19:26:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![vanilla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/f19dbf/32.png) [@vanilla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vanilla)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2000, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/caffeine/20920/1 "2000-05-30T19:26:03Z")
We were having a discussion over dinner last night about caffeine. Is it bad for you? How about just a little of it? WOuld we all be healthier if we stopped drinking soda pop? ---
**Author:** ![Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/earl_snake-hips_tucker/32/3269_2.png) [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2000, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/caffeine/20920/2 "2000-05-30T19:34:37Z")
Nope, it’s not bad for you. However, I did read that if you took _pure_ caffeine, that 3-5 grams would be enough to kill you–doing exactly what you think it would do (revving your body up big time). ---
**Author:** ![AWB](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/bb73d2/32.png) [@AWB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AWB)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2000, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/caffeine/20920/3 "2000-05-30T19:46:56Z")
I used to take No Doz when I was a paperboy and had to deliver early editions. Once when I had friends over, they saw them and dare me to take more than one. I took 3. Then they dared me to take the remaining 4. I did. Then they saw an unopened box with 15. _sigh_ Yes, I took those too. So I had 2200 mg of caffeine in me. I was sick as a dog. Even the next day, I had trouble keeping stuff down. ---
**Author:** ![Silo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ac91a4/32.png) [@Silo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Silo)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2000, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/caffeine/20920/4 "2000-05-30T19:48:41Z")
Well, caffine is the most widely used stimulant in the world. It is most highly concentrateed in coffee, but is also present in tea, cola drinks, chocolate candy and cocoa. There is lots of controversy as to whether caffine is related to chronic diseases. At this time there is no direct link between caffine and say heart disease. Caffine doesn’t seem to be bad for you in moderation. But taken in large amounts daily is probably an independant factor in the promotion of many diseases. ---
**Author:** ![Silo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ac91a4/32.png) [@Silo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Silo)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2000, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/caffeine/20920/5 "2000-05-30T19:56:12Z")
> [@](#): > > However, I did read that if you took _pure_ caffeine, that 3-5 grams would be enough to kill you–doing exactly what you think it would do (revving your body up big time). According to my toxicology book the lethal dose is roughly 10 grams in humans, or 70-100 cups of coffee. ---
**Author:** ![bibliophage](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bibliophage/32/7615_2.png) [@bibliophage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bibliophage)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2000, 2:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/caffeine/20920/6 "2000-05-31T02:33:26Z")
The last I heard, studies had been done showing that drinking 2 cups of coffee a day does not shorten lifespan at all. Drinking up to 4 cups was found to shortened lifespan a small amount, but the results were not statistically significant. Drinking more than 4 cups did shorten lifespan to a statistically significant degree. All these result may be quite meaningless now, because those studies were done back when most Americans drank percolated coffee. I vaguely recall reading (on the Internet) a year or so ago that new studies show that 4 cups a day is not dangerous. The hypothesis was that the paper filters now in wide use prevent the dangerous chemical(s) from making it into the beverage. Evidently, caffeine is not the most dangerous chemical in the coffee bean. I’ll try to find more info, but no guarentees. ---
**Author:** ![bibliophage](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bibliophage/32/7615_2.png) [@bibliophage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bibliophage)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2000, 2:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/caffeine/20920/7 "2000-05-31T02:46:34Z")
Nothing about the filter effect I mentioned above, but I did find this link about [Studies on the side effects of caffeine](http://www.cs.unb.ca/~alopez-o/Coffee/caffaq.html#Studies). Conclusion: it does not shorten life. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2000, 4:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/caffeine/20920/8 "2000-05-31T04:41:51Z")
I dunno, all it does to me is shorten my attention span and make me have to pee. Maybe there’s no effect on lifespan, but it still doesn’t seem too desirable to me. ---
**Author:** ![DVous\_Means](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9fc29f/32.png) [@DVous\_Means](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DVous_Means)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2000, 2:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/caffeine/20920/9 "2000-05-31T14:15:16Z")
There is a school of thought that says because caffeine raises blood pressure, there is a corresponding risk to the heart - maybe along the lines of left ventricular hypertrophy, which is the usual consequence of hypertension. ---
**Author:** ![sailor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a587f6/32.png) [@sailor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sailor)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2000, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/caffeine/20920/10 "2000-05-31T21:45:18Z")
As an addict I can tell you when I quit (which I do about once a year for a month or two) I get awful headaches and withdrawal for a few days. After that I just miss my coffee. ---
**Author:** ![xekul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/838e76/32.png) [@xekul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xekul)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2000, 10:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/caffeine/20920/11 "2000-05-31T22:28:33Z")
The oral LD-50 (mean lethal dosage) is 10 g. I think this is extrapolated from data for rats, though. But less than 10 g can kill you, or you might survive if you take more than 10 g. It depends on several factors, like your body mass. ---
**Author:** ![Kilgore\_Trout\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/6de8d8/32.png) [@Kilgore\_Trout\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kilgore_Trout_1)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2000, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/caffeine/20920/12 "2000-05-31T22:47:31Z")
i once drank 23 cups of coffee, and it didn’t do me very good. i couldn’t keep food down for weeks. my innards were angry. ---
**Author:** ![handy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5a626/32.png) [@handy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handy)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2000, 3:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/caffeine/20920/13 "2000-06-01T15:28:10Z")
Caffeine can make you pee like crazy. It stimulates your bladder to pee… Withdrawal sucks too. Next day you are major sleepy & your head, oh.