Caffeine overdose does happen, but it’s not something most people need to worry about nearly as much as eating too much sugar or salt. That said, it’s important to know your safe limits when consuming caffeinated beverages so you don’t overdo them.
What happens if you drink 30 cups of coffee in 4 one sitting?
Quick answer: you die.
Longer answer: it depends. You wouldn’t survive if you drank a whopping 30 shots of espresso and kept them all in. But the truth is, you would most likely throw them up long before the levels of caffeine toxicity would get anywhere near lethal.
To reach potentially deadly blood levels of caffeine, you would have to consume a huge amount of liquid (roughly 30 cups of coffee or at least ten energy drinks) in rapid succession. First of all, your bladder would probably give up before you did. Secondly, at some point, you would begin to feel the symptoms of caffeine overdose — typically one or several of the following:
- irritability
- headache
- abdominal pain
- nausea
- vomiting
These symptoms would play a protective role: you’d get sick and vomit all the caffeine before it could cause fatal damage. Some of the listed symptoms may get severe and require immediate medical attention, so we recommend avoiding caffeine overdose.
So how many cups would one need to drink to expire?
The lethal dose of caffeine depends on a person’s body weight; a heavier person can safely consume more caffeine, so it would take more to kill them. You can estimate how much you’d need to drink to die with this Death By Caffeine Calculator.
All in all, your chances of accidentally committing caffeine suicide are incredibly low.
There are two major exceptions, though:
1. A preexisting health condition or increased sensitivity to caffeine.
Some people are genetically predisposed to be less tolerant to caffeine than most; others have underlying health problems or take medications that cause a stronger reaction to caffeine.
2. Consuming pure powdered caffeine, not beverages.
Achieving toxic concentrations of caffeine by over-consuming coffee, tea, soda, and other beverages (even generously caffeinated energy drinks) is highly unlikely. Still, the caffeine powder is the whole other story. Unlike with the drinks, it’s possible to ingest a large amount of it simultaneously, and a single teaspoon of powdered caffeine contains roughly as much caffeine as 25 cups of espresso. They are much easier to overdose on.
Such mega-doses of caffeine can speed up the heartbeat and cause a rhythm problem, possibly resulting in death, especially if other health factors are involved. Mixing a couple of spoonfuls of caffeine powder into an energy drink can kill a man in his twenties. Yikes.
The Bottom Line
Coffee and caffeinated drinks are generally safe in the doses most people consume. The official Dietary Guidelines for Americans confirm that consuming up to 5 portions of coffee daily, or around 400 mg, is safe without any detrimental effects. On top of that, having moderate amounts of coffee daily can be ridiculously good for your health!
As long as you stay away from caffeine powder or tablets, you should be just fine. Stick to your regular coffee: some are good, even downright healthy. It’s too much that could be a problem.
So keep calm, brew a cup of java, and share this post with others!
Rick Kaselj MS, is a leading kinesiologist and injury specialist as well as co-creator of the best-selling Unlock Your Hip Flexors program. Rick creates exercise programs that help people heal injuries and eliminate pain, so they can go back to living a full, active, healthy life.
