If you are like us around here coffee runs through your veins, ok that might be a little extreme, but we most definitely drink our fair share of it around the roasting room. We jokingly say that they might as well hook an IV up to us and just continue to pump us full of coffee. 

But is there such a thing as too much coffee? How many cups can you drink and remain in the "safe zone"? 

Well it turns out there is a safe amount of caffeine a day for most healthy adults, and the amount is right around the 400 milligram mark. So if you're a relatively healthy adult, feel free to consume about 4 cups of coffee a day to stay in the safe zone. A cup of coffee has roughly around 95 milligrams of caffeine, however our Rocket Fuel blend does have 5 times the caffeine of traditional coffee. 

There are some exceptions to this rule. If you are a woman who is pregnant or trying to get pregnant, maybe you're breast feeding, you should consult a doctor, as they typically recommend to stay under 200 milligrams of caffeine a day, so you'd be limited to only 2 cups of our delicious brew. 

So what happens if you go over the recommended daily dose of caffeine? 

You may want to consume less caffeine if you're drinking more than 4 cups of coffee a day (or the equivalent) and you experience side effects such as:

• Headache
• Insomnia
• Nervousness
• Irritability
• Frequent urination or inability to control urination
• Fast heartbeat
• Muscle tremors

Coffee in small doses could still cause the jitters.

Some people are more sensitive to caffeine than others. If you are susceptible to the effects of caffeine, even small amounts may cause unwanted effects, such as restlessness and sleep problems.

Your tolerance to caffeine may be partially determined by how much caffeine you're accustomed to drinking. People who don't frequently drink caffeine are often more reactive to its effects.

What if you're not getting enough sleep?

Caffeine can interfere with sleep, even if consumed in the afternoon. This can lead to cumulative sleep loss which can then affect daytime alertness and performance.

The use of caffeine to cover up sleep deprivation can lead to an undesirable cycle. For example, you may drink caffeinated beverages because you have difficulty staying awake during the day. However, the caffeine prevents you from falling asleep at night, which in turn reduces the amount of time you sleep.

Will the caffeine affect your medication?

Some drugs and herbal supplements can have an effect on caffeine. For example, they may interact with it.

• Ephedrine. This medication is often used in decongestants. Mixing it with caffeine may increase your risk of high blood pressure, heart attack, stroke, or seizure.
• Theophylline. This medication, used to open up bronchial airways, tends to have some effects similar to caffeine. So taking it with caffeine might increase the adverse effects of caffeine, such as nausea and heart palpitations.
• Echinacea. This herbal supplement, which is sometimes used to prevent colds or other infections, may increase the concentration of caffeine in your blood and may intensify caffeine's unpleasant effects.

Caffeine may interact with certain medications. Consult your physician or pharmacist to see if this is the case with any drugs you are taking.