One of life’s pleasures is the early morning brew to kick start the day…..but does your caffeine intake affect your health? In the last 12 months I have seen peoples coffee consumption dramatically increase with some having 3-5 flat whites per day. Not only is this caffeine excessive but the kilojoule content will contribute to weight gain (each standard flat white has the equivalent kilojoules or calories to 1.5 pieces of bread). So with respect to your health it depends on how much you consume and whether you are having enough free fluid (such as water) to maintain hydration. Caffeine is a mild stimulant so it is recommended to reduce your intake if you are on blood pressure medication or if you are trying simply to relax. When we think of caffeine we naturally think of coffee but many other foods such as chocolate, cola drinks, some teas and the new range of ‘energy drinks’ contain significant amounts of caffeine.
I recommend less than 300 mg caffeine per day for health (see table below)
Enjoy your brew - just don't over do
Kate x


Caffeine (mg)
1 cup espresso coffee 150
1 cup flat white 150
1 cup plunger coffee 100
1 cup instant coffee 85
1 can energy drink 80
1 cup tea (average strength) 50
1 can cola based drink 50
1 cup green tea 30
50 gram milk chocolate 7
1 cup decaf coffee 2
1 cup decaf or caffeine free tea 0