How much caffeine can the average person tolerate? Research shows, it may be best not to try. Caffeine is one of the most popular drugs today and it’s ingested by young and old alike. Caffeinated “energy” drinks are the drug of choice and may be yours, but research has proven that caffeine use has negative effects on the brain. Blood flow to the brain is of vital importance and caffeine consumption reduces it. A study revealed that as little as 250 mg of caffeine (less than 2 cups of standard coffee) decreases brain blood flow. Decreased cerebral blood flow increases cerebral damage. Coffee drinkers need to be aware of this, as their goal is energy, not decreased brain function. Caffeine-induced energy is fool’s gold. Less debilitating, healthy, energy boosters abound and are worth finding. Read the research for full details.

Addicott MA, Yang LL, Peiffer AM, Burnett LR, Burdette JH, Chen MY, Hayasaka S, Kraft RA, Maldjian JA, Laurienti PJ. The effect of daily caffeine use on cerebral blood flow: How much caffeine can we tolerate? Hum Brain Mapp. 2009 Oct;30(10):3102-14. doi: 10.1002/hbm.20732. PubMed PMID: 19219847; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC2748160. – http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19219847