Coffee is an American favorite, yet too much caffeine consumption can cause health issues like anxiety, insomnia, high blood pressure and digestive discomfort. A moderate approach to coffee consumption should be safe for most healthy adults – and studies suggest it could even protect against heart disease and diabetes!

Caffeine levels in beverages can vary considerably, depending on brewing method and coffee bean variety, but in general up to 400 milligrams (mg) is generally considered safe for most healthy adults – roughly equivalent to four cups of brewed coffee, two 12-ounce cans of soda, or two “energy shot” beverages per day.

Caffeine is a natural stimulant, yet some individuals have different sensitivity levels to it. People who suffer from medical conditions such as heart arrhythmia or high blood pressure, as well as those taking certain medications should use caution when consuming caffeine. Furthermore, many products such as food and drinks also contain caffeine so it’s not enough just to limit coffee intake!

Experts advise limiting caffeine intake to no more than two to three cups a day, since too much can impede sleep quality and create a cycle whereby drinking too much coffee, having difficulty sleeping, then drinking even more the following night, leads to further difficulty in sleeping and so on. Furthermore, excessive caffeine consumption increases calcium loss leading to fractures and osteoporosis risk.

However, if you’re having trouble sleeping, one effective strategy may be limiting caffeine and caffeinated beverage intake after noon. According to research published in Circulation: Heart Failure journal, people who limited daily coffee intake between 4 a.m. and noon (1 cup per day) had a 16% decreased chance of death compared with those who didn’t drink any in over 10 years compared with those who didn’t consume any at all.

Americans typically drink their coffee in cafes or restaurants; however, coffee has also become an ingredient in smoothies, energy bars and iced coffee beverages – which contain more calories and added sugars than traditional coffee does while failing to provide similar health benefits.

Coffee may help lower your risk for Alzheimer’s, liver cirrhosis, and Parkinson’s diseases. Although studies are observational and don’t prove cause-and-effect relationships between coffee consumption and illness reductions directly, but the results are promising. If you choose to indulge, dark-roast blends with lower caffeine levels are recommended as these tend to contain less fat and sugars.