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Most people have a vague idea of how much caffeine in a cup is safe. However, if you want to know how many shots of espresso can kill you, you need a more in-depth answer.
You will also need to know exactly what’s in your drink so that you can calculate the amount of caffeine in an espresso and other coffee drinks.
While coffee has a ton of benefits for your health, it does also have some downsides for those who guzzle on coffee.
Let’s dive into the subject and learn more about espresso shots caffeine.
How Much Caffeine Is In A Shot Of Espresso?
The American Heart Association says that an average shot of espresso contains around 60mg of caffeine.
That’s roughly the same amount found in 2-3 cups of coffee.
Once you have the amount of caffeine in a shot of espresso, you can compare it to a product with a known amount of caffeine to get the full picture.
To give you some context, below is a list of some caffeinated products and what they contain.
1. Espresso Coffee
Espresso coffee is the easiest to define since it’s just a shot of espresso.
It’s served in a tiny cup and has around 60-63 mg of caffeine in it.
That’s about the same amount of caffeine found in 2-3 cups of coffee.
2. Coffee
Coffee is a complex drink that can contain between 40-600mg of caffeine per ounce or cup.
For example, a regular old cup of coffee will have about 150mg of caffeine in it. That’s about the same amount found in two to three cups of regular coffee.
3. Americano Coffee
Americano coffee is espresso coffee with the espresso machine removed from the equation so you get a stronger version of regular coffee.
The resulting drink usually has 80-140mg of caffeine in it.
That’s the same amount of caffeine found in four to five cups of regular coffee.
4. Regular Coffee
You have your normal cups of coffee with cream, sugar, and so on.
The most common version is between 140-200mg of caffeine per ounce or cup.
6. Espresso Macchiato
An Espresso Macchiato is just like an espresso, except that it’s topped off with foamed milk.
It’s essentially the same amount of caffeine as an espresso, just made sweeter.
The amount of caffeine in an espresso macchiato is about 45-60mg per ounce or cup.
This list is just an indication of the caffeine content in the most popular drink in America.
However, if you’d like a more exhaustive list, you can use this coffee calculator.
It is a simple and convenient way to find out the caffeine content in every popular drink out there and also give you the optimum amount of coffee you should be drinking.
How Many Shots of Espresso is Too Much?
I think the answer will vary from person to person, depending on your overall health and fitness level.
However, as a general rule of thumb, the FDA has determined that 400 milligrams of caffeine a day is the safe limit. That’s about four or five cups of coffee.
In theory, if you drink 4-5 cups of coffee a day, you should be in the safe range.
However, if you have a history of health problems or have been told to limit your caffeine intake, this may not apply to you.
In fact, different people need different amounts of caffeine.
Some people can metabolize caffeine faster than others. And some people are more sensitive to the effects of caffeine.
How Many Shots Of Espresso Can Kill You?
The FDA says that if someone consumes 400mg of caffeine every day for one year, there is no significant harm to his health.
That’s the same amount of caffeine found in approximately four cups of coffee.
In addition, the effects of caffeine are more noticeable when taken in doses of around 1,200 milligrams in a short amount of time.
That’s about the amount found in 6-7 cups of coffee.
However, according to Healthline, the lethal dose of caffeine is around 10 g.
As mentioned earlier, there is approx. 63mg of caffeine in a shot of espresso.
You do the math!
Therefore, the answer is: 150-158 shots of espresso is enough to kill you!
In fact, a study also found out that it would take around 700mg of caffeine for a 150-pound person to die.
That’s about 14 8-ounce cups of coffee.
With that being said, for a typical size human, the lethal dose is considered to be somewhere between 10 and 14 grams of caffeine.
That’s about 100-150 cups of coffee.
Does Espresso Have More Caffeine Than Coffee?
If you’re wondering how much caffeine is in an espresso compared to regular coffee, the answer is that they have about the same amount of caffeine.
However, there are several ways in which they’re different.
That means that if you’re one of those people who uses their coffee measure cups to measure their daily dose of caffeine, then go ahead and pour four or five shots into your now-smaller shot glasses.
The amount of caffeine in espresso is similar to the amount of caffeine in a cup of coffee.
Espresso is more concentrated, which means you need less to feel the effects.
So that’s why I can drink a double shot and still be sober enough to drive home, but a regular cup of coffee will keep me up for hours.
The bigger difference is how it tastes – espresso has a much stronger flavor – and how much milk you put into your foam-topped cappuccino or latte.
How Much Caffeine Is There In A Double Shot Of Espresso?
From what I can tell, when you put two shots of espresso in your cup (smaller than the morning cup) and add some crema (foam), you get an incredible amount of caffeine.
A double shot of espresso has about 95mg of caffeine.
That extra dose of caffeine can have an effect on your body that’s similar to drinking two or three cups of coffee.
You can see why it’s popular with people who are trying to stay awake (without being addicted to coffee.)
How does espresso, that’s made by pushing hot water through ground coffee have the same amount of caffeine as regular coffee?
Well, the espresso is ground up much finer than regular coffee. It makes it easier for the water to pass through them at a high speed.
It also gives you more crema, which is the thick foam created when an espresso machine pours hot water over ground coffee.
Are 4 Shots Of Espresso Bad For You?
Simply put, the answer is no.
If you’re also asking if 4 shots of espresso a lot, then the answer is no.
You can’t overdose on caffeine from coffee or espresso.
That’s because your body will metabolize this stimulant within 24 hours of it being introduced into your body.
So if you have a lot of caffeine every day, your body will just process it as needed and send the rest out of your system.
However, some people may have a harder time adapting to high amounts of caffeine than others do.
If you have a history of anxiety or depression as well as getting headaches, you may want to keep an eye on what you’re drinking each day.
The reason for this is that some people are more sensitive to the effects of caffeine than others.
So if you don’t drink it often, you could get a bad reaction when you do finally take a big gulp.
What are The Effects Of 4 Shots Of Espresso?
Two shots of espressos equal about 200mg of caffeine which is quite a bit.
If you’re used to drinking coffee then this won’t be very much but if it’s your first time drinking espresso then you will feel something different in your body.
When I drink espresso I get a lot of energy and I wish that it would stay with me longer.
The high will wear off in about 2 hours but if you have two you will get a longer high.
The stimulant properties are great for waking up if you are tired, the only problem is the quantity that it takes to keep your energy up.
The good thing is that it should last around 6 hours, even if your energy starts to fade just have another cup of espresso and you’ll be fine until lunchtime.
Too Much Caffeine – Get To Know The Side Effects
Having too many espressos is no fun.
First of all, it can cause headaches in some people.
Caffeine is a stimulant, so if you’ve ever had migraines or tension headaches before, you’ll know what to expect.
However, espressos aren’t the only thing that can cause headaches.
Drinking too much caffeine too quickly can actually give you a headache as well.
Here are a few of the most common side effects of caffeine:
So What Should You Do If You’ve Had Too Much Caffeine?
If you’ve had some espressos and you’re starting to feel sick, don’t worry.
I recommend getting some fresh air and drinking a glass of water.
Take your mind off things for a bit with some TV or music.
Lastly, you can have something to eat that is calorically dense like an apple or orange which will help you feel full (and less like drinking espressos).
Also, If you’re caffeine-sensitive but can handle a cup of coffee in the morning, try switching over to decaf in the afternoon.
This will give your body a break from the stimulating effects of caffeine until you’re ready to go to sleep.
Just don’t drink it too late in the day–maybe after lunch, but not before dinner.
If you have a hard time sleeping on your first night on decaf, try starting with half as much caffeine as normal each night.
This will help you adjust to the change gradually.
Final Thoughts
To conclude, in most cases, people don’t usually die from drinking espresso.
Some people will react badly to the amount of caffeine they’ve ingested and some people will have a hard time adapting to the amount of caffeine in their system.
Coffee is a great way to wake up and get going in the morning. But remember, everything should be taken in moderation.
