Video explains how to work out if you are drinking too much coffee

Millions of cups of coffee are consumed in the UK each day

As 70 million cups of coffee are drunk in the UK each day, facing the day without a dose of caffeine is a bleak prospect for many of us.

But owing to the wide varieties of coffee available – from espressos to instant – it can be difficult to gauge how much caffeine is in one cup and whether you are drinking too much.

A survey of 2018 adults by the British Coffee Assocation (BCA) suggests that half of people are unsure of how much caffeine they consume each day.

The organisation has sought to clear the confusion by releasing a video explaining how much coffee it is too much.

Studies suggest that coffee is linked with a reduced risk of developing type 2 diabetes, as well as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s.

However, coffee should be consumed in moderation as it can trigger conditions including irritability, anxiety, and insomnia, according to the NHS.

The NHS warns against drinking over 600mg of caffeinated drinks a day, while the BCA video advises people to stick to below 400mg. It stresses that pregnant women and those breastfeeding should limit their intake to 200mg.

This equates to six cups of instant coffee or 4 cups of filtered coffee. Each type contains 65mg and 85mg of caffeine, respectively.

The BCA research also highlighted that coffee drinkers misunderstand the size of a standard cup of coffee, with two-fifths believing 200-250 ml amounts to a cup. However, a standard cup is 125 millilitres.

But caffeine isn’t just present in coffee, but also lurks in chocolate and colas. One 150ml cup of tea contains 32mg of caffeine, while 40mg is inside a 330ml can of cola, and 80mg in a 250ml energy drink. A plain chocolate bar, meanwhile, contains 50mg caffeine.