Dangers of consuming too much caffeine

LAKE MARY, Fla. (WOFL FOX 35) - The tragic death of a South Carolina teen who officials say overdosed on caffeine has people nationwide asking if what they drink could be dangerous.

FOX 35 went to a local cardiologist for answers.

“A certain amount is okay, it’s not that caffeine is bad, but when we over caffeinate ourselves then it definitely can cause some issues,” said Dr. Amish Parikh. “It will stimulate the sympathetic nervous system which increases heart rate and blood pressure. At certain times, that’s not a good thing. It makes the heart work harder.”

The Mayo Clinic says kids shouldn’t have much caffeine at all and healthy adults should be able to handle about 400 milligrams, which the organization says is roughly four cups of coffee, ten cans of soda or two energy shot drinks.

But as far as a certain amount that can be fatal – Parekh says everyone handles caffeine differently. Your size, how much water you’ve been drinking and stress levels are all things that can impact how your body processes the caffeine.