What the FDA, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and the World Health Organization's cancer agency publish about caffeine and coffee, in their words. We sell coffee, so we quote them and make no health claims of our own. 4 minutes.
Correction, September 28, 2026. Until today this page summarised studies on coffee and Parkinson's, liver disease, type 2 diabetes, heart failure, cancer, dementia and mortality, with percentages, and called moderate coffee "a defensibly health-positive habit." Those figures were not tied to sources we could show you, and a company that sells coffee should not be telling you coffee lowers your risk of a disease. We removed all of it, along with unsourced lines on medication interactions, caffeine's half-life and cholesterol. Coffee does not treat, prevent or cure anything. What remains is quoted from the pages linked below, each read on September 28, 2026.
The FDA: "For most adults, the FDA has cited 400 milligrams a day — that's about two to three 12-fluid-ounce cups of coffee — as an amount not generally associated with negative effects." It adds straight away: "there is wide variation in both how sensitive people are to the effects of caffeine and how fast they eliminate it from the body."
That is a ceiling for most adults, not a target, and it is not a statement that coffee is good for you.
The FDA again: "Depending on factors such as body weight, medications you may take, certain medical conditions, and individual sensitivity, 'too much' can vary from person to person." And: "If you are concerned about a condition or medication, or if you're pregnant, trying to become pregnant, or breastfeeding, we recommend talking to your health care provider about whether you need to limit caffeine consumption."
The signs it lists for too much caffeine: increased heart rate, heart palpitations, high blood pressure, insomnia or sleep disruptions, anxiety, jitters, upset stomach, nausea and headache. Its advice if you have any of them: "Talk with your health care professional about your caffeine consumption."
On children, the FDA cites the Dietary Guidelines for Americans: "drinks containing caffeine should be avoided for children younger than age 2."
ACOG Committee Opinion 462 (August 2010; the page is marked "Reaffirmed 2026"): "Moderate caffeine consumption (less than 200 mg per day) does not appear to be a major contributing factor in miscarriage or preterm birth." The same opinion says: "The relationship of caffeine to growth restriction remains undetermined." By the FDA's table a 12-fluid-ounce cup of regular brewed coffee holds 113 to 247 mg, so 200 mg can be less than one mug. This is a question for your own clinician, not for a coffee store.
The FDA's table gives 113 to 247 mg for 12 fluid ounces of regular brewed coffee. The range is wide because beans, dose and brew method differ; our brewing guide has the National Coffee Association's per-ounce figures for espresso and drip.
The FDA: "Decaffeinated coffees and teas have less caffeine than their regular counterparts, but still contain some caffeine. For example, decaf coffee typically has 2 to 15 milligrams in an 8-fluid-ounce cup."
If you want less caffeine and still want a cup, these are the decafs in our store, each shipped by its roaster. Prices read from the store on September 28, 2026; the decaffeination method is the roaster's own description. We have not measured the caffeine in any of them and neither roaster's listing gives a figure.
Every decaf we carry, 13 coffees from five roasters as of September 29, 2026, is on the decaf shelf. Our decaf guide covers all thirteen: method, roast schedule and price, in the roasters' own words. All coffee, decaf included, is on the coffee beans shelf.
The World Health Organization's International Agency for Research on Cancer, press release 244 (June 15, 2016): "The Working Group found no conclusive evidence for a carcinogenic effect of drinking coffee." Coffee drinking was "not classifiable as to its carcinogenicity to humans (Group 3)", having been "previously classified as possibly carcinogenic to humans (Group 2B) by IARC in 1991."
The same release evaluated very hot beverages of any kind, and defines the term: "'Very hot' refers to any beverages consumed at a temperature above 65 °C." That is 149 °F. IARC's note on what its classifications mean: "The classification does not indicate what level of risk exists to people's health associated with exposure to a classified hazard."
They exist, and most of them are observational: people report what they drink and researchers follow what happens to them. We don't summarise them here, because we sell coffee and we are not qualified to weigh them. One caution from the researchers themselves is worth quoting. When the American Heart Association published an analysis of coffee and heart failure in 2021, its release noted that "coffee consumption was self-reported, and no standard unit of measure were available," and the study's senior author, David P. Kao, M.D., said: "there is not yet enough clear evidence to recommend increasing coffee consumption to decrease risk of heart disease with the same strength and certainty as stopping smoking, losing weight or exercising."
Drink coffee because you like it. For anything about your health, ask your clinician.
None of this is medical advice. ShopCoffee makes no health, medical or therapeutic claim about coffee.