How America’s love affair with caffeine has sparked a crisis of overdoses — and what the FDA is trying to do about it
Espressos pack a punch of caffeine, but it's nothing compared to the amount in a pinch of powdered caffeine. (Eli Meir Kaplan/Vigilante Coffee)
There was a time when getting your daily dose of caffeine meant a simple cup of coffee or tea.
Poured into a ceramic mug, the steaming liquid tended to be enough to give most people that extra burst of energy to get out the door. Back then, you'd have to drink a heck of a lot -- 81 cups of brewed coffee, or 317 cups of black tea, for the average 195-pound U.S. male -- to reach a lethal dose. So while you might still get the occasional shakiness, nausea and fast heartbeat associated with ingesting too much caffeine, you were highly unlikely to die from it.