How much is too much

I know a few people who have cut back on coffee, or switched to decaf, because of the effect caffeine has on their bodies and minds. But for many coffee-lovers, there just doesn't seem to be a limit on how much they can drink. Or perhaps they just haven't reached their limit. So I wonder what is the limit from a physiological perspective? How much is really too much?

According to an article from the BBC's website, a lethal dose "...for the average person is about 90 milligrams per two pints of blood, according to coffee website Cofcaf.co.uk. This is about 200 cups of instant coffee in a day for an average sized person, it says."

That's a lot of coffee.

Even if not lethal, though, much smaller amounts can cause serious medical problems. The same article reports an overdose of caffeine by a teenager who downed seven double espressos during her work shift at a family sandwich shop, where apparently they serve espresso. She developed a fever and struggled to breathe, heading for shock, not to mention the bizarre behavior she exhibited.

According to her father, she did not know she was drinking double shots. So, let me get this straight. She drank seven espressos, and they think that would have been ok (for a teen), but she didn't know she was getting doubles. There's two things about that that I find interesting. One, drinking seven espressos seems a little over the top to me, especially for a teen, and second, from what I can gather from the article and the accompanying photo, she or someone made the drinks in the family shop, and somehow she didn't realize they were doubles... seven times.

Tell the world what you think

It's great to see more and more people are purchasing Driven to Espresso everyday! If you have read it, seen it, or been to my website to find out more about it, you could do me a huge favor and write a review of it. The best place to review it is on the book's amazon.com page. The more reviews it receives, the better. You do not need to have purchased the book there to leave a review.

Another way you could help spread the word is to request it at a bookstore. Ask to see it, and if they don't have it, tell them they should!

Wake up and smell the coffee. Really.

I read about a recent study of the aroma of coffee as it relates to mRNA molecules... you know. mRNA molecules. Surely you know what those are. No?

Oh, man, you gotta love those scientists. They aren't actually saying so, seeing how they conducted this study on rat brains, but it is tempting to draw the conclusion from their report in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry that just smelling your coffee can get you going in the morning. If you want the real story, though, check it out.

The underlying methodology for this study relates to sleep deprivation, and because they used rats, I'm just wondering what the technique is for depriving rats of their sleep. I'm picturing unpaid college students staying up all night waiting for rats to close their eyes and then nudging them, saying, "Hey, wake up!"

Seattle Coffee Gear

Thanks to Seattle Coffee Gear in Lynnwood for carrying Driven to Espresso in their fabulous store! If you are a serious home espresso aficionado, this is heaven. All the bright and shiny machines made my knees weak and my mouth water. I could just about taste the great coffee coming out of them. Maybe that's because they also sell coffee. They also have all the gear to make your kitchen totally tricked out for your own private cafe.

I am especially excited to see they have the Rocket Espresso Giotto Premium Plus - Special Edition Giro D'Italia available and are donating a large part of the sale to Coffee Kids. Way to go, Seattle Coffee Gear!

Tempted to run your own coffee shop?

Now there's an alternative to opening your own coffee shop. Just play the game! Coffee Shop at Funny-Games.biz