Coffee and Caffeine

Coffee is one of the world's most popular beverages and has been so for centuries. In Britain the first coffee house was opened in Oxford in 1651 and by 1700 there were 3,000 coffee houses in London. Now over 1.4 billion cups of coffee are consumed worldwide each day.

Caffeine is a mild stimulant in coffee, tea and other drinks and products. It is one of the most thoroughly investigated food components. Extensive scientific research has been conducted into caffeine demonstrating that moderate consumption, of 4-5 cups of coffee per day, is perfectly safe for the general population and may confer health benefits. Pregnant women should limit their caffeine intake to 200mg caffeine per day, from all sources including tea, coffee, chocolate and energy drinks.