How much caffeine is too much?
Story at a glance
- Two lawsuits against Panera Bread claim their highly caffeinated Charged Lemonade led to the death of two customers.
- The Food and Drug Administration recommends healthy adults consume no more than 400 milligrams of caffeine per day.
- But people with certain existing health conditions could suffer negative consequences of consuming caffeine even if they have less than 400 milligrams.
(WGN Radio) – Can drinking too much caffeine be bad for your health? Or worse – can it kill you?
Two lawsuits against Panera Bread claim their highly caffeinated Charged Lemonade led to the death of two customers, one in Florida and the other in Pennsylvania.
A large, 30-ounce Charged Lemonade was listed as containing 390 milligrams of caffeine last month. Now, the quantities listed online are lower, maxing out at 237 milligrams. The company told ABC News it's in the process of making the change.
The Food and Drug Administration recommends healthy adults consume no more than 400 milligrams of caffeine per day. That equals about six shots of espresso, four to five cups of coffee, or eight to nine cups of tea.
But people with certain existing health conditions could suffer negative consequences of consuming caffeine even if they have less than 400 milligrams. People need to understand their personal limits, said Raja Mutharasan, the medical director of Northwestern Bluhm Cardiovascular Institute at Palos Hospital, in an interview with WGN Radio.
"People have to know what's in the drink when they're consuming it and know what's a safe amount. For example, this Charged Lemonade that's been in the news has actually less caffeine than a lot of large coffee cups that you might get at a local Starbucks or an Einstein Brothers," Mutharasan said.
"For most people, a cup or two of coffee a day poses actually no health dangers at all," he continued. "But if you're predisposed to a heart condition, or you're predisposed to having fast heartbeats, extra heartbeats, arrhythmias, then it can be dangerous."
Pay attention to the signals your body is giving you when you consume caffeine, Mutharasan said, and contact your doctor if you have concerns about a fast heartbeat, extra heartbeats or arrhythmia.
Caffeine can also have adverse effects when combined with certain medications.
Listen to Mutharasan's full interview with WGN Radio below.
In the case of the two Charged Lemonade lawsuits, filed after two Panera customers died, each person had complicating conditions. The family of 46-year-old Dennis Brown said he died after drinking three Charged Lemonades. Brown, who had “a chromosomal deficiency disorder, developmental delay, and ADHD,” according to his family, suffered cardiac arrest.
"Panera expresses our deep sympathy for Mr. Brown’s family," the restaurant chain said in a statement. "Based on our investigation, we believe [Brown’s] unfortunate passing was not caused by one of the company’s products. We view this lawsuit, which was filed by the same law firm as the previous claim, to be equally without merit. Panera stands firmly by the safety of our products."
Sarah Katz, a 21-year-old college student who also died after drinking a Charged Lemonade, had Long QT Type 1 Syndrome, her loved ones said. In the lawsuit, her family said Katz knew not to drink large amounts of caffeine, and alleged Panera didn't adequately disclose the quantity of caffeine in the lemonade.
Nexstar's Addy Bink contributed to this report.