Coffee at work - how much is too much?

A third of British workers are putting their health at risk by drinking too much coffee, according to a new study.

The European Food Safety Agency suggests that the recommended allowance is four instant coffees, which is a daily limit of 400mg of caffeine. However, the research by drinks firm Barleycup found that 30% of workers drink five or more a day.

According to The Daily Record, 18% of those in full-time work drank six or more a day. For bosses this increased to 37% and to 45% for the self-employed. The research also found that 48% drank coffee ‘out of habit,’ whilst 27% drank it to combat their tiredness. 18% claimed it to be a requirement as they ‘need it to concentrate.’

A cup of tea contains approximately 75mg, whilst a fizzy drink has around 40mg and a bar of chocolate has up to 50mg. The research warned that consuming more than the daily limit could run the risk of health problems such as anxiety, sleeplessness, heart failure and heart rhythm disturbances.