How much Caffeine can your body take?

June 5, 4:26 PMCaffeine ExaminerBig Red Boots  

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There's no formula, says Laura Juliano, an assistant professor in psychology at American University.  As  much fun as the "death by caffeine calculator" is on energyfiend.com, factors like if the drinker smokes, takes medications, is on birth control and many other metabolism changing substances can affect caffeine's properties. "Birth control pills slow the metabolism of caffeine," she says. "Therefore, someone may feel the effects of caffeine more intensely when on birth control. On the other hand, in general smokers metabolize caffeine two times as fast as people who don't smoke. They are less likely to feel the negative effects of caffeine."

There are emotional and physical factors too: body mass, stress, age, and a host of other lifestyle issues can all play a part. 

Of course, the more used to caffeine you are, the more you need to get moving.  Like alcohol, you can build up an endurance to it, moving from the gateway caffeine substances, like green tea, to quad shots straight fro the spout,  Cocaine (energy drink) and Redline.   Seriously, a normal healthy person cant die by caffeine overdose without it happening on purpose.  There have been cases, but they have been with extreme doses, more than you would find in coffee. 

sources:
http://canadianpress.google.com/article/ALeqM5itiIE1rfl1Y63pw0NVxIWra1vdNg
http://www.kpcnews.com/articles/2007/06/10/features/columnists/terry_gaff/doc466c1653911f5074886414.txt