Here’s Exactly How Much Coffee You Can Drink Daily Before It Gets Dangerous

Every morning, millions of people begin their day with a cup of joe…or two or three. Drinking coffee has become a time-honored way for people to start their morning routine, maybe relax a bit or socialize in the office kitchen. There are entire stores dedicated to variations of this caffeinated beverage—just check out the best coffee shops in every state.

But how much coffee is too much? Some say it may be when you start exhibiting addictive symptoms, but science has found an exact number of cups per day that can tip the scale from coffee being helpful to harmful. It’s why some are even advocating for quitting coffee altogether, with trends like no Joe January.

The health benefits of coffee

If you’re about to throw away your coffee maker for fear it’ll cause you harm, don’t. There are lots of health benefits in your daily cup. A November 2015 study from Circulation found coffee was linked to a reduced risk of death. It can help potentially lower your chances of cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, Parkinson’s disease, uterine and liver cancer, cirrhosis and gout, according to some studies reported by Harvard University. A study from the American Heart Association found consuming both caffeinated and decaffeinated coffee was associated with a lower risk of mortality. Even more important, there was no link found between coffee consumption and cancer, going against previous guidelines that labeled coffee as a carcinogen.

Coffee can also help prevent damage to your DNA thanks to the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory qualities found in coffee beans. If you’re still concerned about your habit, here’s how to make your coffee healthier for you.

The coffee danger zone

Even if your coffee is healthy, you do not want to get into a six-cups-a-day habit. New research from the University of South Australia has found drinking six or more coffees a day can counteract some of the drink’s benefits and increase your risk of heart disease by up to 22 percent. According to Science Daily, this is the first time experts have determined a safe upper limit on coffee consumption. The study looked at long-term coffee consumption and cardiovascular disease and found that excessive caffeine can cause high blood pressure, which can lead to heart disease.

“Coffee is the most commonly consumed stimulant in the world—it wakes us up, boosts our energy and helps us focus—but people are always asking ‘How much caffeine is too much?’,” study researcher Professor Elina Hyppönen of the Australian Centre of Precision Health says in Science Daily. “Most people would agree that if you drink a lot of coffee, you might feel jittery, irritable or perhaps even nauseous—that’s because caffeine helps your body work faster and harder, but it is also likely to suggest that you may have reached your limit for the time being.”

There you have it. Unless you’re feeling the symptoms, you may want to aim to keep it to five or fewer cups to get the health benefits of coffee without the risk of heart disease down the line. Learn about what time of day you should be drinking your coffee.