High levels of caffeine in your diet:
- can cause low birth weight for your baby
- may increase the risk of miscarriage
- are sometimes linked to increased blood pressure and heart rate
- may cause dehydration
Common drinks and food with caffeine
Foods and drinks containing caffeine include:
- coffee
- tea
- cocoa
- milk chocolate and dark chocolate
- soft drinks, such as cola, fizzy orange and fizzy lemonade
- energy drinks
- some herbal teas, for example, green tea and white tea
- kola nuts
- chewing gum
Caffeine can be found in some medicines. These include cold and flu remedies and pain relief medicines.
Limit how much caffeine you have
You do not need to cut caffeine out completely. But try to limit it to no more than 200mg a day.
200mg of caffeine a day is:
- 2 to 4 cups of tea
- 2 cups of instant coffee
- 1 cup of filtered or brewed coffee
Information:
The amount of caffeine in tea and coffee can depend on the brand, brewing time and method. Tea and coffee bought in a cafe may be stronger than tea and coffee made at home.
Drinks you can choose with little or no caffeine include:
- decaffeinated tea and coffee
- fruit juice
- water
Try to limit the amount of energy drinks you have. They can be high in caffeine.