By: Tamara Hinson

A recent study suggests the high amounts of caffeine in the coffee served on the high street could pose a risk to unborn babies. Can a cup of coffee really be that unhealthy? We spoke to the experts to find out.

So how much coffee should we actually be drinking? "Generally speaking, it's recommended to limit one's daily intake of caffeine to 400mg, or 200mg if pregnant," says Chris Eilers, chief executive at Dunn Bros Coffee. "Typically a shot of espresso contains about 30mg of caffeine versus a cup of drip coffee which can vary between 80mg and 130mg depending on the many brewing methods available, so any drink made with a single shot of espresso tends to be lower in caffeine. To take the caffeine level even lower, you can request a shot of espresso using half regular and half decaf."

According to nutritionist and private chef Jeffrey Lawton, people often underestimate the addictive qualities of caffeine, which means mothers-to-be might find ditching their morning cup of coffee trickier than they imagined. "Caffeine has many addictive components and much like smoking, the routine of drinking it plays a strong role alongside the chemical dependency," points out Jeffrey. "To cut back, keep the routine but gradually add decaf to your mix over a period of a month or two. Don't look to go cold turkey in a few days: take time and do it right. Keep drinking coffee - just slowly move to decaf, then none. Changing the caffeine dose and slowly changing the routine is best."

If you rely on that morning cup of coffee to boost energy levels and stave off hunger pangs, you could well be doing more harm than good. "Caffeine alters insulin reaction and creates false cravings," explains Jeffrey Lawton. "You may have an immediate suppression of appetite that you think will help your weight loss and boost energy at the gym, but you will pay for it later with a crash and typically consuming up to 30% more calories at the next meal."

Those who use coffee to keep them awake are often the ones most at risk from its side effects. "Paradoxically, people who are chronically stressed or run-down may suffer most from drinking too much coffee," warns Cassandra Barns, nutritionist at The Nutri Centre. "Stress depletes the resources of our adrenal glands, which are responsible for producing the hormones most associated with energy and motivation, so chronic stress can cause fatigue and lack of drive. Coffee mimics stress in terms of its effects on the body and on the adrenal glands, depleting their resources further - and tipping you further towards exhaustion."

Drinking coffee won't help keep you hydrated, either. "With coffee, although you will absorb some water from drinking it, too much caffeine can lead to dehydration and therefore a loss in performance and concentration," warns fitness consultant Kevin Witham. "Furthermore, caffeine is a stimulant and will release adrenalin, which will disrupt your blood glucose levels. This can lead to mood swings, hunger and craving sugary foods."

To complicate things, as the recent study suggests, the amount of caffeine does indeed vary hugely on the type of coffee used, although it's this variation which has also led some to describe the research as misleading. "Of the cafes mentioned, Starbucks uses higher-grown better quality Arabica coffee, but the Robusta coffee in the Costa blend contains a lot more caffeine, hence the findings," points out Alan Miller at Union Hand-Roasted Coffee. "Robusta is a cheaper variety of coffee bean that many cafes use to control cost and put a kick in the flavour but it's not a clean flavour that coffee aficionados would appreciate."

If you do want to cut out the caffeine entirely, the good news is that today's decaffeinated coffee is better than ever before. "Decaffeinated coffee beans are ideal for those trying to reduce their caffeine intake," says Mohammed Sarwar, owner of Markus Coffee. "For example, our decaffeinated coffee beans have 99.9% of their natural caffeine removed. It is a very popular choice among our customers who are very heavy coffee drinkers and those who like to have a cup just before they go to bed."

If you're still concerned about the health risks of coffee, don't just focus on the caffeine - cream, sugar and milk can all turn your morning cup of coffee into a potential health hazard. "Ask to have your latte made with skimmed milk or soy milk," suggests Chris Eilers at Dunn Bros coffee. "Based on the many research findings, it's not always just the caffeine that presents the health risk and one can certainly lower the amount of fat and sugar consumed by monitoring the extra ingredients often added to the coffee."

While drinking too much caffeine can undoubtedly cause problems, the health benefits of coffee are often overlooked. "For example, coffee can help reduce the formation of gallstones, the symptoms of which often lead to major surgery," points out Mohammed Sarwar. "An interesting study involving 40,000 male patients found that regular coffee drinkers had a reduced incidence of gallstone disease (two to three cups a day reduced incidence by 40%). A more recent study has shown similar results in women."

On a final note, it's important to remember that people have been drinking coffee for thousands of years without any ill effects, and with a little common sense, there's no reason to sacrifice your morning cup of coffee. "This research isn't anything new," says Chris Eilers. "Reducing or avoiding caffeine intake if pregnant makes sense but one does not need to give up drinking really great coffee. Many coffee shops serve up an outstanding cup of decaf."