It would likely take anywhere from 50-100 cups of coffee to result in a lethal dose of caffeine

Question

This is a true claim, after researching this article, I found that it quotes Dr Robert Glatter. Dr Glatter has a history of working with drugs, including caffeine, and is a very reliable source. since he is quoted in more than one article and both have the same claim, I find both to be true. This article is about Dr. Galtter's findings and is verified by him.  While caffeine is a harmful drug, it takes a lot to kill you; you would need a lot of coffee or a teaspoon of pure powder caffeine, which is around 28 cups of coffee, instantly.  This article works to get straight to its point and give you clear evidence on why caffeine may harm you; it reflects directly how much caffeine you can consume and how you should consume it in a healthy way. Both this article and the one that it is citing have the same valid evidence, both cited. 

Answer 1

The article’s claim asserts the possibility that coffee has the ability to kill you and proceeds to detail the amount of a lethal dose. This article, published by the American newspaper The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, sources an article from USA Today that references Robert Glatter, “an emergency physician at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City”. Glatter is quoted saying, “anywhere from 50-100 cups of coffee to result in a lethal dose of caffeine" (USA Today). In addition to a physician's recommendation, the article also includes information from the FDA that displays the alternative caffeine intake to a lethal dose, “400 milligrams a day”, roughly 2 to 3 cups (FDA.gov). The original claim of  “Here’s how much caffeine it takes to kill you” is true and not misleading since the article provides readers with guidelines for unsafe amounts of caffeine intake.

Answer 2

This article is a bit misleading. Nowhere in the article does it overtly answer the headline of the amount of caffeine would be lethal, and although certain statistics are correct and verified by the FDA, others are hard to track down where they came from. Dr. Robert Glatter, who is quoted, is a physician in emergency medicine which gives him credibility, but where he got his estimation of 50-100 cups of coffee as being lethal is unclear. Later in the article it's stated that 400 mg of caffeine is generally considered safe, which is about 5 cups of coffee. That means there's about 80 mg of caffeine per cup of coffee, and 50 cups of coffee would be about 3,200 mg of caffeine. The FDA does verify that 400 mg is considered the safe limit, but they say 1,200 mg is where toxic effects like seizures may start to occur. Seizures can lead to death so perhaps it would be less than 50 cups of coffee. However, the FDA also mentions rapid consumption of caffeine, so time is also not being factored into this article. Overall, the article has some informational legitimacy, but the title is clickbait-y and not clearly answered or verifiable.

The FDA article I sourced: https://www.fda.gov/consumers/consumer-updates/spilling-beans-how-much-caffeine-too-much#Footnote

Information of Dr. Glatter: https://faculty.medicine.hofstra.edu/6252-robert-glatter

Answer 3

The initial claim of the Atlanta Journal's article is that "It would likely take anywhere from 50-100 cups of coffee to result in a lethal dose of caffeine." 

This statement was made by Dr Robert Glatter in an interview with USA Today about the lethal dose of caffeine. Glatter is a trusted source in the medical field whose credentials have been verified as recently as this October in a Forbes article which stated the following credentials, "Dr. Robert Glatter, an emergency physician on staff at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City." 

The article further enforces its claim by citing information from the FDA regarding safe dosages of caffein for the average person, "400 milligrams a day... [or] two to three 12-fluid-ounce cups of coffee." In excess of this amount some people may begin to feel adverse effects.

In summary, the original claim, “Here’s how much caffeine it takes to kill you” is true, the article provides readers with statistically supported information for excessive and safe amounts of caffeine intake. In addition, the sub-claim that it takes "50-100 cups of coffee to result in a lethal dose" is also corroborated by reputable sources such as physicians and the FDA.

Answer 4

At first glance when I clicked on the article, I expected the title to be a little exaggerated to get readers to click on it. However, after reading the article, I believe the initial claim to be true. Robert Glatter, an emergency physician at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City, deliberately tells USA Today that, "It would likely take anywhere from 50-100 cups of coffee to result in a lethal dose of caffeine."

In an article from Healthline, Jennifer Temple, PhD, associate professor of exercise and nutrition sciences in the University at Buffalo School of Public Health and Health Professions, says that about 10 grams of caffeine is usually the lethal dose for most people. 10 grams is equivalent to 10,000 milligrams. If each cup of coffee has about 100-200 milligrams of caffeine, then the claim that Robert Glatter made that 50-100 cups of coffee is lethal would be spot on with Jennifer Temple's estimate. Therefore, I believe this to be a true claim.

https://www.healthline.com/health-news/how-you-can-die-from-caffeine

Answer 5

The claim this article makes is true. Drinking 50-100 cups of coffee in one sitting would lead to an overdose in caffeine. After looking into the source the article links, It leads to a similar article by USA Today, that had received a quote by a man named Dr. Robert Glatter. I have searched up the quote Dr. Glatter gave to USA Today and have found multiple other sources reference the same exact quote. I also looked at an article by the FDA that talks about healthy consumptions amounts of caffeine, and the FDA says "For most adults, the FDA has cited 400 milligrams a day — that's about two to three 12-fluid-ounce cups of coffee...". The FDA article also states "The FDA estimates toxic effects, like seizures, can be observed with rapid consumption of around 1,200 milligrams of caffeine, or less than 1/2 teaspoon of pure caffeine." To wrap up this assessment of the article, yes, the claim the article makes is true. consuming to much caffeine can harm your body, if not ending your life.

Links to sources provided by article:

This is how much caffeine it takes to kill an average person -USA Today

Spilling the Beans: How Much Caffeine is Too Much? | FDA -U.S. Food and Drug Administration

Dr. Robert Glatter, MD | New York, NY | Emergency Medicine Physician | US News Doctors - U.S. News (This is a link that leads to more information on Dr. Robert Glatter, the man who gave the quote the article uses)