Coffee addiction: Do people consume too much caffeine?

The bubbling kettle, the aroma from the mug, the first bitter mouthful of the morning.

It's a ritual without which the working day would be, for millions of people, frankly horrifying.

Caffeine is, according to New Scientist, the planet's most popular "psychoactive drug." In the United States alone, more than 90% of adults are estimated to use it every day.

But now even the US - home of Coca-Cola, Starbucks and the 5-Hour Energy shot - is questioning the wisdom of adding it to everyday foodstuffs like waffles, sunflower seeds, trail mix and jelly beans.

In a statement, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) highlighted the "unfortunate example" of Wrigley chewing gum producing packs of eight sticks which each contained as much caffeine as half a cup of coffee. Subsequently, Wrigley said it would "pause" production of the product, according to BBC NEWS.

"On the plus side, coffee is known to be packed full of antioxidants, which stop other molecules oxidising and producing free radicals.

"Women who drink two or more cups of coffee a day are less likely to get depressed, other research suggests.

"However previous studies have linked high caffeine intake to raised cholesterol and short-term high blood pressure."

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