Universities of Leeds and Leicester - Caffeine study gives a jolt

Research conducted at the universities of Leeds and Leicester and published in the BMJ has led the Food Standards Agency (FSA) to issue new advice on caffeine to pregnant women. The research showed that a caffeine intake of 500mg a day - equivalent to five mugs of coffee - puts women at a 16 per cent risk of having a low birthweight baby, compared with a 12 per cent risk among those with the lowest intake. The FSA's new advice is that pregnant women should limit their caffeine intake to 200mg a day.