There have been a lot of arguments about this, but the usual answer is that you shouldn't really have more than two cups a day. To be exact, you are recommended to have no more than 300 milligrams of caffeine per day at the most (many say 200), which equates to two ordinary mugs, though I suppose if you drink tiny cups - as I do, for instance - or take your coffee weak, you could have one or two more.

However, it's not as simple as that becaus the amount of caffeine varies greatly from one type of coffee to another and some people are more sensitive to its effects than others. There is some added risk to pregnant women in drinking too much coffee, so they are recommended to drink less than normal or stick to decaffeinated.

Coffee does have health benefits too, especially in lifting your mood, so there is no need to cut it out altogether. Drinking it less strong is one way to lower your intake.