What caffeine does and doesn’t do for your health explained.

Nine out of 10 Americans have some caffeine every day, UNC Health says, whether that be coffee, tea or an energy drink.There are downsides: in large amounts, caffeine can lead to seizures, sudden high blood pressure and breathing issues.

But in safe amounts – the Food and Drug Administration recommends a daily limit of 400 milligrams – studies have shown those who regularly drink some caffeinated beverages may be less likely to develop cardiovascular disease and liver, endometrial, skin and neck cancer.A study released earlier this month also showed drinking two to three cups of coffee a day, or one to two cups of tea, was associated with a lower risk of dementia – regardless of a person’s genetic risk for the neurodegenerative condition.

We also compared people with different genetic predispositions to developing dementia and saw the same results, meaning coffee or caffeine is likely equally beneficial for people with high and low genetic risk of developing dementia,” Yu Zhang, a Ph.D. student at Harvard Chan School, explained in a statement.

The study is the latest in years of research linking caffeinated drinks to improved cognition. Researchers at Johns Hopkins University said in 2014 that caffeine could help aid memory, and people who took 200 milligram tablets were able to boost their recall after just 24 hours.