Too much of anything can be bad. Sometimes, it only takes a spoonful, or even less. In July 2014, the Food & Drug Administration warned about powdered pure caffeine. Usually added to drinks before workouts for an energy boost or to aid weight loss, or as a dietary supplement. It was also used as a study aid among college students. In May of 2014, a high school senior in LaGrange, Ohio died, days before graduation, after consuming one teaspoon of powdered caffeine – the equivalent of drinking 25 cups of coffee or 70 cans of Red Bull. His autopsy found more than 70 micrograms of caffeine per milliliter of blood in his system, more than 20 times that of an average coffee drinker. The difference between a safe and lethal amount of caffeine is very small.Continue reading