The article throws light upon the facts and myths about caffeine consumption and how we should monitor its intake.
When it comes to caffeine consumption moderation seems to be the right approach. Thus like any other drug, if consumed in the right amounts it can produce the desirable effects of increasing your levels of alertness, giving you a boost in your energy levels and increasing you concentration ability.
Its due to the above mentioned attributes that coffee which is a rather concentrated source of caffeine, is the choice of most jet setting travellers embarking on long distance travels or even people who work in erratic shifts. Its ability to prevent sleep and effects of enhancing concentration are reasons why students turn to caffeine containing refreshing drinks of tea and coffee to keep them company while they burn the midnight lamp.
Research has shown that high levels of caffeine consumption have shown to cause anxiety, restlessness, tachycardia and insomnia in normal individuals. Individuals who are sensitive to caffeine have demonstrated the above mentioned effects of a greater intensity.
Various studies were carried out to investigate if this potent drug had anything to do with causing cancer or pregnancy related problems. However the results of these independent studies haven't been able to establish any such link.
Even the US FDA and the American Medical Association have gone on record to vouch that moderate caffeine consumption does not cause any significant health hazards. However this holds good provided ones diet, lifestyle and alcohol consumption are also moderate.
So how much of caffeine should one restrict ones self to? Is it safe to consume uncontrolled levels of caffeine to in order to keep adjusting our cardinal clocks so that we can keep going?
The answer to the above and all other questions that must be clouding your minds is a simple word "moderation". On an average, 200mg of caffeine which is equivalent o 2 cups of coffee is a moderate amount. However for those again who are sensitive to caffeine need to consult their physicians or health care providers about its consumption.
If you are consuming 500-600 0f caffeine on a daily basis and seem to be having any of the above mentioned undesirable effects, its time to cut down that consumption and control your caffeine intake.
Lets just take a look at the caffeine levels in the food and beverages we consume on a daily basis.
Soft drinks
| Soft drink brand (12 ounces) | Caffeine (milligrams) |
| 7Up | 0 |
| A&W Creme Soda | 29 |
| Barq's Root Beer | 23 |
| Cherry Coca-Cola, Diet Cherry Coca-Cola | 35 |
| Coca-Cola Classic | 35 |
| Code Red Mountain Dew | 54 |
| Diet Barq's Root Beer | 0 |
| Diet Coke | 47 |
| Dr Pepper, Diet Dr. Pepper | 41 |
| Diet Pepsi | 35 |
| Diet Wild Cherry Pepsi | 38 |
| Fanta | 0 |
| Mello Yellow | 53 |
| Mountain Dew, Diet Mountain Dew | 54 |
| Pepsi | 38 |
| Sprite, Sprite Zero | 0 |
| Sunkist Orange Soda | 41 |
| Tab | 47 |
| Wild Cherry Pepsi | 38 |
Sources: The Coca-Cola Co., 2007; Dr Pepper/Seven Up Inc., 2007; Journal of Food Science, PepsiCo 2007; Inc., 2007
Coffee
| Type of coffee | Caffeine (milligrams) |
| Caribou Cappuccino, 12 oz. | 160-200 |
| Decaffeinated, instant, 8 oz. | 2 |
| Decaffeinated, brewed, 8 oz. | 2 |
| Espresso, 1 fluid oz. | 64 |
| Instant, 8 oz. | 62 |
| Plain, brewed, 8 ounces (oz.) | 95 |
| Starbucks Caffe Latte, 16 oz. | 150 |
| Starbucks Coffee Grande, 16 oz. | 330 |
Sources: Caribou Coffee Co., 2007; Starbucks Corp., 2007; USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference, 2007
Tea
| Type of tea | Caffeine (milligrams) |
| Black tea, brewed, 8 ounces (oz.) | 47 |
| Decaffeinated, black tea, 8 oz. | 2 |
| Green tea, brewed, 8 oz. | 30-50 |
| Lipton Brisk Iced Tea, lemon flavored, 12 oz. | 10 |
| Nestea, sweetened or unsweetened, 12 oz. | 17 |
| Snapple Iced Tea, 16 oz. | 18 |
| Sobe Green Tea, 8 oz. | 14 |
| Starbucks Tazo Chai Tea Latte, 12 oz. | 75 |
Sources: Center for Science in the Public Interest, 2007; The Coca-Cola Co., 2007;
PepsiCo Inc., 2007; Starbucks Corp., 2007; USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference, 2007
Sports/Energy drinks
| Sports/Energy drink brand | Caffeine (milligrams) |
| AMP Tall Boy Energy Drink, 16 ounces (oz.) | 143 |
| Enviga, 12 oz. | 100 |
| Full Throttle, 16 oz. | 144 |
| Full Throttle Fury, 16 oz. | 144 |
| Monster Energy, 16 oz. | 160 |
| No Name (formerly known as Cocaine), 8.4 oz. | 280 |
| Red Bull, 8.3 oz. | 76 |
| Rockstar, 16 oz. | 160 |
| SoBe Adrenaline Rush, 16 oz. | 152 |
| Sobe No Fear, 16 oz. | 174 |
| Vault, 8 oz. | 47 |
Sources: Beverage Partners Worldwide, 2007; The Coca-Cola Co., 2007; Monster Beverage Co., 2007; PepsiCo Inc., 2007;Redux Beverages, 2007; Rockstar, 2007; USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference, 2007
Food and other products
| Product name | Caffeine (milligrams) |
| Excedrin, Extra Strength, 2 tablets | 130 |
| FooshEnergy Mints, 1 mint | 100 |
| Haagen-DazsCoffee Ice Cream, 1/2 cup | 30 |
| Hershey's Chocolate Bar, 1.55 ounces (oz.) | 9 |
| Hershey's Special Dark Chocolate Bar, 1.45 oz. | 18 |
| Jolt Caffeinated Gum, 1 stick | 33 |
| NoDoz Maximum Strength, 1 tablet | 200 |
| Starbucks Coffee Ice Cream, 8 oz. | 50-60 |
Sources: Center for Science in the Public Interest, 2007;Haagen-Dazs, 2007; The Hershey Co., 2007; Vroom Foods Inc., 2007
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