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THE CAFFEINE CONTENT OF YOUR DAILY INDULGENCES
C O F F E E |
YesNoYesNoYesNoYesNo Coffee belongs to the YesNoYesNoYesNo list of foodstuff that's constantly brewing both good and bad news. Of course, it's really caffeine that is the indulgence of concern. If you gorge on dishfuls of chocolate ice cream and bagful of chocolate bars, or quaff down liters of coke or pitchers of tea, there could be just as much caffeine to rev up your pulse rate, besides doing a number on sugar peaks. But it's the coffee that gets press on the good or the bad of caffeine. Well, for coffee drinkers, for now, the good news far outnumber the bad. |
| In The News |
| CAFFEINE CONTENT |
| Frozen Desserts |
| Yogurts |
| Chocolates and Candies |
| Soft Drinks |
| Caffeinated Waters |
| Iced Teas |
| Flavored Instant Coffee |
| Energy Drinks |
| Caffeine was first isolated from coffee in 1820 by German chemist Friedlieb Ferdinand Runge, called it "Kaffebase." In 1821,independently, it was isolated by French chemists Pierre Robiquet, Pierre Pelletier, and Joseph Caventou. However, myth, legend, and history are replete with stories dating coffee and caffeine use centuries earlier. Chinese legend narrates that around 3000 BCE Emperor Shennong was already tea-ing up on an accidental decoction of fallen leaves. The ninth century recorded the use of coffee beans in Ethiopia. Then there are the hyperactive and insomniac goats noted to graze on coffee shrubs. In the 17th century coffee houses started sprouting up in Britain and Western Europe. The West Africans started chewing on kola nuts, adding it to coffee berries and tea leaves as pick-me-uppers. And there's the cocoa bean, part of the caffeine landscape since antiquity, introduced to Europe by the Spaniards as xocolati, bringing the cacao tree to the West Indies and the Philippines. However, although caffeine comes from various sources, it is coffee that caffeinates most of us. | ||
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| In The News | ||
| In the News: Starbucks coffee in California must have cancer warning, Judge says | ||
| In the News: Coffee Consumption and Health | ||
| In the News: FDA Investigates "Monster Energy" Drink Safety | ||
| In the News: Coffee vs The Grim Reaper: Drink Up | ||
| In the News: Caffeine Intake and Decreased Risk of Basal Cell Carcinoma of the Skin | ||
| In the News: Coffee Improves Markers of Inflammation and Oxidative Stress | ||
| In the News: Can Coffee Intake Lower Mortality Risk? | ||
| In the News: Tea, Coffee Consumption and MRSA Nasal Carriage (Aug 2011) | ||
| In the News: Drunk and Wide Awake: Energy Drink Cocktails (June 2011) | ||
| In the News: Coffee Improves Markers of Inflammation and Oxidative Stress | ||
| In the News: Cup of coffee a day lowers risk of high BP | ||
| In the News: Heavy Coffee Consumption Linked With Increased Risk of All-Cause Death | ||
| In the News: Higher Coffee Intake Tied to Lower Mortality Risk | ||
| In the News: High Coffee/Decaf/Tea Intake Linked to Lower Diabetes Risk | ||
| More
Good News for Long-Term Coffee Drinkers Study found no increased deaths and actual cardiac benefits for women |
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| Decaf Coffee. . . Not | ||
| In the News: Coffee Boosts Stroke Risk, Study Finds | ||
| In the News: Caffeine may protect brain against dementia (Mar 2017) |
| YOGURTS | SERVICE SIZE |
mg CAFFEINE |
| Danon Coffee Yogurt | 8 oz |
45 |
| Yoplait Cafe Au Lait Yogurt | 6 oz |
5 |
| Dannon Light Cappuccino Yogurt | 8 oz |
Less than 1 |
| Stonyfield Farm Cappuccino Yogurt | 8 oz |
0 |
| CHOCOLATES & CANDIES | SERVICE SIZE |
mg CAFFEINE |
| Hershey Special Dark Chocolate Bar | 1.5 oz bar |
31 |
| Hershey Milk Chocolate Bar | 1.5 oz bar |
10 |
| Coffee Nips hard candy | 2 pieces |
6 |
| Hot chocolate | 1 cup |
5 |
| CAFFEINATED WATERS | SERVICE SIZE |
mg CAFFEINE |
| Java Water | 16.9 oz |
125 |
| Krank | 16.9 oz |
100 |
| Aqua Blast | 16.9 oz |
90 |
| Water Joe | 16.9 oz |
60-70 |
| Aqua Java | 16.9 oz |
50-60 |
| ENERGY DRINKS | FLUID
OUNCES |
mg CAFFEINE |
mg/fluid oz |
| Full Throttle Energy Drink | 16 |
200 |
12.5 |
| Monster Energy Drink | 16 |
160 |
10.0 |
| NOS Energy Drink | 16 |
260 |
16.2 |
| NOS Powershot | 2 |
125 |
62.5 |
| Red Bull | 8.46 |
80 |
9.5 |
| Redline Power Rush | 2.5 |
350 |
140.0 |
| Rockstar | 16 |
160 |
10.0 |
| Rockstar 2x Energy Drink | 12 |
250 |
20.8 |
| Rockstar Energy Shot | 2.5 |
200 |
80.0 |
| Spike Energy Double Shot | 4.26 |
350 |
82.2 |
| Xyience Xenergy | 16 |
200 |
12.5 |
Natural Standard Safety Update: The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is investigating claims of deaths attributed to the the energy drink, Monster Energy®. The caffeine content of energy drinks are not always clearly included in the label. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that teenagers consume 100 mg or less of caffeine. A 24 oz can of Monster Energy contains about 240 mg of caffeine, about seven times the caffeine in a 12 ounce can of soda. |
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| AS A POINT OF REFERENCE, AN AVERAGE CUP OF BREWED COFFEE CONTAINS 135 MG OF CAFFEINE; AN AVERAGE CUP OF TEA, 50 MG. | |||
| For a comprehensive chart of caffeinated drinks on line, go to Energy Fiend. | |||
| In the News: Drunk and Wide Awake: Energy Drink Cocktails Sandra Fryhofer, MD There is a new trend among college students and adults of mixing energy drinks with alcohol in order to drink more and drink longer. . . These highly caffeinated energy drinks can deliver as high as 500 mg of caffeine per serving; so-called "energy shots" as high as 100-350 mg of caffeine per oz. . . . The consequences can be dangerous and deadly . . . The use of high caffeine content drinks that might counteract sleepiness and drunkenness, but which does not prevent impairment cause by alcohol, including judgment, reaction time, and motor skills . . . a state the report calls "wide awake drunkenness." Medscape |
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COMPARATIVE TABLE CAFFEINE CONTENT OF ENERGY DRINKS AND USUAL CAFFEINE DRINKS |
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DRINK |
Serving Size |
mg of Caffeine |
| Homemade coffee | 6 oz | 75 - 100 mg |
| Coffeehouse coffee | 6 oz | up to 150 mg |
| Caffeinated soda | 12 oz | 35 - 50 mg |
| Energy drink | one serving | 500 mg / serving |
| Energy shots | 1 oz | 100 -350 mg / oz |
| FDA limit for cola drinks is set at 0.02%, a max of 71 mg per 12-oz serving. At present, this limit does not apply to energy drinks. | ||
| In the News: Starbucks coffee in California must have cancer warning, judge says Starbucks Corp. and other coffee sellers must put a cancer warning on coffee sold in California, a Los Angeles judge ruled. The suit by a non-for-profit group for violation of a California law requiring companies to warn of chemicals in their products that could cause cancer. One such chemical is acrylamide, a byproduct of roasting coffee beans that is present in high levels in brewed coffee. (Nate Raymond / Reuters) |
| In the News: Heavy Coffee Consumption Linked With Increased Risk of All-Cause Death Study reports drinking more than four cups of coffee per day dose more than increase jitters. Heavy coffee consumption, defined as more than 28 cups of coffee per week, is associated with an increased risk of all-cause mortality among men. (Michael O'Riordan / Aug 15, 2013) Medscape News/Internal Medicine |
In the News: The editorialists comment: While it would be premature to recommend coffee intake to decrease mortality and prevent chronic disease, it is increasingly evident that 3 to 5 cups of coffee per day (up to 400 mg/d) is not associated with adverse health effects. (Marcia Frellick / Medscape / July 10, 2017) Higher Coffee Intake Tied to Lower Mortality Risk - Medscape - Jul 10, 2017. |
| In the News: FDA Investigates Monster Energy® Drink Safety The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is investigating claims that several deaths have been caused by Monster Energy®, an energy drink manufactured by Monster Beverage Corporation. . . Natural Standard |
| In the News: Coffee Vs The Grim Reaper: Drink Up Study showed that adjusted for other factors (white meat intake, red meat, total calories, smoking) the more coffee you drink, the lower the risk for all cause mortality (heart disease, stroke, respiratory disease, cancer, etc.) For cancer risk, zero impact. (Henry R. Black, MD / Medscape News / Internal Medicine) |
| In the News: Caffeine Intake and Decreased Risk of Basal Cell Carcinoma of the Skin Study showed the amount of caffeine intake from all dietary sources was inversely associated with basal cell carcinoma risk. Decaffeinated coffee consumption was not associated with a similar decrease in BCC risk. Read Abstract (Cancer Res. 2012 Jul 1;72(13):3282-9.) |
| In the News: Can Coffee Intake Lower Mortality Risk? For cause-specific mortality, researchers noted inverse associations for deaths resulting from heart disease, stroke, diabetes, respiratory disease, infections, injuries, and accidents. However, the same was not true of deaths from cancer. In contrast, there was no significant association between coffee consumption and deaths from cancer in women. There was a borderline positive association in men. The results provide reassurances with respect to the concern that coffee drinking might adversely affect health. N Engl J Med.2012;366:1891-1904. (From Medscape Education Clinical Briefs) |
 In the News: Tea and Coffee Consumption and MRSA Nasal Carriage An estimated 2.5 million persons (1.4% of the population in the U.S.) are MRSA (methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus Aureus) nasal carriers. Consumption of hot coffee or tea was found associated with a lower likelihood of MSRA nasal carriage and potential MESA infection. The odds of MRSA nasal carriage were lower for those drinking both beverages. The mechanisms await further studies and elucidation, for coffee it is attributed the potential antibacterial properties of trigonelline, glyoxal, methylglyoxal and diacetyl; and for tea, tannic acids and catechins. Additionally, both tend to decrease iron absorption, and iron is critical to Staph aureus growth. In addition, other studies have shown benefits with the use of green tea for debridement of MSRA-infected decubitus ulcers and nebulized green tea catechin extracts in decreasing MSRA in the sputum of elderly patients with cardiovascular disease. There was not statistical significant relationship with iced tea or soft drink consumption. The failure of iced tea to show similar benefits has been conjectured to lower levels of polyphenolic compounds compared to hot tea. Other factors considered were the volatile antimicrobial compounds in the vapors reaching the nostrils when drinking hot coffee or tea and the possible benefits of higher nostril temperature to immune response. (Tea and Coffee Consumption and MRSA Nasal Carriage Eric M. Matheson, MD, MS; Arch G. Mainous III, PhD; Charles J. Everett, PhD; Dana E. King, MD, MS / Annals of Family Medicine. 2011;9(4):299-304. © 2011 Annals of Family Medicine, Inc. / Medscape ) |
| In the News: Drunk and Wide Awake: Energy Drink Cocktails (Sandra Fryhofer, MD) There is a new trend among college students and adults of mixing energy drinks with alcohol in order to drink more and drink longer. This highly caffeinated energy drinks can deliver as high as 500 mg of caffeine per serving; so-called "energy shots" as high as 100-350 mg of caffeine per oz. The consequences can be dangerous and deadly . . . The trend involves the use of high caffeine content drinks that might counteract sleepiness and drunkenness, but which does not prevent impairment, reaction time and motor skills . . . a state of "wide awake drunkenness." Medscape |
| In the News: Coffee Consumption Improves Markers of Inflammation and Oxidative Stress Another study points to the beneficial effects of coffee consumption. Researches showed drinking coffee improved markers of subclinical inflammation and oxidative stress, as well as as increase in HDL cholesterol, the "good" cholesterol in the lipid profile. Although previous studies have shown possible protective benefits against T2DM, the study found no effects on glucose metabolism. (Heartwire CME / CME Author Laurie Barclay, MD) |
| In the News: High Coffee/Decaf/Tea Intake Linked to Lower Diabetes Risk Meta-analysis results showed high intakes of coffee, decaf coffee and tea are associated with a reduced risk for type 2 diabetes. Coffee consumption was reported to be inversely related with type 2 diabetes risk – every additional cup of coffee a day was associated with a 7% decrease in excess risk for diabetes. Although the study had limitations, the implications would be significant if the benefits are observed in interventional trials. (Laurie Barclay, MD / Medscape Medical News/ Dec 14, 2009) Coffee and Type 2 Diabetes - Drink Up? The results? Coffee lovers, rejoice. The highest coffee consumers had the lowest diabetes risk. Those who drank three or more cups of coffee per day had a 37% lower risk for diabetes as compared to those who limited their intake to one cup per day. . . Moderate coffee consumption -- that is, up to 6 eight-ounce cups per day -- may help prevent type 2 diabetes. So drink up and enjoy. (Sandra Fryhofer / Medscape Internal Medicine. Sept 10, 2014) |
| In the News: Cup of coffee a day lowers risk of high BP A Japanese study on 4,554 men, age range of 20-70, reports that drinking a cup of coffee or two a day lowers the risk of high blood pressure. Those who drank no coffee had a higher incidence of hypertension. The benefit was attributed to chlorogenic acid, a polyphenol found in coffee, considered to have an expanding effect on blood vessels. Another Japanese study reports a cup of coffee a day halves the risk of colon cancer among women. |
In
the News: Studies on coffee drinking have been for the most part favorable — great source of antioxidants, lower risk of ovarian cancer, lowering of blood pressure. However, for pregnant women, a study showed twice the miscarriage risk on two or more cups of coffee a day. Yahoo Health |
| In
the News: Coffee Boosts Stroke Risk, Study Finds Another bit of news to add to the "coffee paradox." A cup of coffee can increase the risk for ischemic stroke, particularly among infrequent drinkers. A study found a 2-fold increase risk for stroke in the hour after drinking a cup of coffee. There was no increase in risk in the hour after a cup of caffeinated tea or cola. Although coffee contains other substances, "caffeine if the most likely candidate pulling the trigger." The study was published in Neurology.2010;75:1583-1588. (Medscape Internal Medicine / Nov 2010) |
Decaf Coffee. . . Not! Same outlet Starbucks decaf espresso and brewed coffee contained 2.0-16.8 mg/shot and 12.0-13.4 mg per 16 oz serving. respectively. AS A POINT OF REFERENCE, AN AVERAGE CUP OF BREWED COFFEE CONTAINS 135 MG OF CAFFEINE; AN AVERAGE CUP OF TEA, 50 MGS. Although the math might suggest it will take 10 cups or more of faux-decaf to get the equivalent caffeine in a cup of regular brew, there are patients specially sensitive to the effects of caffeine who gets buzzed and charged at much lesser caffeine concentrations. Source: Caffeine Content of Decaffeinated Coffee: Journal of Analytical Toxicology, ISSN 0146-4760, Volume 30, Number 8, October 2006, pp.611-613 |
| In
the News Caffeine may protect the brain against dementia Caffeine could ward off dementia and other neurodegenerative conditions by enhancing the abilities of protective enzymes. Caffeine crosses the blood brain barrier and is a positive promoter of NMNAT2. Nicotinamide mononucleotide adenyl transferase 2 (NMNAT2 I is a key neuronal maintenance factor and provides potent neuroprotection in many preclinical models of neurological disorders. The enzyme NMNAT2 is significantly reduced in Alzheimer's, Huntington's and Parkinson's diseases. Caffeine is identified as a NMNAT2 positive-modulator. (Nutra) (5)` |
| In the News Coffee Consumption and Health Umbrella review of evidence across meta-analyses of observational and interventional studies of coffee consumption and heath outcome concludes that coffee consumption is generally safe within usual levels of intake, with largest risk reduction for various health outcomes at three to four cups a day, and more likely to benefit health than harm. (6) |
| Study: Caffeine attenuates PTZ-induced seizures and oxidative dame in rats: Study suggests the neuroprotective effect of low long-term caffeine exposure to epileptic damage and suggest that the increase in the cerebral GSH content caused by caffeine supplementation may provide a new therapeutic approach to the control of seizure. (Mauren Assis Souza et al / Neurochemistry International, Volume 62, Issue 6, May 2013, Pages 821–830) (7) |
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Last Update December 2017 |
| IMAGE SOURCE: A coffee house in Palestine / 1900 Copyright by B. L. Singley / File:Kahvihuone.jpg / Public Domain / Wikipedia |
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