7 Surprising Facts About Caffeine



Caffeine Myth No. 5: Caffeine Has a Dehydrating EffectCaffeine can make you need to urinate. However, the fluid you consume in caffeinated beverages tends to offset the effects of fluid loss when you urinate. The bottom line is that although caffeine does act as a mild diuretic, studies show drinking caffeinated drinks in moderation doesn't actually cause dehydration.Caffeine Myth No. 6: Caffeine Harms Children, Who, Today, Consume Even More Than AdultsAs of 2004, children ages 6 to 9 consumed about 22 milligrams of caffeine per day. This is well within the recommended limit. However, energy drinks that contain a lot of caffeine are becoming increasingly popular, so this number may go up.Some kids are sensitive to caffeine, developing temporary anxiety or irritability, with a "crash" afterwards. Also, most caffeine that kids drink is in sodas, energy drinks, or sweetened teas, all of which have high sugar content. These empty calories put kids at higher risk for obesity.Even if the caffeine itself isn't harmful, caffeinated drinks are generally not good for kids.Caffeine Myth No. 8: Caffeine Has No Health BenefitsCaffeine has few proven health benefits. But the list of caffeine's potential benefits is interesting. Any regular coffee drinker may tell you that caffeine improves alertness, concentration, energy, clear-headedness, and feelings of sociability. You might even be the type who needs that first cup o' Joe each morning before you say a single word. Scientific studies support these subjective findings. One French study even showed a slower decline in cognitive ability among women who consumed caffeine.Other possible benefits include helping certain types of headache pain. Some people's asthma also appears to benefit from caffeine. These research findings are intriguing, but still need to be proven.Limited evidence suggests caffeine may also reduce the risk of the following:Parkinson's diseaseliver diseasecolorectal cancertype 2 diabetesdementiaDespite its potential benefits, don't forget that high levels of caffeine may have adverse effects. More studies are needed to confirm both its benefits and potential risks.WebMD Medical ReferenceView Article Sources?SOURCES:International Food Information Council Foundation: "Caffeine & Health: Clarifying the Controversies."Nutrition Action Health Letter: "Caffeine: The Good, the Bad, and the Maybe."European Food Information Council (EUFIC): "Myths and Facts about Caffeine."Johns Hopkins University Bayview Medical Center: "Information About Caffeine Dependence."Reviewed by?Melinda Ratini, DO, MS?on March 20, 2013? 2013 WebMD, LLC. All rights reserved.7 Surprising Facts About CaffeineMurray Carpenter?@Murray_journo March 24, 2014Most of us have an intimate relationship with caffeine. We crave it, love it, and take it every day in coffee, tea and sodas. It feels quite familiar. But as I researched my bookCaffeinated, I quickly learned that America’s favorite drug held surprises at every turn. Here are seven of them:1) Coke used to have as much caffeine as Red Bull:?For starters, consider energy drinks. Red Bull, Rockstar, Monster and other syrupy sweet, caffeinated drinks are suddenly everywhere. But there is really nothing new about them. As I read through the court papers from a 1911 trial pitting the federal government against Coca-Cola over the caffeine it blended into its products, I was surprised to learn that the early formulation for Coke was far more caffeinated than it is today. An eight-ounce serving had 80 milligrams of caffeine. This is the exact size and caffeine content of a modern Red Bull. Put another way, Coca-Cola pioneered the energy drink concept more than a century ago. The first Red Bull was a Coke.2) Energy drinks still don’t have as much caffeine as Starbucks coffee:?And then I ran into another popular misconception — the idea that these new energy drinks are super-caffeinated. Yes, they pack more of a caffeine punch than colas or teas, but rarely as much as coffee. It is hard to buy a coffee at Starbucks with less caffeine than a Red Bull (perhaps a single shot of espresso, or a mere four ounces of coffee). Even the popular 16-ounce Monsters and Rockstars — they supersize the Red Bull concept, doubling the size and the caffeine content — typically have about 160 milligrams of caffeine. That’s half the amount Starbucks estimates for a drip-brewed grandé.3) We drink less coffee today, per person, than we did in the 1950s:?So yes, we are drinking more energy drinks these days, but coffee culture still rules, right? We’ve got a Starbucks on every corner, it seems, and sometimes two, so we must be sipping more joe than ever. But here’s the weird thing — we drink less coffee than we did in 1950, a lot less. American coffee consumption peaked shortly after World War II, and then plummeted. Meanwhile, soft drinks became Americans’ favorite caffeinated beverages.4) Nonetheless, coffee still accounts for most of our caffeine intake:?But even as we chug more gallons of caffeinated sodas than coffee, we get more of our caffeine from coffee. Because the caffeine is more concentrated in coffee, it still provides two-thirds of the caffeine in our diet. Soft drinks come in second, and tea is in third place.5) Most tea today is iced:?And what about that tea, anyway? Again, it’s the source of a lot of misunderstanding. We typically think of tea as something prepared in a cup, with hot water poured over a tea bag, and sipped hot. But that is an archaic notion. So here’s another little-known fact — iced tea now accounts for 85 percent of the tea consumed in the US. This includes not just the sweet tea that lubricates southern living, but also the fast-growing bottled teas, ranging from Brisk and Nestea to the upscale Honest Tea and Tazo brands.6) It doesn’t take much to get hooked:?Even as our preferences have shifted toward bottled sodas and teas, with their lower caffeine concentrations, research has shown that it does not take much caffeine to develop dependence. And here is another caffeinated surprise — as little as 100 milligrams of caffeine daily is enough to get an adult hooked. That’s about five to eight ounces of coffee, two bags of Lipton tea, or three cans of Coke. At this level of caffeine consumption, most people will experience some symptoms of caffeine withdrawal if they quit abruptly. Symptoms can include lethargy, no surprise, but also irritability and, especially, the classic caffeine withdrawal headache.However it is marketed, we, the coffee-chugging, soda-swilling, caffeine-addicted American public, are delighted to buy all of it, to feed our habit and treat our ills.Murray Carpenter is the author of?Caffeinated, How Our Daily Habit Helps, Hurts and Hooks Us, recently published by Hudson Street Press.Caffeine content for coffee, tea, soda and moreBy Mayo Clinic StaffIf you're like most adults, caffeine is a part of your daily routine. But do you know the caffeine content of your favorite drink?You may want to take a look at just how much caffeine you get in a typical day, especially if you're bothered by headaches, restlessness or anxiety. If your caffeine habit totals more than 500 milligrams (mg) a day, you may want to consider cutting back.With the growing popularity of energy drinks, many parents have become concerned about how much caffeine their kids are getting. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that adolescents get no more than 100 mg of caffeine a day. Younger children shouldn't drink caffeinated beverages on a regular basis.Check the charts below to see the caffeine content in popular drinks, sweets and medications. One note about the numbers: Use them as a guide. The actual caffeine content of the same coffee drink can vary from day to day — even at the same coffee shop — because of various factors, such as roasting and grinding as well as brewing time. The caffeine content of tea also is affected by how long it's brewed.CoffeeType of coffeeSize*Caffeine?Adapted from Journal of Food Science, 2010; Pediatrics, 2011; USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference, Release 26; Journal of Analytical Toxicology, 2006; Starbucks, 2014; Food and Chemical Toxicology, 2014; Keurig, 2014*Sizes are listed in fluid ounces (oz.) and milliliters (mL).?Caffeine is listed in milligrams (mg).Brewed8 oz. (237 mL)95-200 mgBrewed, decaffeinated8 oz. (237 mL)2-12 mgBrewed, single-serve varieties8 oz. (237 mL)75-150 mgBrewed, single-serve varieties, decaffeniated8 oz. (237 mL)2-4 mgEspresso, restaurant-style1 oz. (30 mL)47-75 mgEspresso, restaurant-style, decaffeinated1 oz. (30 mL)0-15 mgInstant8 oz. (237 mL)27-173 mgInstant, decaffeinated8 oz. (237 mL)2-12 mgSpecialty drink (latte or mocha)8 oz. (237 mL)63-175 mgTeaType of teaSize*Caffeine?Adapted from Journal of Food Science, 2010; Pediatrics, 2011; Journal of Analytical Toxicology, 2008; USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference, Release 26; Journal of Analytical Toxicology, 2006; Starbucks, 2014; Food and Chemical Toxicology, 2014*Sizes are listed in fluid ounces (oz.) and milliliters (mL).?Caffeine is listed in milligrams (mg).Brewed tea??Black tea8 oz. (237 mL)14-70 mgBlack tea, decaffeinated8 oz. (237 mL)0-12 mgGreen tea8 oz. (237 mL)24-45 mgIced tea??Instant, prepared with water8 oz. (237 mL)11-47 mgReady-to-drink, bottled8 oz. (237 mL)5-40 mgSodasType of soft drinkSize*Caffeine?Adapted from Journal of Food Science, 2010; Pediatrics, 2011; USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference, Release 26; Journal of Food Science, 2007; Journal of Analytical Toxicology, 2006; Pepsico, 2014; Coca-Cola, 2014; Dr Pepper, 2014; A&W Root Beer; 7UP*Sizes are listed in fluid ounces (oz.) and milliliters (mL).?Caffeine is listed in milligrams (mg).A&W Root Beer12 oz. (355 mL)0 mgBarq's Root Beer12 oz. (355 mL)16-18 mgCoca-Cola12 oz. (355 mL)23-35 mgDiet Coke12 oz. (355 mL)23-47 mgDiet Pepsi12 oz. (355 mL)27-37 mgDr Pepper, regular and diet12 oz. (355 mL)36-42 mgMtn Dew, regular and diet12 oz. (355 mL)42-55 mgMug Root Beer, regular and diet12 oz. (355 mL)0 mg7UP12 oz. (355 mL)0 mgPepsi12 oz. (355 mL)32-39 mgSierra Mist, regular and diet12 oz. (355 mL)0 mgSprite, regular and diet12 oz. (355 mL)0 mgEnergy drinksType of energy drinkSize*Caffeine?Adapted from Journal of Food Science, 2010; American Academy of Pediatrics, 2011; USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference, Release 26; Consumer Reports, 2014; Mayo Clinic Proceedings, 2010; 5-Hour Energy, 2014; Pepsico, 2014; Full Throttle; RedBull*Sizes are listed in fluid ounces (oz.) and milliliters (mL).?Caffeine is listed in milligrams (mg).Amp, regular or sugar-free8 oz. (237 mL)71-74 mg5-Hour Energy shot2 oz. (60 mL)200-207 mgFull Throttle, regular or sugar-free8 oz. (237 mL)70-100 mgRed Bull, regular or sugar-free8.4 oz. (248mL)75-80 mgRockstar, regular or sugar-free8 oz. (237 mL)79-80 mgOther productsType of productSizeCaffeine*Adapted from Pediatrics, 2011; USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference, Release 26; Food and Drug Administration, 2014; Vroom Foods, Inc., 2014; NoDoz, 2014; Excedrin, 2014; Jolt, 2014*Caffeine is listed in milligrams (mg). ................
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