The CalorieKing Caffeine Guide

Caffeine occurs naturally in over 60 different types of plants. It is also produced artificially and added to certain foods.

For Americans, coffee is the biggest source of caffeine, and it's easy to see why. The delicious aroma, rich taste, and good buzz of a cup of coffee is hard to beat. It’s one of life’s simple pleasures that people everywhere take advantage of. Coffee is also an important social centerpiece in American life. Can you imagine a school, church, or community function without the security of a hot beverage in hand?

While most people still get their caffeine in the traditional form of a pot of coffee or a cup of tea (or in what’s become another traditional form – a bottle of Coke), energy drinks can also be a source of caffeine. Guarana is an active ingredient in many of these energy drinks, 4 grams of which contains about 160 mg of caffeine. That’s twice the amount of caffeine in a normal cup of instant coffee.

Caffeine is also found in chocolate, and in pain relievers and over-the-counter tablets such as No-Doz and Vivarin.

 

 

Caffeine affects different people in different ways. The amount of caffeine you have, your age, any medications you are taking, any alcohol you drink, the time of day you get your caffeine, your mood, your level of tiredness, and how sensitive your body is in general, all make a difference to how caffeine affects you.

• “Wake-up call,” “energy-boost,” and “pick-me-up” are among the most quoted physical benefits of caffeine. Some studies have even shown that caffeine can increase memory, powers of reasoning, motor skills and reaction times. (However, improved performance with caffeine can also be considered an effect of addiction!).
  
  
• Sleep disturbance is one of the more negative effects of caffeine consumption. Some people find that as little as one cup of coffee can interfere with their sleeping patterns. However, if you stop caffeine consumption at least five hours before sleeping, the effects should be minimal.
  
  
• Other negative effects of caffeine include the loss of calcium and potassium, which causes sore muscles and delayed recovery after exercise.
  
  
• Among the less well-known effects of caffeine are that it raises body temperature and makes your digestive system produce more acid. Polyphenols in coffee and tea can interfere with iron absorption, so it you're at risk for anemia it’s best to drink caffeinated beverages an hour before a meal, rather than afterward.
  
  
• Caffeine is a also diuretic, so it dehydrates your body and causes you go to the bathroom more often.

Caffeine is a drug. Most people who drink caffeine on a regular basis develop a tolerance to its effects. This means that, over time, you need to drink more and more cups of coffee, tea, cola or energy drinks to get a caffeine “buzz”. However, caffeine is generally safe to use at levels of up to 250 mg per day (about two cups of drip coffee or three shots of espresso). Regular large amounts (over 350 mg/day) may cause dependency (“caffeinism”) and adversely affect health.

The fact that many people experience caffeine-withdrawal symptoms when any heavy coffee drinking is suddenly reduced also indicates that caffeine is an addictive substance. As little as 1-2 cups of coffee (100-200 mg caffeine) daily can produce withdrawal effects which are immediately relieved by getting some caffeine. However, unlike many addictive substances, caffeine can be given up fairly easily by most people.

When it comes to caffeinated drinks, moderation is the key. A moderate intake of caffeine – up to 200 mg per day – is unlikely to do any harm to most people, and may even bring some benefits. However, excessive caffeine intake is bad for your health.

There are about 200 mg of caffeine in:

• 2-3 8 fl oz cups of drip coffee
• 2-3 shots of espresso
• 2 cappuccinos
• 2 - 3 8 fl oz cups strong black tea (or 5 cups medium strength black tea)
• 8 12 fl oz glasses/cans of iced tea
• 5 cans Diet Coke
• 2 Red Bull drinks
• 2 No-Doz regular strength tablets
• 3 Excedrin tablets
• 1 Dexatrim tablet

If you experience any of the following, you may be getting too much caffeine:

• chronic insomnia
• high blood pressure
• persistent anxiety and depression
• restlessness
• heart palpitations
• headaches
• nervousness
• stomach upset
• increased need to urinate

If you are sensitive to caffeine, you may “get the jitters” and experience increased body tension, headaches, and other stress-like symptoms from as little as one cup of coffee.

Overdose

Overdose from caffeine is possible, but it's rare. You risk overdose if you eat or drink more than 10 g of caffeine in one session – that's over 160 cups of regular instant coffee, which is unlikely, even for the most hard-core coffee addict!

When not to have caffeine

If you are pregnant you should avoid caffeine as it may increase the risk of miscarriage and low birth-weight. If you are nursing, diabetic or have a heart condition or stomach ulcers, you should probably abstain from caffeine altogether.

Children and caffeine

As little as 100 mg of caffeine ( two cans of cola drinks) can cause anxiety in a child and reduce his or her ability to sleep. Children who regularly choose cola or energy drinks over water, milk or fruit juice may also be missing out on essential nutrients such as calcium and vitamins, and are at risk of dehydration.

Some experts also blame caffeine for a number of behavioral problems, such as a fidgeting, distraction and inattentiveness. Children under eight should not have any caffeine.

 

If you drink black coffee or tea without milk, the only thing caffeine might do is stimulate your appetite for a cookie to go with your drink! There are almost no calories in black coffee and tea. There are also no calories in diet sodas.

However, if a double-cream frappucino is more your scene, your waistline will pay a high price for your caffeinated beverage. Of course, it's not the caffeine that's the problem, it's the sugar, cream, milk, flavored syrup and other goodies that might get added to your brew.

If you're trying to lose weight or improve your weight control, don't forget to find out how many calories you are drinking when you have a coffee, tea or soda. For some people, giving up their daily whole-milk latte and replacing it with a lower-calorie drink is enough to help them lose weight.

Here are the calories, fat and carbs in some of the most popular caffeinated beverages.

	Cals	Fat	Carbs
Coffee with 2Tbsp Half and Half and 1 packet sugar	50	5g	3.5g
Grande Latte with whole milk (Starbucks)	260	14g	21g
Grande Latte with non-fat milk (Starbucks)	160	0	20g
Grande Cappuccino with whole mik (Starbucks)	150	8g	13g
Grande Cappuccino with non-fat mik (Starbucks)	100	0	14g
Grande Latte with soy milk (Starbucks)	210	6g	28g
Chai Latte with whole milk (Tazo - Starbucks)	290	7g	50g
Grande Frappuccino Blended Coffee, caramel, with whipped cream (Starbucks)	430	16g	61g

If you decide to give up or cut down on caffeine, you may experience withdrawal symptoms including fatigue, drowsiness, headaches, body aches and irritability. These negative effects are temporary and will cease after a few days.

For heart health, and to minimize withdrawal symptoms, reduce your caffeine intake gradually rather than all at once, particularly if you usually consume a lot. Try substituting one or two of your normal drinks with herbal teas, coffee alternatives (like Kaffree Roma), caffeine free sodas, and fruit juices. Substitute one drink per week until you are below the 200 mg mark.

Decaffeinated drinks

Decaffeinated beverages may not be the healthy alternative that you're looking for. A recent study published in Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association found markedly elevated blood pressure and increased nervous system activity when occasional coffee drinkers drank a triple espresso, regardless of whether or not it contained caffeine.

The results suggest that some unknown ingredient or ingredients in coffee – not caffeine – is responsible for cardiovascular activation. Coffee contains several hundred different substances.

However, some people do find that if full-strength caffeine drinks affect them too adversely, decaffeinated versions can be a good alternative. 

Research into the impact of coffee on health is overwhelming: in the past few decades over 19,000 studies have been conducted into this little bean! For a while, researchers had coffee and caffeine doomed to the dregs as far as health was concerned, but despite some drawbacks, for many people a moderate amount of coffee may be more helpful than it is harmful.

The table below highlights a selection of some current study findings – the results of these studies are general and more research needs to be done. See the CalorieKing.com article “Caffeine and Your Health” for more detailed information about these health benefits and problems. Discuss any questions with your doctor.

Health area	Current coffee research	To drink or not to drink? Current thinking:
Arteries	Small doses, even as little as one cup of coffee, can cause temporary suffering of the blood vessel walls.	In sensitive individuals, limit caffeine to 100mg a day.
Blood Cholesterol	Oil compounds in unfiltered coffee (espresso and cafeteria style) appear to raise cholesterol.	Drinking filtered coffee will not affect blood cholesterol.
Cancer	IFIC says claims linking coffee and caffeine to certain cancers are not supported by medical research.	Keep to a healthy, well-balanced diet that may or may not include caffeine.
Colon Cancer	Scientists recently discovered the presence of a highly active compound (methylpyridinium) in coffee that may prevent colon cancer.	The anti-cancer compound is found in caffeinated, decaffeinated, and instant brewed coffees. Drink moderate amounts of any of these for the benefits.
Diabetes	A recent Harvard study shows 6 cups of coffee a day dramatically reduces risk of Type 2 diabetes, particularly in men.	If you choose to drink coffee, also eat well, exercise, and maintain a healthy weight as these approaches can prevent the onset of Type 2.
Fertility	There is very little evidence, but caffeine may affect the time it takes to get pregnant and increase risk of miscarriage or low birth-weight. May also affect sperm motility in men.	Not enough evidence behind these suggestions. But if you have fertility complications, try cutting out caffeine.
Gallstones	A comprehensive ten-year Harvard study found that people who drink coffee are at a lower risk for gallstones.	2-3 cups of caffeinated coffee a day may reduce the risk of gallstones by around 40%.
High Blood Pressure and Cardiovascular Disease	Some studies associate caffeine with increased blood pressure, others say there is only a weak connection. There are few links between caffeine and heart attack or stroke.	If you have an existing problem with high blood pressure – watch your caffeine intake. Keep it under 200mg a day.
Liver Disease	A 2004 study found those who drank more caffeine had fewer liver abnormalities. More research is needed.	Limit to 200-250mg of caffeine per day.
Osteoporosis	Excess caffeine can increase risk of osteoporosis and fractures.	If calcium intake is above 800mg a day there is little detrimental effect on bone density.
Parkinson’s Disease	Studies have shown that coffee consumption can decrease risk of Parkinson’s Disease. However, women who are heavy coffee drinkers and have hormone replacement therapy are one and a half times more likely to develop PD than heavy coffee drinkers who don't have HRT.	3-4 cups of caffeinated coffee a day may decrease risk, but if you are having HRT talk to your doctor about drinking coffee.
Pregnancy	Caffeine does reach the fetus and may disrupt the developing baby’s rest periods. Newborns may experience caffeine withdrawal.	Pregnant women should avoid caffeine.
Rheumatoid Arthritis	Research suggests that an ingredient in coffee other than caffeine may contribute to Rheumatoid Arthritis.	Four cups daily may increase risk of developing Rheumatoid Arthritis by 50%.
Stress	Caffeine is a stimulant. It increases heart rate, adrenaline, and stress levels.	If you’re anxiety levels are up, keep your caffeine intake down.