Caffeine Consumption

How Much Coffee, Soda, and Energy Drinks is Too Much

Sep 29, 2009

Americans are negligent in taking care of their bodies when it comes to the caffeine they consume in sodas, energy drinks, and coffee.

The average person in the United States consumes about 280 mg of caffeine each day, or three eight-ounce cups of coffee.

While this does not seem like much given the rising attraction to fanciful Starbucks beverages, a 2007 study at Dartmouth medical school found that consuming 400 mg of caffeine each day can decrease insulin sensitivity by 35%, increasing a person's risk of diabetes as less sugar is used for energy.

Knowing this, it is important to know how much caffeine is in common products, such as coffee and soda, especially when products like Shower Shock Soap are being marketed as a means of a morning boost with 200 mg/bar, or about 17 mg/use.

How Much Caffeine is in Chocolate

It was not too long ago that dark chocolate was being advertised in the news as healthier than milk chocolate because of its antioxidant properties. Perhaps not-so-coincidentally, products like dark M&M's made their way onto store shelves around the same time as the release of these scientific findings.

While dark chocolate does have properties that may make it more preferable to milk chocolate, reduced caffeine is not one of them since every ounce of dark chocolate has 20 mg of caffeine whereas an ounce of milk chocolate has 6 mg.

In terms of a regular size Hershey bar, dark bars have 51 mg more caffeine than milk chocolate.

How Much Caffeine is in Coffee and Espresso

Eight-ounce cups of coffee contain about 100 mg of caffeine. An excellent alternative is decaf coffee, which has about 5 mg, leaving the average American's three cups as innocent as an ounce of dark chocolate.

Of course, this will only work for those that appreciate coffee as a beverage as opposed to a lifeline of personal fossil fuel.

Further danger lies in drinks containing espresso. Every ounce of espresso contains roughly 60 mg of caffeine. This leads to fairly dangerous combinations, such as a Starbucks twelve-ounce tall coffee with a double shot. While making this drink is performed with ease, it offers the one who consumes it 270 mg of caffeine, just 10 mg shy of the daily average.

Ordering a 20 ounce venti of the same magnitude (coffee with two shots of espresso) is just a Coca-Cola away from decreasing insulin sensitivity by 35%, as noted in the Dartmouth study, but in one hour as opposed to a whole day.

How Much Caffeine is in Soda

While soda has many caffeine-free options, such as 7-Up and most root beers, many do have caffeine, but in lesser amounts than coffee. While less caffeine does not necessarily make soda healthier than coffee, since coffee can be enjoyed without sugar or artificial sweeteners, sodas can help caffeine junkies ween themselves off of the drug if they are concerned about the possible health effects.

The following chart can be used to determine the steps down the caffeine ladder:

*All soda caffeine content is based on twelve-ounce servings. For twenty ounces, multiply amount by 1.66.

Energy drinks have become all the rage. They are so popular that people are content to put two dollars into a Red Bull machine for an 8.3 ounce can. Interestingly enough, while energy drinks are more potent than sodas, they are not all more caffeinated.

Some drinks, such as XS Energy Drink, Ace, and BPM are caffeine-free. Other drinks are as caffeinated as Coke Classic, such as Adrenaline Sport, which has 35 mg of caffeine, and MDX, which has 47 mg.**

Coffee's chief caffeine competitor is Red Bull, which nears coffee with 80 mg in its 8.3 ounce can. Competing with fanciful coffee beverages, though, is the controversial Cocaine energy drink, which contains 280 mg, or the average daily consumption, in just one can!

If one was to embrace the greatness of this wonder drug, they could start their day with a Shower Shock lather and grab a regular coffee on the way out the door for a pre-day 167 mg. While out to lunch with a friend, a Diet Coke might seem like a better alternative to regular soda, bringing the caffeine total to 213.5 mg. As the day progresses, the afternoon drag strikes. Coffee brews in the office, and it's free. A trusty twelve-ounce mug is filled mostly with coffee, and then with sugar and milk, bringing the day's total to over 300 mg.

And it only gets worse for those who keep sweet chocolatey snacks at their desk, or frequent vending machines as a means of portion control.

Sources

The copyright of the article Caffeine Consumption in Men's Diet is owned by Christopher Pascale. Permission to republish Caffeine Consumption in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.