Article SectionsIntroductionCaffeine is a substance that exists naturally in certain plants, including tea leaves, kola nuts, and coffee and cocoa beans. It can also be produced synthetically and added to foods and beverages. When caffeine is added to foods and beverages in the United States, it must appear in the list of ingredients on the label. But manufacturers aren't required to list the amount of caffeine. This is true in many other countries as well. Caffeine is a stimulant. It can increase alertness and even enhance performance of certain tasks. For most people, moderate doses of caffeine — 200 to 300 milligrams (mg) a day — aren't harmful. However, excessive caffeine — more than 500 mg a day — can cause irritability, nervousness, anxiety, insomnia, headaches and diarrhea. Coffee | Type of coffee | Caffeine
(milligrams) | Plain, brewed,
8 ounces (oz.) | 135 | | Instant, 8 oz. | 95 | | Espresso, 1 fluid oz. | 30-50 | | Flavored, 8 oz. | 25-100 | Decaffeinated, brewed,
8 oz. | 5 | Decaffeinated, instant,
8 oz. | 3 | | Starbucks' Coffee Grande, 16 oz. | 259 | Sources: American Dietetic Association, 2005; Center for Science in the Public Interest, 1997; International Food Information Council, 1998 Tea | Type of tea | Caffeine
(milligrams) | | Black tea, 8 ounces (oz.) | 40-70 | | Green tea, 8 oz. | 25-40 | Decaffeinated, black tea,
8 oz. | 4 | | Nestea, sweetened or unsweetened, 12 oz. | 26 | | Lipton Brisk Iced Tea, all varieties, 12 oz. | 9 | Sources: American Beverage Association, 2005; Bowes & Church's Food Values of Portions Commonly Used, 2005; Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, 2003 Soft drinks Brand of soft drink
(12 ounces) | Caffeine
(milligrams) | | 7-Up | 0 | | A&W Creme Soda | 29 | | Barq's Root Beer | 22 | | Cherry Coca-Cola, Diet Cherry Coca-Cola | 34 | | Coca-Cola Classic | 34 | | Code Red Mountain Dew | 55 | | Diet Barq's Root Beer | 0 | | Diet Coke | 45 | | Dr Pepper | 41 | | Diet Pepsi-Cola | 36 | | Diet Wild Cherry Pepsi | 36 | | Fanta | 0 | | Mello Yello, Diet Mello Yello | 51 | | Mountain Dew, Diet Mountain Dew | 55 | | Pepsi-Cola | 37 | | Sprite, Diet Sprite | 0 | | Sunkist Orange Soda, Diet Sunkist Orange Soda | 41 | | Tab | 47 | | Wild Cherry Pepsi | 38 | Sources: American Beverage Association, 2005; The Coca-Cola Co., 2005; Dr Pepper/Seven Up Inc., 2005 Sports/Energy drinks Brand of
sports/energy drinks | Caffeine
(milligrams) | AMP Energy Drink,
8.4 ounces (oz.) | 75 | | Full Throttle, 16 oz. | 144 | | KMX Orange, 8.4 oz. | 75 | Red Bull, 8.5 oz.
(250 milliliters) | 80 | SoBe Adrenaline Rush,
8.3 oz. | 79 | | SoBe No Fear, 16 oz. | 158 | Sources: American Beverage Association, 2005; SoBe Beverages, 2005; Red Bull, 2005 Last Updated: 10/03/2005
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