Caffeine awareness: How much are you getting?

How much caffeine is safe to consume daily? The U.S. Food and Drug Administration considers 400 milligrams (about 4 cups of brewed coffee) a safe amount for healthy adults. Pregnant women should limit their caffeine to half that amount. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends no caffeine for children under the age of 12 and limiting caffeine to 100 mg daily for children ages 12-18.

Coffee contains about 95 milligrams of caffeine per eight ounces. Espresso is more concentrated, providing 65 mg caffeine in one shot or 1-½ ounces. Tea has less caffeine than coffee and varies by the type of tea you drink. One cup of black tea contains about 47 mg caffeine and green tea has half that amount at 28 mg. Teas contain natural compounds that slow the release of caffeine, so the effects may last longer.

Coffee and tea are the most commonly consumed caffeinated drinks; however, it is important to recognize other sources of caffeine in your diet. Caffeinated sodas like colas contain about 40 mg caffeine in 12 oz., while Mountain Dew contains 55 mg caffeine.

Other popular caffeinated drinks are energy drinks like Monster, Rockstar and Red Bull. The standard serving (16 ounces) of energy drinks contain 170 mg caffeine. Drinking chilled drinks, like sodas and energy drinks, are easier to digest quickly so there is a risk of drinking excessive amounts.

Another source of caffeine is energy shots and tablets, often found at convenience stores and gas stations to help people stay awake while driving. A two-ounce energy shot or tablet contains about 200 mg caffeine.

We know that caffeine is found naturally in chocolate but you can still enjoy your favorite chocolate bar. The type of chocolate makes a difference with bittersweet and darker chocolates containing higher concentrations of caffeine, around 15 mg per ounce, than five mg in milk chocolate. Read labels carefully for some chocolate or coffee-flavored snack bars, chewing gum and candies that have added synthetic caffeine.

If you are interested in learning how much caffeine you consume in a day, you can use the caffeine calculator developed by the International Food Information Council Foundation. Click this link to check your caffeine intake: https://foodinsight.org/caffeine-and-you/#sec-5.

So, how much is too much? People have their own level of sensitivity to caffeine. It is important to monitor your symptoms to know when you have reached your comfort level. Caffeine toxicity is possible when consuming large amounts of caffeine, 1,000 to 1,400 mg, in one dose and can be fatal. This occurs with overuse of caffeine pills, tablets or energy shots.