Reasonable Rascal
09-24-01, 07:55
[1.] The Chemistry of Caffeine and related products
1.How much caffeine is there in [drink/food/pill]?
2.How much caffeine there is in X coffee?
3.Chemically speaking, what is caffeine?
4.Is it true that tea has no caffeine/What is theine, theobromine, etc?
5.Where can I find a gif of the caffeine molecule?
6.Is it true that espresso has less caffeine than regular coffee?
7.How does caffeine taste?
8.How much theobromine/theophylline there is in ...?
9.Does dark roast coffee have less caffeine than light roast?
10.How do I measure caffeine content at home?
11.Is there a legal limit for caffeine content?
[2.]Caffeine and your Health
1.Caffeine Withdrawal
2.What happens when you overdose?
3.Effects of caffeine on pregnant women.
4.Caffeine and Osteoporosis (Calcium loss)
5.Studies on the side-effects of caffeine...
6.Caffeine and your metabolism.
[3.]Miscellaneous
1.How do you pronounce mate?
[4.] Recipes
1.Chocolate covered espresso beans
2.How to make your own chocolate
3.NOTE: for Coffee Recipes check the Coffee FAQ
[5.] Electronic Resources
1.The Chemistry of Caffeine and related products
1.How much caffeine is there in [drink/food/pill]?
According to the National Soft Drink Association, the following is the caffeine content in mgs per 12 oz can of soda:
Afri-Cola 100.0 (?)
Red Bull 80 (per 250 ml)
Jolt 71.2
Sugar-Free Mr. Pibb 58.8
Pepsi One 55.5
Mountain Dew 55.0 (no caffeine in Canada)
Diet Mountain Dew 55.0
Kick citrus 54 (36mg per 8oz can, caffeine from guarana)
Mello Yellow 52.8
Surge 51.0
Tab 46.8
Battery energy drink -- 140mg/l = 46.7mg/can
Coca-Cola 45.6
Shasta Cola 44.4
Shasta Cherry Cola 44.4
Shasta Diet Cola 44.4
Mr. Pibb 40.8
OK Soda 40.5
Sunkist orange 40
Dr. Pepper 39.6
Storm 38
Big Red 38
Pepsi Cola 37.2
Aspen 36.0
Diet Pepsi 35.4
RC Cola 36.0
Diet RC 36.0
Canada Dry Cola 30.0
Barq's Root Beer 23
Canada Dry Diet Cola 1.2
7 Up 0
Diet Rite Cola 0
Sprite 0
Mug Root Beer 0
Diet Barq's Root Beer 0
Sundrop Orange 0
Minute Maid Orange 0
A & W Root Beer 0
Krank2o sample 1 97.7mg/500ml sample 2 101.6mg/500ml
Lab: Ameritech Labs, College Pt, NY; tested Sep 03, 96
Krank2o middle 96.4mg/500ml
Lab: Ameritech Labs, tested Aug 29, 96
By means of comparison, a 7 oz cup of coffee has the following caffeine (mg) amounts, according to Bunker and McWilliams in J. Am. Diet. 74:28-32, 1979:
Drip 115-175
Espresso 100mg of caffeine 1 serving (1.5-2oz)
Brewed 80-135
Instant 65-100
Decaf, brewed 3-4
Decaf, instant 2-3
Tea, iced (12 ozs.) 70
Tea, brewed, imported 60
Tea, brewed, U.S. 40
Tea, instant 30
Mate 25-150mg
The variability in the amount of caffeine in a cup of coffee or tea is relatively large even if prepared by the same person using the same equipment and ingredients day after day.
Reference Variability in caffeine consumption from coffee and tea: Possible significance for
epidemiological studies by B. Stavric, R. Klassen, B. Watkinson, K. Karpinski, R. Stapley, and P. Fried in "Foundations of Chemical Toxicology", Volume 26, number 2, pp. 111-118, 1988 and an easy to read overview, Looking for the Perfect Brew by S. Eisenberg, "Science News", Volume 133, April 16, 1988, pp. 252-253.
Quote from the lab manual:
Caffeine is present in tea leaves and in coffee to the extent of about 4%. Tea also contains two other alkaloids, theobromine and theophylline. These last two relax the smooth muscles where caffeine stimulates the heart and respiratory systems.
The effects of theobromine are, compared to caffeine and theophylline, relatively moderate. However, cocoa contains eight times more theophylline than caffeine. As well, caffeine has been shown to combine with other substances for added potency. Thus the effects of theobromine might be enhanced by the caffeine in chocolate.
Theobromine is highly toxic to dogs and kills many canids/year via chocolate poisoning . It takes quite a dose to reach fatal levels (more than 200 mg/kg bodyweight) but some dogs have a bad habit of eating out of garbage cans and some owners have a bad habit of feeding dogs candy. A few oreos won't hurt a dog, but a pound of chocolate can do considerable damage.
Clinical signs of theobromine toxicity in canids usually manifest 8 hours after ingestion and can include: thirst, vomiting, diarrhea, urinary incontinence, nervousness, clonic muscle spasms, seizures and coma. Any dog thought to have ingested a large quantity of chocolate should be brought to an emergency clinic asap, where treatment usually includes the use of emetics and activated charcoal. The dog will thus need to be monitored to maintain proper fluid and electrolyte balance.
Pathogenesis of theobromine toxicity: evidently large quantities of theobromine have a diuretic effect, relax smooth muscles, and stimulate the heart and cns.
Reference:
Fraser, Clarence M., et al, eds. The Merck Veterinary Manual, 7th ed. Rahway, NJ: Merck & Co., Inc. 1991. pp. 1643-44.
On humans caffeine acts particularly on the brain and skeletal muscles while theophylline targets heart, bronchia, and kidneys.
Other data on caffeine:
Cup of coffee 90-150mg
Instant coffee 60-80mg
Tea 30-70mg
Mate 25-150mg
Cola 30-45mg
Chocolate bar 30mg
Stay-awake pill 100mg
Vivarin 200mg
Cold relief tablet 30mg
The following information is from Bowes and Church's Food values of portions commonly used, by Anna De Planter Bowes. Lippincott, Phila. 1989. Pages 261-2: Caffeine.
Candy:
Chocolate mg caffeine
baking choc, unsweetened, Bakers--1 oz(28 g) 25
german sweet, Bakers -- 1 oz (28 g) 8
semi-sweet, Bakers -- 1 oz (28 g) 13
Choc chips
Bakers -- 1/4 cup (43 g) 13
german sweet, Bakers -- 1/4 cup (43 g) 15
Chocolate bar, Cadbury -- 1 oz (28 g) 15
1.4 oz bar of milk choc. 3-10
1.4 oz bar of white choc 2-4
1.4 oz. bar of dark choc 28
Chocolate milk 8oz 8
Chocolate milk 8 oz. glass 2-7
Desserts:
Jello Pudding Pops, Choc (47 g) 2
Choc mousse from Jell-O mix (95 g) 6
Jello choc fudge mousse (86 g) 12
Chocolate covered espresso bean 3-5
Beverages
3 heaping teaspoons of choc powder mix 8
2 tablespoons choc syrup 5
1 envelope hot cocoa mix 5
Dietary formulas
ensure, plus, choc, Ross Labs -- 8 oz (259 g) 10
Cadbury Milk Chocolate Bar
More stuff:
Guarana "Magic Power" (quite common in Germany),
15 ml alcohol with 5g Guarana Seeds 250.0 mg
Guarana capsules with 500 mg G. seeds 25.0 mg / capsule
(assuming 5% caffeine in seeds as stated in literature)
Guarana soda pop is ubiquitous in Brazil and often available at tropical groceries here. It's really tasty and packs a wallop. Guarana wakes you up like crazy, but it doesn't cause coffee jitters.
It is possible that in addition to caffeine, there is some other substance in guarana that also produces an effect, since it 'feels' different than coffee. Same goes for mate.
2.How much caffeine there is in X coffee?
Caffeine Content in beans and blends
(Source: Newsletter--Mountanos Bros. Coffee Co., San Francisco)
VARIETALS/STRAIGHTS
Brazil Bourbons 1.20%
Celebes Kalossi 1.22
Colombia Excelso 1.37
Colombia Supremo 1.37
Costa Rica Tarrazu 1.35
Ethiopian Harrar-Moka 1.13
Guatemala Antigua 1.32
Indian Mysore 1.37
Jamaican Blue Mtn/Wallensford Estate 1.24
Java Estate Kuyumas 1.20
Kenya AA 1.36
Kona Extra Prime 1.32
Mexico Pluma Altura 1.17
Mocha Mattari (Yemen) 1.01
New Guinea 1.30
Panama Organic 1.34
Sumatra Mandheling-Lintong 1.30
Tanzania Peaberry 1.42
Zimbabwe 1.10
BLENDS & DARK ROASTS
Colombia Supremo Dark 1.37%
Espresso Roast 1.32
French Roast 1.22
Vienna Roast 1.27
Mocha-Java 1.17
DECAFS--all @ .02% with Swiss Water Process
3.Chemically speaking, what is caffeine?
Caffeine is an alkaloid. There are numerous compounds called alkaloids, among them we have the
methylxanthines, with three distinguished compounds: caffeine, theophylline, and theobromine, found in cola nuts, coffee, tea, cacao beans, mate and other plants. These compounds have different biochemical effects, and are present in different ratios in the different plant sources. These compounds are very similar and differ only by the presence of methyl groups in two positions of the chemical structure. They are easily oxidized to uric acid and other methyluric acids which are also similar in chemical structure.
Caffeine:
Sources: Coffee, tea, cola nuts, mate, guarana.
Effects: Stimulant of central nervous system, cardiac muscle, and respiratory system, diuretic Delays fatigue.
Theophylline:
Sources: Tea
Effects: Cariac stimulant, smooth muscle relaxant, diuretic, vasodilator
Theobromine:
Sources: Principle alkaloid of the cocoa bean (1.5-3%) Cola nuts and tea
Effects: Diuretic, smooth muscle relaxant, cardiac stimulant, vasodilator.
(Info from Merck Index)
The presence of the other alkaloids in colas and tea may explain why these sometimes have a stronger kick than coffee. Colas, which have lower caffeine contents than coffee are, reportedly, sometimes more active. Tea seems the strongest for some. Coffee seems more lasting for mental alertness and offers fewer jitters than the others.
4.Is it true that tea has no caffeine/What is theine, theobromine, etc?
From "Principles of biochemistry", Horton and al, 1993.
Caffeine is sometimes called "theine" when it's in tea. This is probably due to an ancient misconception that the active constituent is different. Theophylline is present only in trace amounts. It is more diuretic, more toxic and less speedy.
Caffeine 1,3,7-trimethylxanthine
Theophylline 1,3-dimethylxanthine
Theobromine 3,7-dimethylxanthine
Coffee and tea contain caffeine and theophylline, respectively, which are methylated purine
derivatives that inhibit cAMP phosphodiesterase. In the presence of these inhibitors, the
effects of cAMP, and thus the stimulatory effects of the hormones that lead to its production,
are prolonged and intensified.
Theobromine and theophylline are two dimethylxanthines that have two rather than three methyl groups. Theobromine is considerably weaker than caffeine and theophylline, having about one tenth the stimulating effect of either.
Theobromine is found in cocoa products, tea (only in very small amounts) and kola nuts, but is not found in coffee. In cocoa, its concentration is generally about 7 times as great as caffeine. Although, caffeine is relatively scarce in cocoa, its mainly because of theobromine that cocoa is "stimulating".
Theophylline is found in very small amounts in tea, but has a stronger effect on the heart and breathing than caffeine. For this reason it is often the drug of choice in home remedies for treating asthma bronchitis and emphysema. The theophylline found in medicine is made from extracts from coffee or tea.
6.Is it true that espresso has less caffeine than regular coffee?
Yes and no. An espresso cup has about as much caffeine as a cup of dark brew. But servings for espresso are much smaller. Which means that the content of caffeine per milliliter are much higher than with a regular brew. Moreover, caffeine is more quickly rectumimilated when taken in concentrated dosages, such as an espresso cup.
The myth of lower caffeine espresso comes comes from the fact that the darker roast beans used for espresso do have less caffeine than regularly roasted beans as roasting is supposed to break up or sublimate the caffeine in the beans (I have read this quote on research articles, but found no scientific studies supporting it. Anybody out there?). But espresso is prepared using pressurized water through significantly more ground (twice as much?) than regular drip coffee, resulting in a higher percentage of caffeine per milliliter. Please refer also to Does dark roast coffee have less caffeine than light roast?
Here's the caffeine content of Drip/Espresso/Brewed Coffee:
Drip 115-175
Espresso 100 1 serving (1-2oz)
Brewed 80-135
7.How does caffeine taste?
Caffeine is very bitter. Barq's Root Beer contains caffeine and the company says that it has "12.78mg per 6oz" and that they "add it as a flavoring agent for the sharp bitterness"
8.How much theobromine/theophylline there is in ...?
Sources: Physicians Desk Reference and Institute of Food Technologies from Pafai and Jankiewicz (1991)
DRUGS AND HUMAN BEHAVIOUR
cocoa 250mg theobromine
bittersweet choc. bar 130mg theobromine
5 oz cup brewed coffee no theobromine
tea 5oz cup brewed 3min
with teabag 3-4 mg theophylline
Diet Coke no theobromine or theophylline
9.Does dark roast coffee have less caffeine than light roast?
It really depends on how you measure the caffeine. If you measure by weight you actually have more caffeine in dark roast because the water loss if faster than the caffeine loss. If you measure by volume you have less caffeine because the beans expand as they roast.
10.How do I measure caffeine content at home?
To the best of my knowledge this can not be accomplished without sophisticated equipment. The Department of Energy's web page briefly explains what is involved.
11.Is there a legal limit for caffeine content?
The answer to that is it depends on the country. A few examples of laws related to caffeine content for food and drinks include the following:
In the United States there is a limit of 6mg of caffeine per liquid ounce in beverages. There is also a limit of 200mg in pills such as Vivrin.
Australia has a limit of Australia 145mg of caffeine per liter.
In parts of Northern Thailand it is completely illegal. It was outlawed as a precursor to meth.
Caffeine and your Health
Important: This information was excerpted from several sources, no claims are made to its accuracy. The FAQ mantainer is not a medical doctor and cannot vouch for the accuracy of this information.
1.Caffeine Withdrawal: Procedures and Symptoms.
How to cut caffeine intake?
Most people report a very good success ratio by cutting down caffeine intake at the rate of 1/2 cup of coffee a day. This is known as Caffeine Fading. Alternatively you might try reducing coffee intake in discrete steps of two-five cups of coffee less per week (depending on how high is your initial intake). If you are drinking more than 10 cups of coffee a day, you should seriously consider cutting down.
The best way to proceed is to consume caffeine regularly for a week, while keeping a precise log of the times and amounts of caffeine intake (remember that chocolate, tea, soda beverages and many headache pills contain caffeine as well as coffee). At the end of the week proceed to reduce your coffee intake at the rate recommended above. Remember to have substitutes available for drinking: if you are not going to have a hot cup of coffee at your 10 minute break, you might consider having hot chocolate or herbal tea, but NOT decaff, since decaff has also been shown to be addictive. This should take you through the works without much problem.
Some other people quit cold turkey. Withdrawal symptoms are quite nasty this way (see section below) but they can usually be countered with lots of sleep and exercise. Many people report being able to stop drinking caffeine almost cold-turkey while on holidays on the beach. If quitting cold turkey is proving too hard even in the beach, drinking a coke might help.
What are the symptoms of caffeine withdrawal?
Regular caffeine consumption reduces sensitivity to caffeine. When caffeine intake is reduced, the body becomes oversensitive to adenosine. In response to this oversensitiveness, blood pressure drops dramatically, causing an excess of blood in the head (though not necessarily on the brain), leading to a headache.
This headache, well known among coffee drinkers, usually lasts from one to five days, and can be alleviated with analgesics such as aspirin. It is also alleviated with caffeine intake (in fact several analgesics contain caffeine dosages).
Often, people who are reducing caffeine intake report being irritable, unable to work, nervous, restless, and feeling sleepy, as well as having a headache. In extreme cases, nausea and vomiting has also been reported.
2.What happens when you overdose?
From Desk Reference to the Diagnostic Criteria from DSM-3-R (American Psychiatric rectumociation, 1987):
Caffeine-Induced Organic Mental Disorder 305.90 Caffeine Intoxication
1.Recent consumption of caffeine, usually in excess of 250 mg.
2.At least five of the following signs:
1.restlessness
2.nervousness
3.excitement
4.insomnia
5.flushed face
6.diuresis
7.gastrointestinal disturbance
8.muscle twitching
9.rambling flow of thought and speech
10.tachycardia or cardiac arrhythmia
11.periods of inexhaustibility
12.psychomotor agitation
3.Not due to any physical or other mental disorder, such as an Anxiety Disorder.
Basically, overdosing on caffeine will probably be very very unpleasant but not kill or deliver permanent damage. However, People do die from it.
Toxic dose
The LD_50 of caffeine (that is the lethal dosage reported to kill 50% of the population) is estimated at 10 grams for oral administration. As it is usually the case, lethal dosage varies from individual to individual according to weight. Ingestion of 150mg/kg of caffeine seems to be the LD_50 for all people. That is, people weighting 50 kilos have an LD_50 of approx. 7.5 grams, people weighting 80 kilos have an LD_50 of about 12 grams.
In cups of coffee the LD_50 varies from 50 to 200 cups of coffee or about 50 vivarins (200mg each).
One exceptional case documents survival after ingesting 24 grams. The minimum lethal dose ever reported was 3.2 grams intravenously, this does not represent the oral MLD (minimum lethal dose).
In small children ingestion of 35 mg/kg can lead to moderate toxicity. The amount of caffeine in an average cup of coffee is 50 - 200 mg. Infants metabolize caffeine very slowly.
Symptoms
Acute caffeine poisoning gives early symptoms of anorexia, tremor, and restlessness. Followed by nausea, vomiting, tachycardia, and confusion. Serious intoxication may cause delirium, seizures, supraventricular and ventricular tachyarrhythmias, hypokalemia, and hyperglycemia. Chronic high-dose caffeine intake can lead to nervousness, irritability, anxiety, tremulousness, muscle twitching, insomnia, palpitations and hyperreflexia. For blood testing, cross-reaction with theophylline rectumays will detect toxic amounts. (Method IA) Blood concentration of 1-10 mg/L is normal in coffee drinkers, while 80 mg/L has been rectumociated with death.
Treatment
Emergency Measures
Maintain the airway and rectumist ventilation.
Treat seizures & hypotension if they occur.
Hypokalemia usually goes away by itself.
Monitor Vital Signs.
Specific drugs & antidotes. Beta blockers effectively reverse cardiotoxic effects mediated by excessive beta-adrenergic stimulation. Treat hypotension or tachyarrhythmias with intravenous propanolol, .01 - .02 mg/kg. , or esmolol, .05 mg/kg , carefully titrated with low doses. Esmolol is preferred because of its short half life and low cardioselectivity.
Decontamination
Induce vomiting or perform gastric lavage.
Administer activated charcoal and cathartic.
Gut emptying is probably not needed if 1 2 are performed promptly.
The toxic dose is going to vary from person to person, depending primarily on built-up tolerance. A couple people report swallowing 10 to 13 vivarin and ending up in the hospital with their stomaches pumped, while a few say they've taken that many and barely stayed awake.
A symptom lacking in the clinical manual but reported by at least two people on the net is a loss of motor ability: inability to move, speak, or even blink. The experience is consistently described as very unpleasant and not fun at all, even by those very familiar with caffeine nausea and headaches.
3.Effects of caffeine on pregnant women.
Caffeine has long been suspect of causing mal-formations in fetus, and that it may reduce fertility rates.
These reports have proved controversial. What is known is that caffeine does causes malformations in rats, when ingested at rates comparable to 70 cups a day for humans. Many other species respond equally to such large amounts of caffeine.
Data is scant, as experimentation on humans is not feasible. In any case moderation in caffeine ingestion seems to be a prudent course for pregnant women. Recent references are Pastore and Savitz, Case-control study of caffeinated beverages and preterm delivery. American Journal of Epidemiology, Jan 1995.
A recent study found a weak link between Sudden-Infant-Death-Syndrome (SIDS) and caffeine consumption by the mother, which reinforces the recommendation for moderation -possibly even abstinence- above.
On men, it has been shown that caffeine reduces rates of sperm motility which may account for some findings of reduced fertility.
4.Caffeine and Osteoporosis (Calcium loss)
From the Journal of AMA: (JAMA, 26 Jan. 1994, p. 280-3.)
"There was a significant rectumociation between (drinking more) caffeinated coffee and decreasing bone mineral density at both the hip and the spine, independent of age, obesity, years since menopause, and the use of tobacco, estrogen, alcohol, thiazides, and calcium supplements [in women]."
Except when:
"Bone density did not vary [...] in women who reported drinking at least one glass of milk per day during most of their adult lives."
That is, if you drink a glass of milk a day, there is no need to worry about the caffeine related loss of calcium.
5.Studies on the side-effects of caffeine.
OAKLAND, California (UPI) -- Coffee may be good for life. A major study has found fewer suicides among coffee drinkers than those who abstained from the hot black brew.
The study of nearly 130,000 Northern California residents and the records of 4,500 who have died looked at the effects of coffee and tea on mortality.
Cardiologist Arthur Klatsky said of the surprising results, ``This is not a fluke finding because our study was very large, involved a multiracial population, men, women, and examined closely numerous factors related to mortality such as alcohol consumption and smoking.''
The unique survey also found no link between coffee consumption and death risk. And it confirmed a ``weak'' connection of coffee or tea to heart attack risk -- but not to other cardiovascular conditions such as stroke.
The study was conducted by the health maintenance organization Kaiser Permanente and was reported Wednesday in the Annals of Epidemiology.
6.Caffeine and your metabolism.
Caffeine increases the level of circulating fatty acids. This has been shown to increase the oxidation of these fuels, hence enhancing fat oxidation. Caffeine has been used for years by runners and endurance people to enhance fatty acid metabolism. It's particularly effective in those who are not habitual users.
Caffeine is not an appetite suppressant. It does affect metabolism, though it is a good question whether its use truly makes any difference during a diet. The questionable rationale for its original inclusion in diet pills was to make a poor man's amphetamine-like preparation from the non-stimulant sympathomimetic phenylpropanolamine and the stimulant caffeine. (That you end up with something very non-amphetamine like is neither here nor there.) The combination drugs were called "Dexatrim" or Dexa-whosis (as in Dexedrine) for a reason, namely, to rectumert its similarity in the minds of prospective buyers. However, caffeine has not been in OTC diet pills for many years per order of the FDA, which stated that there was no evidence of efficacy for such a combination.
From Goodman and Gilman's The Pharmacological Basis of Therapeutics:
Caffeine in combination with an analgesic, such as aspirin, is widely used in the treatment of ordinary types of headache. There are few data to substantiate its efficacy for this purpose. Caffeine is also used in combination with an ergot alkaloid in the treatment of migrane (Chapter 39).
1.How much caffeine is there in [drink/food/pill]?
2.How much caffeine there is in X coffee?
3.Chemically speaking, what is caffeine?
4.Is it true that tea has no caffeine/What is theine, theobromine, etc?
5.Where can I find a gif of the caffeine molecule?
6.Is it true that espresso has less caffeine than regular coffee?
7.How does caffeine taste?
8.How much theobromine/theophylline there is in ...?
9.Does dark roast coffee have less caffeine than light roast?
10.How do I measure caffeine content at home?
11.Is there a legal limit for caffeine content?
[2.]Caffeine and your Health
1.Caffeine Withdrawal
2.What happens when you overdose?
3.Effects of caffeine on pregnant women.
4.Caffeine and Osteoporosis (Calcium loss)
5.Studies on the side-effects of caffeine...
6.Caffeine and your metabolism.
[3.]Miscellaneous
1.How do you pronounce mate?
[4.] Recipes
1.Chocolate covered espresso beans
2.How to make your own chocolate
3.NOTE: for Coffee Recipes check the Coffee FAQ
[5.] Electronic Resources
1.The Chemistry of Caffeine and related products
1.How much caffeine is there in [drink/food/pill]?
According to the National Soft Drink Association, the following is the caffeine content in mgs per 12 oz can of soda:
Afri-Cola 100.0 (?)
Red Bull 80 (per 250 ml)
Jolt 71.2
Sugar-Free Mr. Pibb 58.8
Pepsi One 55.5
Mountain Dew 55.0 (no caffeine in Canada)
Diet Mountain Dew 55.0
Kick citrus 54 (36mg per 8oz can, caffeine from guarana)
Mello Yellow 52.8
Surge 51.0
Tab 46.8
Battery energy drink -- 140mg/l = 46.7mg/can
Coca-Cola 45.6
Shasta Cola 44.4
Shasta Cherry Cola 44.4
Shasta Diet Cola 44.4
Mr. Pibb 40.8
OK Soda 40.5
Sunkist orange 40
Dr. Pepper 39.6
Storm 38
Big Red 38
Pepsi Cola 37.2
Aspen 36.0
Diet Pepsi 35.4
RC Cola 36.0
Diet RC 36.0
Canada Dry Cola 30.0
Barq's Root Beer 23
Canada Dry Diet Cola 1.2
7 Up 0
Diet Rite Cola 0
Sprite 0
Mug Root Beer 0
Diet Barq's Root Beer 0
Sundrop Orange 0
Minute Maid Orange 0
A & W Root Beer 0
Krank2o sample 1 97.7mg/500ml sample 2 101.6mg/500ml
Lab: Ameritech Labs, College Pt, NY; tested Sep 03, 96
Krank2o middle 96.4mg/500ml
Lab: Ameritech Labs, tested Aug 29, 96
By means of comparison, a 7 oz cup of coffee has the following caffeine (mg) amounts, according to Bunker and McWilliams in J. Am. Diet. 74:28-32, 1979:
Drip 115-175
Espresso 100mg of caffeine 1 serving (1.5-2oz)
Brewed 80-135
Instant 65-100
Decaf, brewed 3-4
Decaf, instant 2-3
Tea, iced (12 ozs.) 70
Tea, brewed, imported 60
Tea, brewed, U.S. 40
Tea, instant 30
Mate 25-150mg
The variability in the amount of caffeine in a cup of coffee or tea is relatively large even if prepared by the same person using the same equipment and ingredients day after day.
Reference Variability in caffeine consumption from coffee and tea: Possible significance for
epidemiological studies by B. Stavric, R. Klassen, B. Watkinson, K. Karpinski, R. Stapley, and P. Fried in "Foundations of Chemical Toxicology", Volume 26, number 2, pp. 111-118, 1988 and an easy to read overview, Looking for the Perfect Brew by S. Eisenberg, "Science News", Volume 133, April 16, 1988, pp. 252-253.
Quote from the lab manual:
Caffeine is present in tea leaves and in coffee to the extent of about 4%. Tea also contains two other alkaloids, theobromine and theophylline. These last two relax the smooth muscles where caffeine stimulates the heart and respiratory systems.
The effects of theobromine are, compared to caffeine and theophylline, relatively moderate. However, cocoa contains eight times more theophylline than caffeine. As well, caffeine has been shown to combine with other substances for added potency. Thus the effects of theobromine might be enhanced by the caffeine in chocolate.
Theobromine is highly toxic to dogs and kills many canids/year via chocolate poisoning . It takes quite a dose to reach fatal levels (more than 200 mg/kg bodyweight) but some dogs have a bad habit of eating out of garbage cans and some owners have a bad habit of feeding dogs candy. A few oreos won't hurt a dog, but a pound of chocolate can do considerable damage.
Clinical signs of theobromine toxicity in canids usually manifest 8 hours after ingestion and can include: thirst, vomiting, diarrhea, urinary incontinence, nervousness, clonic muscle spasms, seizures and coma. Any dog thought to have ingested a large quantity of chocolate should be brought to an emergency clinic asap, where treatment usually includes the use of emetics and activated charcoal. The dog will thus need to be monitored to maintain proper fluid and electrolyte balance.
Pathogenesis of theobromine toxicity: evidently large quantities of theobromine have a diuretic effect, relax smooth muscles, and stimulate the heart and cns.
Reference:
Fraser, Clarence M., et al, eds. The Merck Veterinary Manual, 7th ed. Rahway, NJ: Merck & Co., Inc. 1991. pp. 1643-44.
On humans caffeine acts particularly on the brain and skeletal muscles while theophylline targets heart, bronchia, and kidneys.
Other data on caffeine:
Cup of coffee 90-150mg
Instant coffee 60-80mg
Tea 30-70mg
Mate 25-150mg
Cola 30-45mg
Chocolate bar 30mg
Stay-awake pill 100mg
Vivarin 200mg
Cold relief tablet 30mg
The following information is from Bowes and Church's Food values of portions commonly used, by Anna De Planter Bowes. Lippincott, Phila. 1989. Pages 261-2: Caffeine.
Candy:
Chocolate mg caffeine
baking choc, unsweetened, Bakers--1 oz(28 g) 25
german sweet, Bakers -- 1 oz (28 g) 8
semi-sweet, Bakers -- 1 oz (28 g) 13
Choc chips
Bakers -- 1/4 cup (43 g) 13
german sweet, Bakers -- 1/4 cup (43 g) 15
Chocolate bar, Cadbury -- 1 oz (28 g) 15
1.4 oz bar of milk choc. 3-10
1.4 oz bar of white choc 2-4
1.4 oz. bar of dark choc 28
Chocolate milk 8oz 8
Chocolate milk 8 oz. glass 2-7
Desserts:
Jello Pudding Pops, Choc (47 g) 2
Choc mousse from Jell-O mix (95 g) 6
Jello choc fudge mousse (86 g) 12
Chocolate covered espresso bean 3-5
Beverages
3 heaping teaspoons of choc powder mix 8
2 tablespoons choc syrup 5
1 envelope hot cocoa mix 5
Dietary formulas
ensure, plus, choc, Ross Labs -- 8 oz (259 g) 10
Cadbury Milk Chocolate Bar
More stuff:
Guarana "Magic Power" (quite common in Germany),
15 ml alcohol with 5g Guarana Seeds 250.0 mg
Guarana capsules with 500 mg G. seeds 25.0 mg / capsule
(assuming 5% caffeine in seeds as stated in literature)
Guarana soda pop is ubiquitous in Brazil and often available at tropical groceries here. It's really tasty and packs a wallop. Guarana wakes you up like crazy, but it doesn't cause coffee jitters.
It is possible that in addition to caffeine, there is some other substance in guarana that also produces an effect, since it 'feels' different than coffee. Same goes for mate.
2.How much caffeine there is in X coffee?
Caffeine Content in beans and blends
(Source: Newsletter--Mountanos Bros. Coffee Co., San Francisco)
VARIETALS/STRAIGHTS
Brazil Bourbons 1.20%
Celebes Kalossi 1.22
Colombia Excelso 1.37
Colombia Supremo 1.37
Costa Rica Tarrazu 1.35
Ethiopian Harrar-Moka 1.13
Guatemala Antigua 1.32
Indian Mysore 1.37
Jamaican Blue Mtn/Wallensford Estate 1.24
Java Estate Kuyumas 1.20
Kenya AA 1.36
Kona Extra Prime 1.32
Mexico Pluma Altura 1.17
Mocha Mattari (Yemen) 1.01
New Guinea 1.30
Panama Organic 1.34
Sumatra Mandheling-Lintong 1.30
Tanzania Peaberry 1.42
Zimbabwe 1.10
BLENDS & DARK ROASTS
Colombia Supremo Dark 1.37%
Espresso Roast 1.32
French Roast 1.22
Vienna Roast 1.27
Mocha-Java 1.17
DECAFS--all @ .02% with Swiss Water Process
3.Chemically speaking, what is caffeine?
Caffeine is an alkaloid. There are numerous compounds called alkaloids, among them we have the
methylxanthines, with three distinguished compounds: caffeine, theophylline, and theobromine, found in cola nuts, coffee, tea, cacao beans, mate and other plants. These compounds have different biochemical effects, and are present in different ratios in the different plant sources. These compounds are very similar and differ only by the presence of methyl groups in two positions of the chemical structure. They are easily oxidized to uric acid and other methyluric acids which are also similar in chemical structure.
Caffeine:
Sources: Coffee, tea, cola nuts, mate, guarana.
Effects: Stimulant of central nervous system, cardiac muscle, and respiratory system, diuretic Delays fatigue.
Theophylline:
Sources: Tea
Effects: Cariac stimulant, smooth muscle relaxant, diuretic, vasodilator
Theobromine:
Sources: Principle alkaloid of the cocoa bean (1.5-3%) Cola nuts and tea
Effects: Diuretic, smooth muscle relaxant, cardiac stimulant, vasodilator.
(Info from Merck Index)
The presence of the other alkaloids in colas and tea may explain why these sometimes have a stronger kick than coffee. Colas, which have lower caffeine contents than coffee are, reportedly, sometimes more active. Tea seems the strongest for some. Coffee seems more lasting for mental alertness and offers fewer jitters than the others.
4.Is it true that tea has no caffeine/What is theine, theobromine, etc?
From "Principles of biochemistry", Horton and al, 1993.
Caffeine is sometimes called "theine" when it's in tea. This is probably due to an ancient misconception that the active constituent is different. Theophylline is present only in trace amounts. It is more diuretic, more toxic and less speedy.
Caffeine 1,3,7-trimethylxanthine
Theophylline 1,3-dimethylxanthine
Theobromine 3,7-dimethylxanthine
Coffee and tea contain caffeine and theophylline, respectively, which are methylated purine
derivatives that inhibit cAMP phosphodiesterase. In the presence of these inhibitors, the
effects of cAMP, and thus the stimulatory effects of the hormones that lead to its production,
are prolonged and intensified.
Theobromine and theophylline are two dimethylxanthines that have two rather than three methyl groups. Theobromine is considerably weaker than caffeine and theophylline, having about one tenth the stimulating effect of either.
Theobromine is found in cocoa products, tea (only in very small amounts) and kola nuts, but is not found in coffee. In cocoa, its concentration is generally about 7 times as great as caffeine. Although, caffeine is relatively scarce in cocoa, its mainly because of theobromine that cocoa is "stimulating".
Theophylline is found in very small amounts in tea, but has a stronger effect on the heart and breathing than caffeine. For this reason it is often the drug of choice in home remedies for treating asthma bronchitis and emphysema. The theophylline found in medicine is made from extracts from coffee or tea.
6.Is it true that espresso has less caffeine than regular coffee?
Yes and no. An espresso cup has about as much caffeine as a cup of dark brew. But servings for espresso are much smaller. Which means that the content of caffeine per milliliter are much higher than with a regular brew. Moreover, caffeine is more quickly rectumimilated when taken in concentrated dosages, such as an espresso cup.
The myth of lower caffeine espresso comes comes from the fact that the darker roast beans used for espresso do have less caffeine than regularly roasted beans as roasting is supposed to break up or sublimate the caffeine in the beans (I have read this quote on research articles, but found no scientific studies supporting it. Anybody out there?). But espresso is prepared using pressurized water through significantly more ground (twice as much?) than regular drip coffee, resulting in a higher percentage of caffeine per milliliter. Please refer also to Does dark roast coffee have less caffeine than light roast?
Here's the caffeine content of Drip/Espresso/Brewed Coffee:
Drip 115-175
Espresso 100 1 serving (1-2oz)
Brewed 80-135
7.How does caffeine taste?
Caffeine is very bitter. Barq's Root Beer contains caffeine and the company says that it has "12.78mg per 6oz" and that they "add it as a flavoring agent for the sharp bitterness"
8.How much theobromine/theophylline there is in ...?
Sources: Physicians Desk Reference and Institute of Food Technologies from Pafai and Jankiewicz (1991)
DRUGS AND HUMAN BEHAVIOUR
cocoa 250mg theobromine
bittersweet choc. bar 130mg theobromine
5 oz cup brewed coffee no theobromine
tea 5oz cup brewed 3min
with teabag 3-4 mg theophylline
Diet Coke no theobromine or theophylline
9.Does dark roast coffee have less caffeine than light roast?
It really depends on how you measure the caffeine. If you measure by weight you actually have more caffeine in dark roast because the water loss if faster than the caffeine loss. If you measure by volume you have less caffeine because the beans expand as they roast.
10.How do I measure caffeine content at home?
To the best of my knowledge this can not be accomplished without sophisticated equipment. The Department of Energy's web page briefly explains what is involved.
11.Is there a legal limit for caffeine content?
The answer to that is it depends on the country. A few examples of laws related to caffeine content for food and drinks include the following:
In the United States there is a limit of 6mg of caffeine per liquid ounce in beverages. There is also a limit of 200mg in pills such as Vivrin.
Australia has a limit of Australia 145mg of caffeine per liter.
In parts of Northern Thailand it is completely illegal. It was outlawed as a precursor to meth.
Caffeine and your Health
Important: This information was excerpted from several sources, no claims are made to its accuracy. The FAQ mantainer is not a medical doctor and cannot vouch for the accuracy of this information.
1.Caffeine Withdrawal: Procedures and Symptoms.
How to cut caffeine intake?
Most people report a very good success ratio by cutting down caffeine intake at the rate of 1/2 cup of coffee a day. This is known as Caffeine Fading. Alternatively you might try reducing coffee intake in discrete steps of two-five cups of coffee less per week (depending on how high is your initial intake). If you are drinking more than 10 cups of coffee a day, you should seriously consider cutting down.
The best way to proceed is to consume caffeine regularly for a week, while keeping a precise log of the times and amounts of caffeine intake (remember that chocolate, tea, soda beverages and many headache pills contain caffeine as well as coffee). At the end of the week proceed to reduce your coffee intake at the rate recommended above. Remember to have substitutes available for drinking: if you are not going to have a hot cup of coffee at your 10 minute break, you might consider having hot chocolate or herbal tea, but NOT decaff, since decaff has also been shown to be addictive. This should take you through the works without much problem.
Some other people quit cold turkey. Withdrawal symptoms are quite nasty this way (see section below) but they can usually be countered with lots of sleep and exercise. Many people report being able to stop drinking caffeine almost cold-turkey while on holidays on the beach. If quitting cold turkey is proving too hard even in the beach, drinking a coke might help.
What are the symptoms of caffeine withdrawal?
Regular caffeine consumption reduces sensitivity to caffeine. When caffeine intake is reduced, the body becomes oversensitive to adenosine. In response to this oversensitiveness, blood pressure drops dramatically, causing an excess of blood in the head (though not necessarily on the brain), leading to a headache.
This headache, well known among coffee drinkers, usually lasts from one to five days, and can be alleviated with analgesics such as aspirin. It is also alleviated with caffeine intake (in fact several analgesics contain caffeine dosages).
Often, people who are reducing caffeine intake report being irritable, unable to work, nervous, restless, and feeling sleepy, as well as having a headache. In extreme cases, nausea and vomiting has also been reported.
2.What happens when you overdose?
From Desk Reference to the Diagnostic Criteria from DSM-3-R (American Psychiatric rectumociation, 1987):
Caffeine-Induced Organic Mental Disorder 305.90 Caffeine Intoxication
1.Recent consumption of caffeine, usually in excess of 250 mg.
2.At least five of the following signs:
1.restlessness
2.nervousness
3.excitement
4.insomnia
5.flushed face
6.diuresis
7.gastrointestinal disturbance
8.muscle twitching
9.rambling flow of thought and speech
10.tachycardia or cardiac arrhythmia
11.periods of inexhaustibility
12.psychomotor agitation
3.Not due to any physical or other mental disorder, such as an Anxiety Disorder.
Basically, overdosing on caffeine will probably be very very unpleasant but not kill or deliver permanent damage. However, People do die from it.
Toxic dose
The LD_50 of caffeine (that is the lethal dosage reported to kill 50% of the population) is estimated at 10 grams for oral administration. As it is usually the case, lethal dosage varies from individual to individual according to weight. Ingestion of 150mg/kg of caffeine seems to be the LD_50 for all people. That is, people weighting 50 kilos have an LD_50 of approx. 7.5 grams, people weighting 80 kilos have an LD_50 of about 12 grams.
In cups of coffee the LD_50 varies from 50 to 200 cups of coffee or about 50 vivarins (200mg each).
One exceptional case documents survival after ingesting 24 grams. The minimum lethal dose ever reported was 3.2 grams intravenously, this does not represent the oral MLD (minimum lethal dose).
In small children ingestion of 35 mg/kg can lead to moderate toxicity. The amount of caffeine in an average cup of coffee is 50 - 200 mg. Infants metabolize caffeine very slowly.
Symptoms
Acute caffeine poisoning gives early symptoms of anorexia, tremor, and restlessness. Followed by nausea, vomiting, tachycardia, and confusion. Serious intoxication may cause delirium, seizures, supraventricular and ventricular tachyarrhythmias, hypokalemia, and hyperglycemia. Chronic high-dose caffeine intake can lead to nervousness, irritability, anxiety, tremulousness, muscle twitching, insomnia, palpitations and hyperreflexia. For blood testing, cross-reaction with theophylline rectumays will detect toxic amounts. (Method IA) Blood concentration of 1-10 mg/L is normal in coffee drinkers, while 80 mg/L has been rectumociated with death.
Treatment
Emergency Measures
Maintain the airway and rectumist ventilation.
Treat seizures & hypotension if they occur.
Hypokalemia usually goes away by itself.
Monitor Vital Signs.
Specific drugs & antidotes. Beta blockers effectively reverse cardiotoxic effects mediated by excessive beta-adrenergic stimulation. Treat hypotension or tachyarrhythmias with intravenous propanolol, .01 - .02 mg/kg. , or esmolol, .05 mg/kg , carefully titrated with low doses. Esmolol is preferred because of its short half life and low cardioselectivity.
Decontamination
Induce vomiting or perform gastric lavage.
Administer activated charcoal and cathartic.
Gut emptying is probably not needed if 1 2 are performed promptly.
The toxic dose is going to vary from person to person, depending primarily on built-up tolerance. A couple people report swallowing 10 to 13 vivarin and ending up in the hospital with their stomaches pumped, while a few say they've taken that many and barely stayed awake.
A symptom lacking in the clinical manual but reported by at least two people on the net is a loss of motor ability: inability to move, speak, or even blink. The experience is consistently described as very unpleasant and not fun at all, even by those very familiar with caffeine nausea and headaches.
3.Effects of caffeine on pregnant women.
Caffeine has long been suspect of causing mal-formations in fetus, and that it may reduce fertility rates.
These reports have proved controversial. What is known is that caffeine does causes malformations in rats, when ingested at rates comparable to 70 cups a day for humans. Many other species respond equally to such large amounts of caffeine.
Data is scant, as experimentation on humans is not feasible. In any case moderation in caffeine ingestion seems to be a prudent course for pregnant women. Recent references are Pastore and Savitz, Case-control study of caffeinated beverages and preterm delivery. American Journal of Epidemiology, Jan 1995.
A recent study found a weak link between Sudden-Infant-Death-Syndrome (SIDS) and caffeine consumption by the mother, which reinforces the recommendation for moderation -possibly even abstinence- above.
On men, it has been shown that caffeine reduces rates of sperm motility which may account for some findings of reduced fertility.
4.Caffeine and Osteoporosis (Calcium loss)
From the Journal of AMA: (JAMA, 26 Jan. 1994, p. 280-3.)
"There was a significant rectumociation between (drinking more) caffeinated coffee and decreasing bone mineral density at both the hip and the spine, independent of age, obesity, years since menopause, and the use of tobacco, estrogen, alcohol, thiazides, and calcium supplements [in women]."
Except when:
"Bone density did not vary [...] in women who reported drinking at least one glass of milk per day during most of their adult lives."
That is, if you drink a glass of milk a day, there is no need to worry about the caffeine related loss of calcium.
5.Studies on the side-effects of caffeine.
OAKLAND, California (UPI) -- Coffee may be good for life. A major study has found fewer suicides among coffee drinkers than those who abstained from the hot black brew.
The study of nearly 130,000 Northern California residents and the records of 4,500 who have died looked at the effects of coffee and tea on mortality.
Cardiologist Arthur Klatsky said of the surprising results, ``This is not a fluke finding because our study was very large, involved a multiracial population, men, women, and examined closely numerous factors related to mortality such as alcohol consumption and smoking.''
The unique survey also found no link between coffee consumption and death risk. And it confirmed a ``weak'' connection of coffee or tea to heart attack risk -- but not to other cardiovascular conditions such as stroke.
The study was conducted by the health maintenance organization Kaiser Permanente and was reported Wednesday in the Annals of Epidemiology.
6.Caffeine and your metabolism.
Caffeine increases the level of circulating fatty acids. This has been shown to increase the oxidation of these fuels, hence enhancing fat oxidation. Caffeine has been used for years by runners and endurance people to enhance fatty acid metabolism. It's particularly effective in those who are not habitual users.
Caffeine is not an appetite suppressant. It does affect metabolism, though it is a good question whether its use truly makes any difference during a diet. The questionable rationale for its original inclusion in diet pills was to make a poor man's amphetamine-like preparation from the non-stimulant sympathomimetic phenylpropanolamine and the stimulant caffeine. (That you end up with something very non-amphetamine like is neither here nor there.) The combination drugs were called "Dexatrim" or Dexa-whosis (as in Dexedrine) for a reason, namely, to rectumert its similarity in the minds of prospective buyers. However, caffeine has not been in OTC diet pills for many years per order of the FDA, which stated that there was no evidence of efficacy for such a combination.
From Goodman and Gilman's The Pharmacological Basis of Therapeutics:
Caffeine in combination with an analgesic, such as aspirin, is widely used in the treatment of ordinary types of headache. There are few data to substantiate its efficacy for this purpose. Caffeine is also used in combination with an ergot alkaloid in the treatment of migrane (Chapter 39).