10 Truths about our Favorite DRUG!

Many of us in America LOVE coffee

I know I am one person who drank coffee on a daily basis and love the way it made me feel. But I knew there was more to this and one day decided to do my own research on caffeine and here I am sharing it with you. I am not claiming that caffeine is good or bad, but giving a few educational tips that can help you come to a conclusion:

  1. Over 80% of Americans consume caffeine on a daily basis
  2. How does caffeine make me feel awake?:
    • There is a sleep factor called Adenosine, it is sort of like a sedative. Once you wake up it starts building up in your body. The more work you do the more adenosine builds up. When our body becomes tired adenosine travels up to our brain and sits on its receptors and we feel sleepy. It puts on the brake on our body and allows it to rest.
    • When you drink coffee, caffeine travels to the brain and sits in the adenosine receptors and prevents adenosine from coming in. If adenosine is not able to come in then the brakes can’t be put on in our body. Therefore, caffeine actually speeds up our bodily functions, which is why sometimes we feel a rush of energy after we finish that cup of coffee.
  3. Caffeine is not just found in drinks, it can also be found in foods such as chocolates.
  4. Caffeine can cause heartburn. When you consume caffeine, your stomach releases more acid and this can cause heartburn.
  5. Caffeine is a diuretic: This means that when you drink coffee you lose more water in your body, caffeine dehydrates your body. You may have noticed that sometimes after drinking coffee or soda, your feel thirsty or your lips feel dry. The best way to help prevent this is by drinking a cup of water along with your caffeinated drink.
  6. Decaffeinated coffee is not caffeine free. Studies have indicated that decaf coffee actually contains small amounts of caffeine in them!
  7. The FDA recommends drinking 200-300 mg of caffeine per day.
  8. Increased amounts (greater than 300 mg) of caffeine can cause bone thinning! Caffeine interrupts the absorption of calcium.
  9. Caffeine can cross the placenta. This means that when you drink coffee the caffeine can have an effect on your baby. This can lead to irregular sleeping patterns or irregular movements in the baby.


    Foods with Caffeine
  10. Caffeine content of popular drinks and foods:
    Food/Drink Amount of Caffeine (mg)
    Coffee (5 oz.) 60-150 mg
    De-Caf Coffee (5 oz.) 2-7 mg
    Espresso (1 oz.) 30-90 mg
    Coca Cola (12 oz.) 64 mg
    Diet Coke (12 oz.) 45 mg
    Tea (8 oz.) 40-120 mg
    5- hour Energy (2 oz.) 160 mg
    Monster (16 oz.) 160 mg
    Red Bull (250 ml) 80 mg
    Snapple Tea (8 oz.) 21-31 mg
    Kit Kat (1 bar) 5 mg
    Chocolate Chip Cookie (30 g) 3-5 mg


Remember to keep your caffeine intake between 200-300 mg/day. Moderation is key!

Sumi K.

A student of Nutrition.

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