Caffeine in Your Diet

For most people, consuming moderate amounts of caffeine (200 to 300 milligrams) is not a problem. However, consuming too much caffeine can cause anxiety, restlessness, sleeping problems, headaches and other problems.

Some people are more sensitive to caffeine than others. Caffeine can also interact with certain medications so it is important to know how much caffeine you are consuming.

If you think you may be consuming too much caffeine, here are some suggestions:

Keep track of your caffeine consumption: Read nutrition labels to see if caffeine is listed.

Cut back on the amount you consume: If you drink coffee or tea, take one less drink per day or cut back on the amount you have in each cup. You don’t want to cut back too much all at once because that can cause withdrawal symptoms.

Use the decaffeinated versions of drinks: If you drink tea, try switching to herbal or decaffeinated tea; switch to decaffeinated coffee; if you drink soda, look for the caffeine-free version.

Watch medications: Many pain relievers contain caffeine so read the label and make sure you select one with no caffeine.

Amount of caffeine in certain beverages:

Here is a list of some common beverages with the caffeine levels (in milligrams) in each one (in coffee and tea, the caffeine amount will depend on how long it is brewed):

Generic brewed coffee, 8 oz (240 mL) 95-200
Generic brewed, decaffeinated, 8 oz (240 mL) 2-12
Starbucks Espresso, 1 oz (30 mL) 58-75
Starbucks Vanilla Latte, 16 oz (480 mL) 150
Black tea, 8 oz (240 mL) 40-120
Black tea, decaffeinated, 8 oz (240 mL) 2-10

Soft Drinks (12 oz. serving)
7Up, regular or diet 0
Coca-Cola Zero 35
Diet Coke and Diet Coke With Lime 47
Dr Pepper, regular or diet 42-44
Mountain Dew, regular or diet 54
Pepsi, regular or diet 36-38
Sprite, regular or diet 0

Medications:
Anacin, Maximum Strength, 2 tablets 64
Excedrin, Extra Strength, 2 tablets 130
NoDoz, Maximum Strength, 1 tablet 200

For a more complete list, visit Caffeine Content of Food and Drugs from the Center for Science in the Public Interest.

More caffeine links:
Caffeine and Migraine (American Headache Society, Committee on Headache Education)

Caffeine: How Much Is Too Much? (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and

Caffeine and Cardiovascular Disease (American Heart Association)

Study: Most Young Children Consume Caffeine Each Day

In a study just published in The Journal of Pediatrics, researchers found that 75% of children surveyed consumed caffeine on a daily basis, and the more caffeine the children consumed, the less they slept.

Here are some of the findings:

Children between the ages of 8 and 12 took in an average of 109 milligrams of caffeine a day, the equivalent of 3 12-ounce cans of soda. While younger children consumed less caffeine, some as young as 5 had the equivalent of a can of soda a day.

"Contrary to popular belief, children were not more likely to wet the bed if they consumed caffeine, despite the fact that caffeine is a diuretic," study co-author Shelby Evans said in a journal news release.

"Parents should be aware of the potentially negative influence of caffeine on a child's sleep quality and daily functioning," study author Dr. William Warzak said in the news release.

He and his colleagues suggested that pediatricians could educate parents about the potentially harmful effects of caffeine in children and ask about patients' caffeine consumption.

If you want to read the whole article in the Journal of Pediatrics, here's the link: Caffeine Consumption in Young Children

Here's another link to check out: Caffeine and Your Child (Nemours Foundation)