Caffeine content for coffee, tea, soda and more

By Mayo Clinic staff
Original Article:  http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/caffeine/AN01211
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Caffeine content for coffee, tea, soda and more

By Mayo Clinic staff

Introduction

If you're like most adults, caffeine is a part of your daily routine. But do you know the caffeine content of your favorite drink?

You may want to take a look at just how much caffeine you get in a typical day, especially if you're bothered by headaches, restlessness or anxiety. If your caffeine habit totals more than 500 milligrams (mg) a day, you may want to consider cutting back.

With the growing popularity of energy drinks, many parents have become concerned about how much caffeine their kids are getting. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that adolescents get no more than 100 mg of caffeine a day. Younger children shouldn't drink caffeinated beverages on a regular basis.

Click the tabs to the left to see the caffeine content in popular drinks, sweets and medications. One note about the numbers: Use them as a guide. The actual caffeine content of the same coffee drink can vary from day to day — even at the same coffee shop — because of various factors, such as roasting and grinding, as well as brewing time. The caffeine content of tea also is affected by how long it's brewed.

Coffee

Type of coffeeSize*Caffeine**
Espresso, restaurant-style 1 oz. (30 mL) 40-75 mg
Espresso, restaurant-style, decaffeinated 1 oz. (30 mL) 0-15 mg
Generic brewed 8 oz. (240 mL) 95-200 mg
Generic brewed, decaffeinated 8 oz. (240 mL) 2-12 mg
Generic instant 8 oz. (240 mL) 27-173 mg
Generic instant, decaffeinated 8 oz. (240 mL) 2-12 mg
McDonald's brewed 16 oz. (480 mL) 100 mg
McDonald's Mocha Frappe 16 oz. (480 mL) 125 mg
Starbucks Latte 16 oz. (480 mL) 150 mg
Starbucks Pike Place brewed 16 oz. (480 mL) 330 mg
Starbucks Pike Place brewed, decaffeinated 16 oz. (480 mL) 25 mg

Adapted from Journal of Food Science, 2010; Pediatrics, 2011; USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference, Release 23, 2010; Journal of Analytical Toxicology, 2006; Starbucks, 2011; McDonald's, 2011
*Sizes are listed in fluid ounces (oz.) and milliliters (mL).
**Caffeine is listed in milligrams (mg).

Tea

Type of teaSize*Caffeine**
Brewed tea    
Black tea 8 oz. (240 mL) 14-61 mg
Black tea, decaffeinated 8 oz. (240 mL) 0-12 mg
Green tea 8 oz. (240 mL) 24-40 mg
Iced tea    
AriZona Iced Tea, lemon-flavored 8 oz. (240 mL) 11 mg
Generic instant, unsweetened 8 oz. (240 mL) 26 mg
Lipton Brisk Lemon Iced Tea 8 oz. (240 mL) 5-7 mg

Adapted from Journal of Food Science, 2010; Pediatrics, 2011; Journal of Analytical Toxicology, 2008; USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference, Release 23, 2010; Journal of Analytical Toxicology, 2006
*Sizes are listed in fluid ounces (oz.) and milliliters (mL).
**Caffeine is listed in milligrams (mg).

Soft drinks

Soft drinkSize*Caffeine**
7UP 12 oz. (355 mL) 0 mg
A & W Root Beer 12 oz. (355 mL) 0 mg
Barq's Root Beer 12 oz. (355 mL) 18 mg
Coca-Cola Classic 12 oz. (355 mL) 30-35 mg
Coca-Cola Zero 12 oz. (355 mL) 35 mg
Diet Coke 12 oz. (355 mL) 38-47 mg
Diet Pepsi 12 oz. (355 mL) 27-37 mg
Dr Pepper 12 oz. (355 mL) 36 mg
Mountain Dew 12 oz. (355 mL) 46-55 mg
Pepsi 12 oz. (355 mL) 32-39 mg
Sprite 12 oz. (355 mL) 0 mg

Adapted from Journal of Food Science, 2010; Pediatrics, 2011; Journal of Food Science, 2007; Journal of Analytical Toxicology, 2006
*Sizes are listed in fluid ounces (oz.) and milliliters (mL).
**Caffeine is listed in milligrams (mg).

Energy drinks

Energy drinkSize*Caffeine**
5-Hour Energy 2 oz. (60 mL) 207 mg
AMP, regular or sugar-free 8 oz. (240 mL) 72-74 mg
Cran-Energy 8 oz. (240 mL) 70 mg
Full Throttle 8 oz. (240 mL) 70-72 mg
Monster 8 oz. (240 mL) 80 mg
Red Bull 8.4 oz (250 mL) 76-80 mg
Rockstar, regular or sugar-free 8 oz. (240 mL) 79-80 mg
Vault, regular or sugar-free 8 oz. (240 mL) 47 mg

Adapted from Journal of Food Science, 2010; American Academy of Pediatrics, 2011; USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference, Release 23, 2010; Consumer Reports, 2011; Mayo Clinic Proceedings, 2010
*Sizes are listed in fluid ounces (oz.) and milliliters (mL).
**Caffeine is listed in milligrams (mg).

Other products

Type of productSizeCaffeine*
Sweets    
Chocolate chips, semisweet 1 cup 104 mg
Dark chocolate-coated coffee beans 28 pieces 336 mg
Foosh Energy Mints 1 mint 100 mg
Hershey's Kisses 9 pieces 9 mg
Medications    
Excedrin, Extra Strength 2 tablets 130 mg
NoDoz, Maximum Strength 1 tablet 200 mg

Adapted from Pediatrics, 2011; USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference, Release 23, 2010; Food and Drug Administration, 2011; Vroom Foods, Inc., 2011
*Caffeine is listed in milligrams (mg).

References
  1. Heckman MA, et al. Caffeine (1, 3, 7-trimethylxanthine) in foods: A comprehensive review on consumption, functionality, safety, and regulatory matters. Journal of Food Science. 2010;75:R77.
  2. American Academy of Pediatrics Committee on Nutrition and the Council on Sports Medicine and Fitness. Sports drinks and energy drinks for children and adolescents: Are they appropriate? Pediatrics. 2011;127:1182.
  3. Seifert SM, et al. Health effects of energy drinks on children, adolescents, and young adults. Pediatrics. 2011;127:511.
  4. McCusker RR, et al. Caffeine content of specialty coffees. Journal of Analytical Toxicology. 2003;27:520.
  5. Chin JM, et al. Caffeine content of brewed teas. Journal of Analytical Toxicology. 2008;32:702.
  6. USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference, Release 23. U.S. Department of Agriculture. http://www.nal.usda.gov/fnic/foodcomp/search. Accessed July 6, 2011.
  7. McCusker RR, et al. Caffeine content of decaffeinated coffees. Journal of Analytical Toxicology. 2006;30:611.
  8. Chou KH, et al. Caffeine content of prepackaged national-brand and private-label carbonated beverages. Journal of Food Science. 2007;72:C337.
  9. McCusker RR, et al. Caffeine content of energy drinks, carbonated sodas, and other beverages. Journal of Analytical Toxicology. 2006;30:112.
  10. Can 5-Hour Energy kick your afternoon slump? Consumer Reports. http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/magazine-archive/2011/march/health/5-hour-energy/overview/index.htm. Accessed July 7, 2011.
  11. Higgins JP, et al. Energy beverages: Content and safety. Mayo Clinic Proceedings. 2010;85:1033.
  12. Excedrin. Drugs@FDA. http://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/cder/drugsatfda/index.cfm. Accessed July 6, 2011.
  13. Foosh Energy Mints. Vroom Foods Inc. http://www.vroomfoods.com/foosh_mints.html. Accessed July 6, 2011.
  14. Starbucks drinks. Starbucks. http://www.starbucks.com/menu/drinks/. Accessed July 7, 2011.
  15. McDonald's Customer Response Center (expert opinion). McDonald's, Oak Brook, Ill. July 10, 2011.
AN01211 Oct. 1, 2011

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