Sunday, March 28, 2021

National Caffeine Awareness Month - Pros and Cons of the Caffeine Craze


So what's the harm, ask caffeine lovers, who point to studies showing the benefits of caffeine, such as boosting memory and improving concentration and perhaps lowering risks of diseases such as Alzheimer's and liver cancer.
But others are alarmed by what they say is an increasingly overcaffeinated nation; they are concerned about studies finding too much caffeine can set you up for high blood pressure, high blood sugar, and decreased bone density -- not to mention jangled nerves.
Caffeine abuse by young people alarms some experts. It was the cause of many calls to an Illinois Poison Center over a three-year tracking period, a team of doctors reported at the American College of Emergency Physicians annual meeting in New Orleans.

FDA investigating caffeine-infused food





Though today we look at the caffeine in Carbonated Beverages, this is also an opportunity to view the caffeine in energy drinks that have been cited as the cause of some deaths and are currently being investigated by the US FDA. Some energy drinks contain 2 to 3 times the amount of caffeine found in soda.

Links between energy drinks and death

Hidden Dangers of Caffeinated Energy Drinks



Caffeine (mg) based on 12-ounces Soda

Caffeine   Soda
  (mg)
 71.2         Jolt       
 69.0         Diet Pepsi Max 
 55.0         Pepsi One
 55.0         Mountain Dew
 55.0         Mountain Dew Code Red
 55.0         Diet Mountain Dew
 46.5         Tab
 45.6         Diet Coke
 44.4         Shasta Diet Cola
 43.0         Diet RC Cola
 43.0         Diet Dr. Pepper
 40.0         Diet Sunkist Orange
 37.5         Pepsi-Cola
 36.0         Diet Pepsi
 34.0         Coca-Cola Classic
 34.0         Diet Cherry Coke
 29.0         AW Creme Soda
 22.0         AW Diet Creme Soda
 0              7-Up
 0              Sprite, regular or diet
 0              AW Root Beer

Resources

1. WebMD: Pros and Cons of the Caffeine Craze