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.
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