Caffeine FAQ

How much caffeine is there in [drink/food/pill]?

According to the National Soft Drink Association, the following is the caffeine content in mgs per 12 oz can of soda:

• Afri-Cola 100.0
• Jolt 71.2
• Sugar-Free Mr. Pibb 58.8
• Mountain Dew 55.0 (no caffeine in Canada)
• Diet Mountain Dew 55.0
• Kick citrus 54.0 (36mg per 8oz can, caffeine from guarana)
• Mello Yellow 52.8
• Surge 51.0
• Tab 46.8
• Battery energy drink -- 140mg/l = 46.7mg/can
• Coca-Cola 45.6
• Diet Cola 45.6
• Shasta Cola 44.4
• Shasta Cherry Cola 44.4
• Shasta Diet Cola 44.4
• Mr. Pibb 40.8
• OK Soda 40.5
• Dr. Pepper 39.6
• Pepsi Cola 37.2
• Aspen 36.0
• Diet Pepsi 35.4
• RC Cola 36.0
• Diet RC 36.0
• Diet Rite 36.0
• Canada Dry Cola 30.0
• Canada Dry Diet Cola 1.2
• 7 Up 0

How much caffeine there is in coffee blend?

Caffeine Content in beans and blends

VARIETALS/STRAIGHTS

• Brazil Bourbons 1.20
• Celebes Kalossi 1.22
• Colombia Excelso 1.37
• Colombia Supremo 1.37
• Costa Rica Tarrazu 1.35
• Ethiopian Harrar-Moka 1.13
• Guatemala Antigua 1.32
• Indian Mysore 1.37
• Jamaican Blue Mtn/Wallensford Estate 1.24
• Java Estate Kuyumas 1.20
• Kenya AA 1.36
• Kona Extra Prime 1.32
• Mexico Pluma Altura 1.17
• Mocha Mattari (Yemen) 1.01
• New Guinea 1.30
• Panama Organic 1.34
• Sumatra Mandheling-Lintong 1.30
• Tanzania Peaberry 1.42
• Zimbabwe 1.10

BLENDS & DARK ROASTS

• Colombia Supremo Dark 1.37
• Espresso Roast 1.32
• French Roast 1.22
• Vienna Roast 1.27
• Mocha-Java 1.17

DECAFS--all @ .02% with Swiss Water Process

Chemically speaking, what is caffeine?

Caffeine is an alkaloid. There are numerous compounds called alkaloids, among them we have the methylxanthines, with three distinguished compounds: caffeine, theophylline, and theobromine, found in cola nuts, coffee, tea, cacao beans, mate and other plants.

These compounds have different biochemical effects, and are present in different ratios in the different plant sources. These compounds are very similar and differ only by the presence of methyl groups in two positions of the chemical structure. They are easily oxidized to uric acid and other methyluric acids which are also similar in chemical structure.

Caffeine:

• Sources: Coffee, tea, cola nuts, mate, guarana.
• Effects: Stimulant of central nervous system, cardiac muscle, and respiratory system, diuretic Delays fatigue.

Theophylline:

• Sources: Tea
• Effects: Cariac stimulant, smooth muscle relaxant, diuretic, vasodilator

Theobromine:

• Sources: Principle alkaloid of the cocoa bean (1.5-3%), the source of chocolate, Cola nuts and tea
• Effects: Diuretic, smooth muscle relaxant, cardiac stimulant, vasodilator.

Is it true that tea has no caffeine/What is theine, theobromine, etc?

From "Principles of biochemistry", Horton and al, 1993.

Caffeine is sometimes called "theine" when it's in tea. This is probably due to an ancient misconception that the active constituent is different. Theophylline is present only in trace amounts. It is more diuretic, more toxic and less speedy.

• Caffeine

1,3,7-trimethylxanthine

• Theophylline

1,3-dimethylxanthine

• Theobromine

3,7-dimethylxanthine

Coffee and tea contain caffeine and theophylline, respectively, which are methylated purine derivatives that inhibit cAMP phosphodiesterase. In the presence of these inhibitors, the effects of cAMP, and thus the stimulatory effects of the hormones that lead to its production, are prolonged and intensified.

Theobromine and theophylline are two dimethylxanthines that have two rather than three methyl groups. Theobromine is considerably weaker than caffeine and theophylline, having about one tenth the stimulating effect of either.

Theobromine is found in cocoa products, tea (only in very small amounts) and kola nuts, but is not found in coffee. In cocoa, its concentration is generally about 7 times as great as caffeine. Although, caffeine is relatively scarce in cocoa, its mainly because of theobromine that cocoa is "stimulating".

Theophylline is found in very small amounts in tea, but has a stronger effect on the heart and breathing than caffeine. For this reason it is often the drug of choice in home remedies for treating asthma bronchitis and emphysema. The theophylline found in medicine is made from extracts from coffee or tea.

Is it true that espresso has less caffeine than regular coffee?

Yes and no. An espresso cup has about as much caffeine as a cup of dark brew. But servings for espresso are much smaller. Which means that the content of caffeine per millilitre are much higher than with a regular brew. Moreover, caffeine is more quickly assimilated when taken in concentrated dosages, such as an espresso cup.

The myth of lower caffeine espresso comes comes from the fact that the darker roast beans used for espresso do have less caffeine than regularly roasted beans as roasting is supposed to break up or sublimate the caffeine in the beans (I have read this quote on research articles, but found no scientific studies supporting it. Anybody out there?). But espresso is prepared using pressurized water through significantly more ground (twice as much?) than regular drip coffee, resulting in a higher percentage of caffeine per millilitre.

Here's the caffeine content of Drip/Espresso/Brewed Coffee:

• Drip 115-175
• Espresso 100 1 serving (1.5-2oz)
• Brewed 80-135

How does caffeine taste?

Caffeine is very bitter. Barq's Root Beer contains caffeine and the company says that it has "12.78mg per 6oz" and that they "add it as a flavouring agent for the sharp bitterness"

How much theobromine/theophylline there is in ...?

Sources: Physicians Desk Reference and Institute of Food Technologies from Pafai and Jankiewicz (1991) DRUGS AND HUMAN BEHAVIOUR

• cocoa 250mg theobromine
• bittersweet choc. bar 130mg theobromine
• 5 oz cup brewed coffee no theobromine
• tea 5oz cup brewed 3min
• with teabag 3-4 mg theophylline
• Diet Coke no theobromine or theophylline