Coffee, Caffeine, and Energy Drinks

Coffee, Caffeine, and Energy Drinks

While I will often think of and consider the beverage of coffee and the stimulant drug caffeine as interchangeable, they are not the same things.

Coffee is the most common medium for caffeine delivery, but there are plenty of other sources.

And, yes, it is a drug. A widely used, acceptable, and legal stimulant consumed around the world.

It is okay, especially since nearly every restaurant, gas station, convenience store, grocery store, big-box store, warehouse store, stand-alone store, and even sidewalk carts are selling this stuff most often in the form of coffee. I imagine this is why we use these terms interchangeably. 

While many people think that coffee and caffeine are significant dehydrators, something that causes an increase in urine output compared to the fluid going in, this is not the case. It ends up about the same amount of fluid going in compared to fluid coming out. 

Now, coffee, tea, and soda are sources of caffeine, and the amounts will vary based on the type of coffee, type of tea, and type of soda. 

People will often say that espresso has more caffeine than regular brewed coffee. Yes, and no. Per serving, it is the same – so one shot of espresso has about the same amount of caffeine as a cup of coffee. But, if someone has 8 ounces of espresso, then there is a lot more caffeine in there than 8 ounces of brewed coffee. So, more caffeine when compared ounce to ounce, but not more in serving size to serving size. 

Herbal tea isn’t the same as the actual tea plant, so herbal tea does not contain caffeine. And white tea, green tea, black tea, and oolong tea all come from the same plant. So, they will all have caffeine naturally – just in varying amounts and less than coffee (in equal parts). 

Sodas will vary widely. Most major lemon-lime sodas have no caffeine, colas will have some (30-40 mg per 12 ounces, but that can vary by brand and product), and even orange and yellow sodas (you know the kind) have some – often more than colas. Root beer naturally does not have caffeine, but some brands (with “bite”) do. If you look on the side of the can, really look; it will usually list the amount below the nutrition facts. 

Another source of caffeine that skyrocketed in the past 20 years is the so-called energy beverages, which I refer to as stimulant beverages. They often have the same amount of caffeine (per serving) as a cup of coffee. And they often have additional stimulant drugs that can increase this stimulant effect.

And by stimulant, I mean central nervous system stimulant referring to a substance that raises physiological or nervous activity levels in the body. Stimulants are not the same as “energy” that comes from calories. Calories are the energy unit for the human body. We consume calories for energy and expend energy in the form of calories when our body does any activity.

So, if consuming these “energy” beverages, I encourage people to know how much caffeine is in there. And consider if they are having other caffeine sources on top of these items like coffee beverages of any type, soda, and tea.

Caffeine is Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). And for healthy adults, the FDA has cited 400 milligrams per day of caffeine as an amount considered SAFE and not generally associated with dangerous, adverse effects.

However, with all drugs, people will have different reactions to them. Therefore, people need to realize how it will affect them personally and choose wisely.