Caffeine: Natural Sources and Man-Made Uses
By James R. Coffey, 19th Mar 2011 | Follow this author
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Posted in WikinutHealthDiet & Nutrition
Caffeine, perhaps the most popular natural drug in the world, is a stimulant found in many plant species including coffee, tea, and cocoa, although a variety of other plants produce caffeine-like chemicals. While its common use dates back millennia to countless cultures, the places it’s being used today is rather astounding.
NATURAL SOURCES: guarana to cocoa
As many consumers are now aware, in addition to coffee and tea, less commonly used sources of caffeine include yerba maté and guarana, two South American plants that have only recently become known around the world, but used with greater frequency in the preparation of teas and energy drinks. Two of caffeine's alternative names, mateine and guaranine, are derived from the names of these plants.
A typical energy drink made with guarana can contain as much as 259 mg of caffeine; twice the caffeine found in coffee beans (about 2–4.5% caffeine in guarana seeds compared to 1–2% for coffee beans). As a "dietary supplement," guarana is an effective energy booster, but the long-term effects of this and similar chemicals are as yet unknown.
coffee
While individuals often report varying effects from caffeine consumption, the disparity between the various natural caffeine sources could be due to the fact that plant sources of caffeine also contain widely varying mixtures of other xanthine alkaloids, including the cardiac stimulants theophylline and theobromine, and other substances such as polyphenols that can form insoluble complexes with caffeine which affect their absorption rate.
Although the amount of caffeine in coffee can also vary according to brand and method of preparation, coffee remains, without a doubt, the most popular natural sources of caffeine. A six-ounce cup of instant coffee contains about 60 mg of caffeine, while the same amount of automatic-drip coffee contains around 140 mg, which often influences the method by which a coffee drinker prefers his coffee.
tea
For tea drinkers, teas like the pale Japanese green tea gyokuro, for example, contain far more caffeine than much darker teas like lapsang souchong, which has very little. Common green tea typically found in supermarkets or offered in Japanese and Chinese restaurants are generally lowest, with only 35 mg per six-ounce cup; black tea can contain up to 75 mg, depending on brand and country of origin.
kola nuts and cocoa
For the past century, caffeine has also been a common ingredient of soft drinks such as cola, originally prepared from kola nuts. The kola nut, a native to tropical Africa, is one of the popular natural sources of caffeine among West African cultures and is traditionally chewed or roasted for use in some regional drinks.
Of the common sources and varieties, cocoa is said to be one of the healthiest natural sources of caffeine--but there are many who argue against its ultimate worth. One ounce of baking chocolate contains about 25 mg of caffeine, but a glass of chocolate milk barely reaches five mg.
MAN-MADE USES: coffee to beef jerky
- De-caf Coffee: In 2007, Consumer Reports tested 36 cups of decaffeinated coffee from six coffee outlets including Starbucks and Dunkin’ Donuts and discovered that compared to the caffeine found in a regular cup (generally around 100 mg), the decaf samples had less, but some still contained over 20 ml.
- Super-Chocolate: While it’s commonly known that the darker the chocolate, the higher the caffeine content, Hershey’s Special Dark Chocolate Bar has almost as much as a can of Coke--31 mg. Other chocolate, like the limited edition Snickers Charge, is beefed-up with 60 mg of added caffeine--about the same as a cup of tea.
- Ice Cream: Many popular brands of ice cream now have coffee flavors that contain as much as 30 to 45 mg of caffeine per half cup, which is about the same as a can of Coca Cola.
- Non-Cola Drinks: Some brands of root beer such as Barq’s regular and diet flavors contain as much as 23 mg of caffeine per 12-ounce can, which is just 12 mg less than a can of Coke. And though you might not expect it, Sunkist’s orange soda has 41 mg of caffeine, and A&W Cream Soda has about 25 mg.
- Energy Water: Capitalizing on the fortified water trend is a new concoction sold by various bottling companies: caffeinated water. Utilizing guarana, Propel’s Limited Edition Invigorating Flavor has 50 mg of caffeine, as does VitaminWater’s Energy flavor.
- Breath Fresheners: The makers of Jolt Cola, which had the maximum amount of caffeine allowed by law in colas before it was revamped as an energy drink, also sell caffeinated gum and mints. Two pieces of Jolt gum provides the same amount of caffeine in a typical cup of coffee. Similarly, three of Penguin’s caffeinated mints equal the caffeine content of a cup of coffee, and just one Foosh mint contains the same buzz.
- Energized Sunflower Seeds: Marketed as a healthier alternative to energy drinks, these seeds are infused with substantial amounts of caffeine, plus natural energy boosters taurine, lysine, and ginseng. One serving of these energized seeds has 140 mg of caffeine, about the same as four cans of Coke.
- Morning Spark brand instant oatmeal: Instead of adding fruit or nuts to what is otherwise an extraordinarily healthy food, Sturm Foods has added caffeine to its instant breakfast, with a serving providing about as much caffeine as a cup of coffee.
- Perky Jerky beef jerky: While Perky Jerky actually has less fat, sodium, and fewer calories per serving than traditional jerky, it adds about 75 mg of caffeine, about the same as a can of Red Bull.
References:
http://www.medicinenet.com/caffeine/article.htm
http://www.health.com/health/gallery/0,,20313656,00.html
http://coffeefaq.com/site/node/25
Visit JAMES R. COFFEY WRITING SERVICES & RESOURCE CENTER for more information
Comments
19th Mar 2011 (#)
who knew caffine had other names? Well I guess you did, but I didnt - thanks for the education on Caffine.
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19th Mar 2011 (#)
Another perfect article my friend. I certainly left it knowing more than I did before reading it.
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19th Mar 2011 (#)
Thank you gentlemen!
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19th Mar 2011 (#)
Another awesome article my friend. Congrats.
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19th Mar 2011 (#)
Thank you, sir! Much appreciated.
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20th Mar 2011 (#)
Wow, great article. I had no idea so many products had added caffeine.
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20th Mar 2011 (#)
Perky jerky, you gotta love the name. Very nice article James. I also peeked into your resource center. Nicely done my friend. I am sure I will be using it many times over. Thank you for sharing.:)
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20th Mar 2011 (#)
Yes, I'm sure Perky-Jerky's ad dept got a bonus for that one! Yes, please do check my site periodically as I add new articles almost every day. Or you can just subscribe and be notified of new posts. Thanks!
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21st Mar 2011 (#)
A good write up. Keep up the good work going.
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28th May 2011 (#)
science!
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28th May 2011 (#)
"Science, she blinded me" . . . T. Dolby.
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