How Much Caffeine Should I Have in a Day?

What is Caffeine?

Caffeine is a stimulant naturally found in the leaves and fruits of some plants. It’s naturally found in products such as coffee, black and green tea, and cocoa. It’s also added to cola soft drinks and energy drinks. It may also be in chocolate bars, energy bars and some non-prescription medications, such as cough syrup. Guarana is also a natural source of caffeine, which you may find added to some energy drinks¹.

Caffeine is a stimulant, which means it (temporarily) increases activity in your brain and nervous system. It also increases the circulation of chemicals such as cortisol and adrenaline in the body.

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How much caffeine should I drink a day?

It’s recommended that an adult should consume no more than 300-400mg of caffeine a day. For those who are pregnant or breastfeeding the recommended amount is 100-200mg.

As a guide listed below are the caffeine levels (mg) for certain beverages. Please note this is only a guide and it can vary widely depending on different brands, methods of preparation and additives.

• Green tea 220ml: 18mg
• Cocoa powder 15g: 35mg
• Milk chocolate 60g: 10mg
• Cola drink 375ml: 48mg
• Black tea 220ml: 40-50mg
• Instant coffee 1tsp: 60mg
• Coffee pod 1 capsule: 60mg
• Espresso 1 serve: 70-80mg
• Energy drink 250ml: 77mg
• Guarana 1g: can contain up to 100mg
• Caffeine tablets such as No-Doz: 100mg per tablet
• Dark City Foundry cold drip coffee 50ml (1 serve): 75mg
• Dark City Foundry decaf cold drip coffee 50ml (1 serve): 0.15mg

Note: Interestingly, a 2007 analysis by the Journal of Food and Chemical Toxicology found that out of 97 different espresso drinks in Queensland found a much higher average caffeine value of 106mg per serve. The range varied enormously (25mg to 214mg)².

Caffeine Alternatives

We can now buy a variety of non-alcoholic gin and beer that make a great cocktail alternative. It's very much the same with coffee, as modern decaf coffees are a great way to avoid too much caffeine.

While you may not want to give up that all important cup of caffeinated liquid gold in the morning, decaf coffee can be perfect for the afternoons; you’ll still get all the wonderful coffee flavour with a fraction of the caffeine.

Personally, I drink our regular cold drip coffee in the mornings but come the afternoon it’s decaf all the way. An afternoon decaf coffee, lime and soda is a longstanding fav.

Dark City Foundry Decaf Cold Drip Coffee

So, I’m sure your next question is how much caffeine is in a decaf coffee? Our decaf cold drip coffee is 99.8% caffeine free (we had this tested by a national laboratory!) so perfect to drink day or night, who knew we could make the humble martini even more appealing!

 Shop our decaf cold drip coffee here and our regular cold drip coffee here.

If you have any other questions about cold drip coffee or Dark City Foundry, we would love to hear from you at hello@darkcityfoundry.com.au or just slide into our DMs.

Disclaimer

The information above is based on the author's own research and represents her opinions. Please consult your doctor is you have any concerns or questions.

Sources

https://www.health.nsw.gov.au/aod/resources/Factsheets/energy-drinks-and-caffeine.pdf

Blog written by Anita Brodian