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Lowering your caffeine intake can help with some health problems. If your doctor tells you that cutting back might help you, here are some steps that can make it easier to do.
Caffeine is a mild stimulant. Many people drink coffee, tea, or soda because it helps them feel more awake and alert. However, this stimulant effect can also cause jitters, anxiety, and trouble sleeping. Caffeine affects each person differently. As we age, caffeine may affect us more.
Your doctor may tell you to cut down on caffeine in some situations. For example:
First, you will need to know where the caffeine in your diet comes from. The table below should help you figure out how much caffeine is in different drinks. While there is no caffeine in chocolate, other chemicals in chocolate can have similar effects. We have listed the caffeine equivalents for some chocolate products below.
Common Sources of Caffeine | Serving Size | Average Caffeine Content (mg) |
---|---|---|
Over-the-Counter Drugs | ||
NoDoz (maximum strength) | 1 tablet | 200 |
Excedrin Migraine | 2 tablets | 130 |
Coffee | ||
Coffee, brewed | 16 ounces | 133 |
Espresso coffee | 2 ounces | 150 |
Coffee, instant | 8 ounces | 148 |
Decaffeinated | 12 ounces | 2-10 |
Tea | ||
Arizona Iced Tea, black | 16 ounces | 30 |
Black tea | 8 ounces | 30-80 |
Soft Drinks | ||
Mountain Dew | 12 ounces | 54 |
Dr. Pepper, regular or diet | 12 ounces | 41 |
Colas | 12 ounces | 35 |
7-UP or Diet 7-UP | 12 ounces | 0 |
Energy Drinks | ||
Redline Energy Drink | 23.5 ounces | 316 |
5-hour Energy | 1.9 ounces | 208 |
Monster Energy | 16 ounces | 160 |
Red Bull | 8.4 ounces | 80 |
Chocolate Products | ||
Hershey's Special Dark | 1.5 ounce | 20 |
Hershey's chocolate bar | 1.6 ounces | 9 |
Hot cocoa | 1 tbs. | 8 |
Some people have headaches or feel sleepy if they cut caffeine from their diet all at once. Cutting back slowly can help avoid this. Try these tips:
Then you can begin to:
You may be surprised how much caffeine is in your favorite drinks or in some of the over-the-counter medicines you take. Be sure to check labels. Many sodas and other products come in caffeine-free forms, so look for these.
American Heart Association
http://www.heart.org
International Food Information Council
http://www.foodinsight.org
Dietitians of Canada
http://www.dietitians.ca
Health Canada
http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca
Caffeine. EBSCO DynaMed website. Available at: http://www.ebscohost.com/dynamed. Accessed November 15, 2020.
Caffeine and heart disease. American Heart Association website. Available at: http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/GettingHealthy/NutritionCenter/HealthyDietGoals/Caffeine-and-Heart-Disease_UCM_305888_Article.jsp. Accessed November 15, 2020.
Caffeine content of food & drugs. Center for Science in the Public Interest website. Available at: http://www.cspinet.org/new/cafchart.htm. Accessed November 15, 2020.
Cornelis MC, El-Sohemy A, Kabagambe EK, Campos H. Coffee, CYP1A2 genotype, and risk of myocardial infarction. JAMA. 2006;295(10):1135-1141.
ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). EBSCO DynaMed website. Available at: http://www.ebscohost.com/dynamed. Accessed November 15, 2020.
Last reviewed November 2020 by EBSCO Medical Review Board Last Updated: 11/29/2020