Understanding Caffeine Safety, Metabolism, and Impact on Health

Understanding the Relationship Between Bone Health and Beverages With Phosphoric Acid and Caffeine

Some Caffeine Okay During Pregnancy: Obstetricians (Reuters)

Caffeine May Lessen Exercisers' Muscle Pain (Reuters)

Laying the Caffeine-Dehydration Myth to Rest
Hydration expert Dr. Ann Grandjean reviews the research that conclusively confirmed that beverages with caffeine are not dehydrating, as was once commonly believed.

Beverages & Bone Health: Helpful, Harmful or No Effect
Bone health expert Dr. Robert P. Heaney discusses diet and lifestyle factors that impact bone health and explains how calcium-balance research confirmed that soft drinks containing caffeine, carbonation and phosphoric acid will not negatively impact bone health as long as calcium intake is adequate.

Moderate Caffeine Consumption During Pregnancy. Committee Opinion No. 462: American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists
This 2010 Committee Opinion finds that moderate caffeine consumption, considered less than 200 mg of caffeine per day, doesn't appear to be a major contributing factor in miscarriage or preterm birth.

Promoting Healthy Bones: Sorting Out the Science (Webinar)
In this webinar, bone health expert Dr. Robert P. Heaney discusses the diet and lifestyle factors most important to maintaining bone health and reviews research confirming that soft drinks containing caffeine and phosphoric acid will not negatively impact bone health as long as calcium intake is adequate.

All About Caffeine: Clarifying the Controversies Surrounding Caffeine and Health (CPE Program - IFIC)
This free program for registered dietitians from the International Food Information Council Foundation (IFIC) includes information on caffeine metabolism and physiological response, how to calculate caffeine intake, the relationship between caffeine and various health conditions and recent research on the potential benefits of caffeine.

Caffeine and Health: Clarifying the Controversies (IFIC)
International Food Information Council Foundation (IFIC) review provides background information on caffeine, examines its safety and summarizes key research conducted on caffeine and health.

Fact Sheet: Caffeine and Health (IFIC)
International Food Information Council Foundation (IFIC) fact sheet addressing common questions and misperceptions about the potential health effects associated with caffeine, including those centering around heart disease, hydration, addiction, and consumption by children/kids and teens.

Fact Sheet: Caffeine and Women's Health (IFIC)
International Food Information Council Foundation (IFIC) fact sheet addressing common questions and misperceptions about the potential health effects associated with caffeine and women’s health, including fertility, pregnancy, miscarriage.

Caffeine and Performance (IFIC)
International Food Information Council Foundation (IFIC) fact sheet describing evidence of caffeine’s beneficial effects on performance and research showing beverages containing caffeine can contribute to daily water needs.

Questions and Answers About Energy Drinks and Health (IFIC)
This International Food Information Council Foundation (IFIC) fact sheet addresses concerned about the growing popularity of energy drinks, specifically among teens and children.

Myths and Facts about Caffeine (EUFIC)
Available on the European Food Information Council website.

Fact Sheet on Caffeine (Health Canada)
Health Canada.

Caffeine & Exercise (ACSM)
American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) website.

Caffeine and Heart Health Fact Sheet (IFIC)
This Fact Sheet from the International Food Information Council (IFIC) provides the science regarding the relationship between caffeine and heart health and addresses common misperceptions.

Caffeine Comparison Chart

Calcium Counter (U.S. NIH)

ChooseMyPlate.gov Interactive Tools (USDA)

Ingredient Glossary

Moderate Caffeine Consumption During Pregnancy
Committee Opinion No. 462: American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. Obstet Gyn; 2010;116(2, Part 1)467-468

Caffeine and anaerobic performance: ergogenic value and mechanisms of action
Davis JK, Green JM. Sports Med. 2009;39(10):813-32.

Caffeine during exercise in the heat: thermoregulation and fluid-electrolyte balance
Del Coso J, Estevez E, Mora-Rodriguez R. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2009 Jan;41(1):164-73.

Caffeine effects on short-term performance during prolonged exercise in the heat
Del Coso J, Estevez E, Mora-Rodriguez R. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2008 Apr;40(4):744-51.

Fluid, electrolyte, and renal indices of hydration during 11 days of controlled caffeine consumption
Armstrong LE, Pumerantz AC, Roti MW, Judelson DA, Watson G, Dias JC, Sokmen B, Casa DJ, Maresh CM, Lieberman H, Kellogg M. Int J Sport Nutr Exerc Metab. 2005;15:252–265.

Dietary Reference Intakes: Water, Potassium, Sodium, Chloride, and Sulfate
2004. Institute of Medicine Food and Nutrition Board.

Caffeine ingestion and fluid balance: a review
Maughan RJ, Griffin J. J Hum Nutr Dietet. 2003;16:411–420.

Caffeine, body fluid-electrolyte balance, and exercise performance
Armstrong LE. Int J Sport Nutr Exerc Metab. 2002;12:189–206.

The effect of caffeinated, non-caffeinated, caloric and non-caloric beverages on hydration
Grandjean AC, Reimers KJ, Bannick KE, Haven MC. J Am Coll Nutr. 2000;19:591–600.

Effects of caffeine on bone and the calcium economy
Heaney RP. Food Chem Toxicol. 2002;40(9):1263-70.

Carbonated beverages and urinary calcium excretion
Heaney RP, Rafferty K. Am J Clin Nutr. 2001;74(3):343-7.

Bone status among postmenopausal women with different habitual caffeine intakes: a longitudinal investigation
Lloyd T, Johnson-Rollings N, Eggli DF, Kieselhorst K, Mauger EA, Cusatis DC. J Am Coll Nutr. 2000; 19(2):256-61.

The effect of caffeinated, non-caffeinated, caloric and non-caloric beverage on hydration.
Grandjean, AC. J Am Coll Nutr. 2000;19:591-600.

Is caffeine addictive? A review of the literature.
Satel S. American Journal of Drug and Alcohol Abuse, 32:493-502, 2006.

American Dietetic Association

American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists

American College of Sports Medicine

European Food Information Council

International Food Information Council

International Osteoporosis Foundation

How much caffeine is in energy drinks, and how does this compare to other caffeinated beverages?
Energy drinks have approximately 70-85 mg of caffeine per 8 fluid ounce or 240 ml serving depending on the brand, which is more than twice as much as most sparkling beverages, and about the same as a typical cup of coffee. Learn more: Caffeine Content of Common Beverages.

Do caffeinated beverages make me dehydrated?
While caffeine may have a mild, short-term diuretic effect in individuals who do not normally consume caffeine, studies have shown that this is not the case for people who regularly consume caffeine. As a result, a report on water needs released in 2004 by the Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences concluded that all beverages, including those with caffeine, contribute to hydration. Learn more

Will drinking caffeinated beverages daily cause health problems?
Caffeine is one of the most studied food and beverage ingredients, with centuries of safe use. Regulatory agencies throughout the world, including the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Health Canada, the U.K. Food Standards Agency and Food Safety Australia New Zealand, consider the appropriate use of caffeine in food to be safe.
After an in-depth review in 1987, the FDA found no evidence that the use of caffeine in sparkling beverages would harm your health. More than 140 countries have also studied the safety of caffeine and allow its use in beverages at various levels. Caffeine is considered a mild stimulant, but the World Health Organization says it is wrong to compare caffeine intake to drug addiction. Scientific studies show that people can reduce or completely eliminate their caffeine intake without the serious psychological or physical problems that result from a true addiction.

Moderate caffeine intake for adults is equivalent to two to three cups of coffee or five to six cans of caffeinated sparkling beverages. These amounts have not been linked with any health problem. Pregnant or nursing women, or women trying to become pregnant, should follow their healthcare provider’s advice regarding caffeine intake.

Why is caffeine added to sparkling beverages?
Caffeine contributes to the overall flavor of some sparkling beverages, adding a slightly bitter taste and working well with both sugar and low-calorie sweeteners to provide an overall enjoyable flavor. Small amounts of caffeine have been used in some sparkling beverages for over a century. Caffeine is also used in energy drinks. Moderate intakes of caffeine have been shown to have beneficial effects on mood and mental performance in many people. As with any ingredient, there may be some people who are sensitive to caffeine.

The amount of caffeine in most caffeine-containing sparkling beverages is relatively small — about 30 milligrams of caffeine per 8-ounce serving, or less than one-third the amount present in an 8-ounce cup of drip-style coffee (104-192 mg per 8 oz). However, because some people prefer beverages without caffeine, many sparkling beverages are also available in caffeine-free versions.

Does caffeine in some beverages give people a “speedy high”, keeping them addicted so they drink more and more of the beverages?

No, while caffeine can boost alertness, it is does not give a “speedy high,” nor is it addictive. In fact, the caffeine in an 8-fluid-ounce (240 mL) serving of
Coca-Cola is about one-third of the level found in the same amount of coffee and about one-half of what is in tea. Caffeine adds a bitter taste to the complex flavor of some sparkling beverages, and it has been used for more than 100 years in some recipes. It is also an important ingredient of energy drinks.

Caffeine contributes to the overall flavor of some sparkling beverages, adding a slightly bitter taste and working well with both sugar and low- and no-calorie sweeteners to provide an overall enjoyable flavor. Small amounts of caffeine have been used in some sparkling beverages for over a century. Caffeine is also used in energy drinks. Moderate intakes of caffeine have been shown to have beneficial effects on mood and mental performance in many people. As with any ingredient, there may be some people who are sensitive to caffeine. However, it is important to remember that coffee contains two to three times more caffeine, compared to Coca-Cola or Diet Coke.

Caffeine is one of the most studied food and beverage ingredients, with centuries of safe use. Regulatory agencies throughout the world, including the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Health Canada, the U.K. Food Standards Agency and Food Safety Australia New Zealand, consider the appropriate use of caffeine in food to be safe.

After an in-depth review in 1987, the FDA found no evidence that the use of caffeine in sparkling beverages would harm your health. More than 140 countries have also studied the safety of caffeine and allow its use in beverages at various levels. Caffeine is considered a mild stimulant, but the World Health Organization says it is wrong to compare caffeine intake to drug addiction. Scientific studies show that people can reduce or completely eliminate their caffeine intake without the serious psychological or physical problems that result from a true addiction.

Moderate caffeine intake for adults is equivalent to two to three cups of coffee or five to six cans of caffeinated sparkling beverages. These amounts have not been linked with any health problem. Pregnant or nursing women, or women trying to become pregnant, should follow their healthcare provider’s advice regarding caffeine intake.