Caffeine is consumed as a natural part of coffee, tea, chocolate and flavors derived from kola and guarana.
Caffeine has several biological effects resulting from its diuretic and stimulant properties. Research1 has shown that some people are sensitive to side effects such as insomnia, headaches, irritability and nervousness. Canada’s Guidelines to Healthy Eating advises consumers that limiting caffeine is a wise precaution.
A recent review2 undertaken by Health Canada has considered the numerous studies dealing with caffeine and its potential health effects and has recommended the following maximum levels.
Recommended Maximum Caffeine Intake Levels
|Children*||4 – 6 years||45 mg/day|
|7 – 9 years||62.5 mg/day|
|10 – 12 years||85 mg/day|
|Women who are planning to become pregnant, pregnant women and breast feeding mothers**||300 mg/day|
*Using the recommended intake of 2.5 milligrams per kilogram of body weight per day and based on average body weights of children (Health and Welfare Canada, 1990), based on “behavioral effects”.
**Based on possible adverse effects on some factors of reproduction and development.
1 Health and Welfare Canada, 1990. Nutrition Recommendations.
2 Effects of Caffeine on Human Health, P. Nawrot, S. Jordan, J. Eastwood, J. Rotstein, A. Hugenholtz and M. Feeley, Food Additives and Contaminants, 2003, Vol. 20, No. 1, pg. 1-30.
Sources of Caffeine
|Milligrams of Caffeine|
(unless otherwise stated)
|Brewed||8||237 (1 cup)||135|
|Roasted and ground, percolated||8||237||118|
|Roasted and ground, filter drip||8||237||179|
|Roasted and ground, decaffeinated||8||237||3|
|leaf or bag||8||237||50|
|Cola beverage, regular||12||355 (1 can)||36-46|
|Cola beverage, diet||12||355||39-50|
|1 envelope hot-cocoa mix||8||237||5|
|Candy, milk chocolate||1||28g||7|
|Candy, sweet chocolate||1||28g||19|
|Baking chocolate, unsweetened||1||28g||25-58|