Assessing dietary exposure to caffeine from beverages in the U.S. population using brand-specific versus category-specific caffeine values

Abstract

Recent reports on caffeine intakes in the United States have highlighted the importance of obtaining accurate and valid measures of caffeine exposure. The objective of this study is to compare two methods of assigning caffeine values to beverages: brand-specific values versus an aggregate single value representing a broader range of products within a beverage category (i.e., category-specific). The two methods yielded some small, but statistically significant differences in the estimation of caffeine intake from coffee, tea, and carbonated soft drinks (CSDs) for all ages combined and within several of the adult age groups (i.e., 35-49, 50-64, and ≥65 years). These differences, while small, suggest that detailed brand-specific data, particularly for CSDs, commercially pre-packaged or bottled teas, coffee, and specialty coffee drinks, provide more accurate estimates of caffeine exposure for some age groups. Despite these differences, these data provide some assurance that studies using a single aggregate caffeine value provide reasonable measures of caffeine exposure, particularly for studies conducted over a decade ago when there were fewer caffeinated products and brand-specific data available. As the caffeinated beverage marketplace continues to evolve, the use of more detailed, brand-specific data will likely strengthen the assessment of caffeine exposure in the United States.

Caffeine Consumption through Coffee: Content in the Beverage, Metabolism, Health Benefits and Risks

“…This was also observed in an earlier study performed by the same authors in 2014 [124]. According to Mitchell et al [125], the American population, considering all ages, consumes 164.5 mg caffeine/day, with coffee being responsible for 64% of this amount. Considering only adults and the elderly, the coffee contribution was reported to be 63% and 76%, respectively.…”

“…As a result, the intake was underestimated. More recently, in a survey performed in 2015 by Mitchell et al [125], including 37,602 interviews in the United States, adults consumed, on average, 152 mg of caffeine/day and the elderly 207.3 mg of caffeine/day. Less was consumed by adolescents (83 mg/day) and children (30 mg/day).…”

Effect of Caffeine Intake on Retinal Microsurgical Performance

“…Caffeine is a xanthine derivative present in tea (black/green), coffee (mostly depends of variety of brewed coffee and tea) and, to a lesser extent, chocolate [2,13]. Caffeine consumption enhances alertness and concentration, which could be useful for a microsurgeons embarking on a lengthy procedure.…”

Caffeine, coffee, and appetite control: a review

“…Caffeine is the most widely consumed psychoactive substance in the world, with documented use dating back to the early Paleolithic period (Barone and Roberts 1996). For the majority of the population, coffee is the major vehicle for the delivery of caffeine, followed by tea and cola beverages (Mitchell et al 2015;Mitchell et al 2014). Given its popularity, there is interest in the effect of caffeine and caffeine-containing dietary products to influence population health.…”