Gimme Gimme Caffeine
Like a lot of writers and reporters, I live on caffeine. Call it a crutch, addiction, food group -- it's what gets me through.
I'm not much of a coffee guy -- largely because I find my mouth tastes like it all day long, even if I brush my teeth. Soda is, of course, terrible for you. Full of sugar. But, I've always reasoned, a Coke was probably equivalent to a cup of coffee as a caffeine delivery system.
Oh, man was I wrong. A recent piece by New Science writer Janet Raloff reports on an Auburn University study of how much caffeine is in which kind of soda (and they documented just about every one). There are some real surprises.
The first caffeine myth to be exploded -- that soda can match coffee for pure caffeine jolt.
According to New Science the average cup of coffee contains about 100 mg of caffeine.
The average 12 oz. can of Coca Cola: 33.9 mg
It didn't shock me that some of the citrus flavored sodas had the highest caffeine scores (Mountain Dew - 54.8 mg). But I was surprised that Southern favorite Sun Drop was head and shoulders above even that pack with 64.7 mg. Sun Drop -- what kept the pre-Meth South awake!
Here's the real shocker, as far as I'm concerned: Diet sodas often had higher caffeine contents than their more sugary (and calorie packed) original versions. Pepsi One was top of the heap in the Cola standings with 57.1 mg and Diet Coke had 46.3 mg, 13 mg higher than regular Coca Cola. Diet Dr. Pepper also bester Dr. Pepper by 2 mg.
Who'd have thunk it?
According to other New Science articles on the effects of caffeine coffee may be the way to go after all. Not only does it get you nearly twice as much caffeine for your buck, but a study by the French National Institute of Health and Medical Research shows that caffeine (and coffee specifically) may aid mental health in the elderly. It could also be good for your gut.
Comments (1)
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Just a warning: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/wear/6944026.stm
;-)
Posted on September 3, 2007 11:04 PM