Caffeinated drink

Tea (left) and coffee, the two most common naturally caffeinated drinks

A caffeinated drink, or caffeinated beverage, is a drink that contains caffeine, a stimulant that is legal practically all over the world. Some are naturally caffeinated while others have caffeine added as an ingredient.

The most common naturally caffeinated beverages are coffee and tea, which in one form or another (usually served hot, but sometimes iced) feature in most world cultures.[1] Other drinks are artificially caffeinated as part of their production process. These include certain soft drinks (primarily cola drinks), and also energy drinks designed as a stimulant, and to perpetuate activity at times when the user might ordinarily be asleep.

The consumption of caffeinated drinks is often intended entirely or partly for the physical and mental effects of caffeine. Examples include the consumption of tea or coffee with breakfast in many westernized societies, in order to 'wake oneself up', or the deliberate consumption of energy drinks by students wishing to study through the night, or revellers seeking to maintain an alert attitude during social recreation.[2] Caffeine can cause a physical dependence, if consumed in excessive amounts.[3] The need for caffeine can be identified when individuals feel headaches, fatigue and muscle pain 24 hours after their last energy drink.[4]

Some commercially distributed drinks contain guarana, a South American berry with a caffeine content about twice that of coffee beans.[5]

Many caffeinated drinks also have decaffeinated counterparts, for those who enjoy the taste, but wish to limit their caffeine intake because of its physical effects, or due to religious or medical perceptions of the drug and its effects.

In recent years, some alcoholic beverage companies have begun to manufacture caffeinated alcoholic beverages. The manufacturing of such beverages has been met with much controversy.[6][7]

Beverages containing caffeine include coffee, tea, soft drinks ("colas"), energy drinks, other beverages. According to a 2020 study in the United States, coffee is the major source of caffeine intake in middle-aged adults, while soft drinks and tea are the major sources in adolescents.[8] Energy drinks are more commonly consumed as a source of caffeine in adolescents as compared to adults.[8]

  1. ^ David, Iulia Gabriela; Bizgan, Ana-Maria Cristina; Buleandra, Mihaela; Popa, Dana Elena; Moldovan, Zenovia; Bandea, Irinel Adriana (April 2015). "Rapid determination of total polyphenolic content in tea samples based on caffeic acid voltammetric behaviour on a disposable graphite electrode". Food Chemistry. 173: 1059–1065. doi:10.1016/j.foodchem.2014.10.139. PMID 25466125.
  2. ^ Gimba, Casimir Emmanuel; Abechi, Stephen Eyije; Abbas, Nurudeen Sulaiman (2014). "Evaluation of caffeine, aspartame and sugar contents in energy drinks". Journal of Chemical and Pharmaceutical Research. 6 (8): 39-43.
  3. ^ Rockett, Ian R.H.; Putnam, Sandra L. (February 2002). "Caffeine "Addiction" in High School Youth: Evidence of an Adverse Health Relationship". Addiction Research and Theory. 10 (1): 31–42. doi:10.1080/16066350290001696. S2CID 144490604.
  4. ^ "Caffeine (and its effects)". Health Central. Remedy Health Media. Archived from the original on 5 November 2014. Retrieved 5 November 2014.
  5. ^ Bempong DK, Houghton PJ, Steadman K (1993). "The xanthine content of guarana and its preparations". Int. J. Pharmacog. 31 (3): 175–81. doi:10.3109/13880209309082937. ISSN 0925-1618.
  6. ^ Benson, Sarah; Verster, Joris C.; Alford, Chris; Scholey, Andrew (November 2014). "Effects of mixing alcohol with caffeinated beverages on subjective intoxication: A systematic review and meta-analysis". Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews. 47: 16–21. doi:10.1016/j.neubiorev.2014.07.008. PMID 25036891. S2CID 42390630.
  7. ^ "Caffeine Wiki: Benefits, Uses, Side Effects and Dosage". 27 May 2020. Archived from the original on 21 March 2023. Retrieved 30 May 2023.
  8. ^ a b van Dam RM, Hu FB, Willett WC (July 2020). "Coffee, Caffeine, and Health". The New England Journal of Medicine. 383 (4): 369–378. doi:10.1056/NEJMra1816604. PMID 32706535. S2CID 220731550.