ADOLESCENT AND YOUNG ADULT MEDICINE
Be Smart with Caffeine
Caffeine is a substance found in many drinks and
foods, like coffee, soda and chocolate. Having some
caffeine during the day can help you stay awake and
focused, but too much can make you feel jittery,
anxious or cause headaches. In this handout, you
will learn how much caffeine is okay to drink during
the day. You will also learn tips to help you cut back
on caffeine if you have a lot of it during the day.
HOW CAN I CUT BACK ON CAFFEINE?
•
Keep track of how much caffeine you have
every day. This includes drinks and food. What
can you replace with healthier choices, like
water, low-fat milk or a healthy snack?
•
Cut back by 1 serving of caffeine every day.
Cutting back on caffeine can cause headaches,
grouchiness and fatigue (feeling tired). Over
time, you won’t feel like you need as much
caffeine to get through the day.
•
Don’t drink caffeine after lunch. Caffeine
stays in your system for 5-6 hours after you’re
done drinking or eating. Not having caffeine
after lunch can help you feel relaxed during the
day and sleep better at night.
•
Set your caffeine limit and stick to it. If you
reach your limit, try drinking water, low-fat
milk or having a healthy snack, like fruit.
•
Use a caffeine tracker app. Apps can help you
set limits, learn the amount of caffeine in
different products and stay on track with how
much caffeine you have every day.
WHAT IS CAFFEINE?
Caffeine is a substance found in many foods and
drinks, like coffee, tea, energy drinks, soda and
chocolate. Caffeine comes from leaves and seeds of
different plants, like coffee beans or tea leaves.
WHAT DOES CAFFEINE DO TO MY BODY?
The effect caffeine has on your body depends on
how much you have. If you have small amounts of
caffeine, it can help you feel more awake, focused
and alert.
If you have large amounts of caffeine, it can:
•
Make you feel jittery or anxious (nervous)
•
Cause headaches
•
Keep you up at night when you should be
asleep
Cause you to urinate (use the bathroom) more
often than usual
Make certain heart problems worse
•
•
•
o
Cause bones to lose calcium (a mineral that
helps keep bones strong) over time
HOW MUCH CAFFEINE IS OKAY FOR ME TO HAVE
EVERY DAY?
o
Teens can have about 100 milligrams (mg) of
caffeine every day. That’s about 1 small cup of
coffee or tea, 1-2 cans of soda or 1 energy drink
every day.
o
Caffeine per Day®. A free app that
tells you how much caffeine you
can have every day based on your
age. Enter your sources of caffeine
and get reminders for when you’ve
gone over your limit.
Caffeine Tracker®. ($0.99). A lowcost app that lets you set your own
caffeine limits, track your sources
of caffeine and enter serving sizes.
It also tells you when you’ve
reached your limit and lets you
share your accomplishments with
others, like sticking to your limit.
Caffeine Dictionary®. ($1.99). A
low-cost app where you can look
up how much caffeine is in
different drinks and food.
HOW MUCH CAFFEINE IS IN MY FAVORITE PRODUCTS?
The boxes below show much many milligrams (mg) of
caffeine are in some of your favorite products.
Products with low amounts of
caffeine
Products with medium amounts
of caffeine
Products with high amounts of
caffeine
These products have fewer than 100
mg of caffeine per serving. You can
have these products 2-3 times every
day.
These products have 14-80 mg of
caffeine per serving. You can have
these products no more than 1 time a
day.
These products have more than 100
mg of caffeine per serving. You can
have these products no more than 45 times a week.
8 ounces (oz.) is about a small cup.
8 ounces (oz.) is about a small cup.
8 ounces (oz.) is about a small cup.
8 oz. of brewed green tea = 24-45 mg
8 oz. brewed black tea = 14-70 mg
8 oz. of brewed coffee = 95-200 mg
8 oz. of instant iced tea = 11-47 mg
1 can of Red Bull®, regular or sugarfree = 75-80 mg
8 oz. of a latte or mocha = 63-175 mg
8 oz. of bottled iced tea = 5-40 mg
1 can of Coke® = 23-35 mg
1 can of Rockstar®, regular or sugarfree = 79-80 mg
1 bottle of 5-Hour Energy Shot® =
200-207 mg
1 cup of semisweet chocolate chips =
104 mg
1 can of Diet Coke® = 23-47 mg
1 can of Pepsi®= 32-39 mg
28 chocolate-dipped coffee or
espresso beans = 336 mg
A note for your parents...
Try to be aware of how much
caffeine your teen is drinking or
eating every day. Set a good example
of responsible caffeine consumption
(eating and drinking). Watch for
signs that your teen is having too
much caffeine, like feeling restless,
not sleeping or headaches.
Rev. 8/2016
Created by Cate Medeiros
Adolescent and Young Adult Medicine
For more information please call
Mass General Hospital for Children
55 Fruit Street, Suite 6D
Boston, MA 02114
617-643-1201
www.massgeneralforchildren.org/adolescent