The caffeinated beverages and energy drinks..

Grab yourself a coffee to wake you up in the morning? Do you have the habit of taking tea in the evening? Or are you a fan of soft drinks or energy drinks?! If you answered "yes" to either of these questions, or if you know someone who has this profile, then read the following lines. You may well have a few surprises!

Energy drinks ... sometimes highly caffeinated!

Caffeine is a natural ingredient found in the leaves, seeds or fruits of plants such as coffee, tea, cocoa, kola nut, guarana and yerba mate. Some energy drinks contain as much or more caffeine than a cup of coffee. Unfortunately, the law does not require that caffeine is listed on the label, unless it has been added as a separate additive or pure substance (Health Canada).

And soft drinks?

More than half the caffeine consumed by adults in the country from coffee, about a third comes from tea and a little less than 10% comes from soft drinks and energy. Among children less than 5 years, nearly 55% of the caffeine consumed comes from soft drinks (Health Canada).



Doses to meet

Healthy adults should be limited to 400 milligrams of caffeine a day while pregnant women and women of childbearing age should not take more than 300 milligrams per day. The children, meanwhile, should not consume more than 2.5 milligrams of caffeine per kilogram (which is about 85 milligrams for people 10 to 12 years) (Health Canada).

For example:
* 1 cup 8 oz (237 ml) brewed coffee contains about 179 mg of caffeine
* 1 cup 8 oz (237 ml) brewed coffee contains about 135 mg of caffeine
* 1 cup 8 oz (237 ml) of green tea contains about 43 mg of caffeine
* 1 can (355 ml) soft drink contains 36-50 mg of caffeine
* 1 small can (250 ml) of energy drink contains at least 80 mg of caffeine

Intolerance to caffeine

Individual tolerance to caffeine varies greatly from one person to another. Some people are more sensitive to caffeine in them, a small amount could cause insomnia, headaches, irritability or nervousness (Health Canada).

Risks

Risks related to the consumption of energy drinks include electrolyte imbalance, nausea and vomiting, irregular heartbeat. The problems stem primarily and almost exclusively consumption of these drinks and mixing them with alcohol (Health Canada).