GUEST BLOG / By William (Bill)
Murray, President & CEO, National Coffee Assn.
Twitter: @Bill_CoffeeAssn
Coffee has long been associated with
energy and activity – the legend of coffee’s origin holds that it was
discovered because of the energy kick it gave to goats eating cherries from a
coffee tree.
Most coffee
drinkers have that first cup of coffee early in the morning, whether
decaffeinated or regular, to start their day. According to the latest National
Coffee Drinking Trends Report, 81% of daily coffee consumers report drinking
coffee at breakfast.
Despite the
strong association between coffee and caffeine, the National Coffee Association
(NCA), which was established in 1911, is only now publishing information on the
levels of caffeine that may be found in coffee.
Why?
1. There are more ways than ever
before to consume caffeine.
In recent
years there have been actual or proposed introductions of energy drinks,
caffeinated peanut butter, caffeinated waffles, caffeinated chewing gum, and
even powdered caffeine. With more potential sources of caffeine now available,
consumers have taken greater interest in how much they may be consuming
2. Consumers have new tools to manage
their health.
Research suggests
that most coffee drinkers understand the correlation between coffee and
caffeine, and instinctively make their choice – decaf or regular, espresso or
half-caff – based on individual tolerance. Even so, apps are now available that
allow coffee drinkers to precisely track caffeine consumption. Tracking
consumption, along with accurate information about caffeine content empowers
coffee drinkers to better manage their choices; and accurate, science-based
information is part of that equation.
3. Answering the simple question “how
much caffeine is in a cup of coffee” is really complicated.
Caffeine
levels vary by type of coffee, from farm to farm, tree to tree, and even roast
to roast. The way the beverage is prepared affects the caffeine content of a
cup of coffee, as will – of course – the size of the cup. This may be one
reason that there is a lot of disparate information on caffeine levels that is
publicly available, which can be hard to sort through.
The true
answer to the question “how much caffeine is in my cup of coffee” is …“it
depends.”
It’s the
same as the answer to the question “how many calories are in a slice of pizza?”
Are we talking stuffed crust pepperoni pizza, thin whole wheat gluten free
veggie pizza, or deep dish pizza with sausage and extra cheese? (Speaking of
calories, an 8oz. cup of black coffee contains about two calories – but back to
the caffeine question.)
Given all of
these complexities, we’re establishing a simple starting point, in the form of
(a) an average caffeine level for a standard serving size, and (b) a range that
reflects the caffeine variations that can be found in different preparations of
coffee.
The
information we’re providing is based on the collective knowledge, insight, and
expertise of scientists from a broad range of disciplines who comprise our NCA
Scientific Advisory Group, or SAG.
Especially
important – since the NCA is a trade association representing industry, our
data is sourced from third-party research, conducted independently of the
Association. The “average” number we’re referencing is the same as that used by
the US Government. The serving size upon which these values are based is also
the serving size for a cup of coffee that is used by the US Government .
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From here,
consumers can find additional information in many places – starting with the
website of their favorite coffee purveyors.
But there is
one more piece to the caffeine puzzle: you. Your habits, your preferences, your
tolerances, and even your physiology.
Everyone’s
body has a different tolerance to caffeine. Some folks can guzzle a double shot
of espresso and fall asleep within the hour. For others, a single shot might
keep them awake until long past their regular bedtime. Or, as scientists would
say, some people are “fast metabolizers” of caffeine, and others are “slow
metabolizers,” depending on factors such as body chemistry, coffee habits, and
even genes.
Of course,
none of this is meant to serve as health advice – we simply encourage you to be
an educated coffee drinker – to appreciate not only the rich flavors of coffee,
but the rich complexity of coffee, of which caffeine is a component. And as
you’re thinking about coffee, caffeine, and your own tastes and tolerances,
remember that there’s always a fresh, hot cup of coffee waiting for you
somewhere – regular, decaf, or half and half!
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