Are you a regular coffee drinker? If so, here are a few facts you might want to keep in mind to maintain a healthy consumption of caffeine in your diet.
It is true that a cup of coffee is the most efficient way to get a quick caffeine rush these days — a grande Starbucks coffee will provide about 330 mg of caffeine, while a Diet Coke will only contain about 45 mg.
But how much caffeine is sufficient anyway? More importantly, what is a healthy amount of coffee to consume daily?
The average cup of coffee contains about 95 mg of caffeine (8 fl oz or 237 g). Think of the coffee you get from hotel buffets or a Keurig. Drinking 400 mg of caffeine per day is considered safe for most healthy adults, but this drug affects everyone differently and some might be more sensitive than others. To find your perfect balance, you’ll have to experiment and see what suits you.
In order to develop your perfect coffee routine, I will outline the important facts about coffee that you should keep in mind.
First, there are a variety of factors that actually affect caffeine content, and they are important to be aware of:
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The Roasting: Light roast coffees actually contain more caffeine than their dark roast counterparts!
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How It’s Brewed: Espresso, instant coffee, decaf or regular brew affects the caffeine content.
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Serving size: The more coffee you drink, the more caffeine that enters your body (this one’s obvious).
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The Beans Used: Coffee beans naturally contain different amounts of caffeine in them.
The type of coffee you are drinking remains the most important factor in determining caffeine content. Here’s the breakdown:
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Brewed Coffee: 70-140 mg of caffeine (95 mg on average)
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Instant Coffee: 30-90 mg of caffeine
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Decaf Coffee: 1-7 mg of caffeine (yes, there is still caffeine in decaf)
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Espresso: 63 mg of caffeine
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Lattes, Macchiatos, and Cappuccinos: 63 mg of caffeine (the same as one shot of espresso)
With this in mind, let’s consider how much caffeine you get from Starbucks’ coffee, ranging from their smallest to largest size:
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Short: 180 mg of caffeine
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Tall: 260 mg of caffeine
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Grande: 300 mg of caffeine
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Venti: 415 mg of caffeine
More caffeine than you thought? Starbucks is known for offering the most caffeinated coffee in the United States, which makes it easy for people to miscalculate the true levels of their caffeine intake.
But I am not trying to scare you — drinking coffee should not be a worrisome experience. My main point is that being a coffee drinker requires a basic level of caffeine understanding in order to avoid jittering all day from an accidental coffee overload. But enough with the boring basics, let’s talk about some of the best places to get your coffee on campus:
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Starbucks (LaFortune Student Center): I recommend using Tapingo when you are in a rush because the line tends to be long at times.
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Hagerty Cafe (Duncan Student Center): If you are looking for a yummy pastry to accompany your coffee, check this place out.
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Au Bon Pain (Hesburgh Library): Not in the mood to leave the library to get your caffeine boost? ABP is conveniently located on the first floor.
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McCourtney Espresso Cart (McCourtney Hall): Need a quick coffee break? Swing by this adorable stand.
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Free coffee available daily in Coleman-Morse on the first floor, but don’t forget to bring your own cup!
Now that you are all coffee experts, share your expertise on your next coffee date and help make everyone safe caffeine consumers!
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