What is a caffeine?

Sources and Natural Occurrences

Natural sources of caffeine are instances where caffeine, a chemical stimulant, occurs in nature —
typically in the leaves or berries of different plants. Coffee beans and tea leaves are two of the most
well known natural sources, but they are by no means the only ones. A number of different herbs,
leaves and roots from around the world contain caffeine compounds, making the substance very
common. Every continent except Antarctica is home to at least some indigenous sources of the
stimulant, though how it is used and processed can vary tremendously from place to place.

Natural Versus Synthetic Caffeine

The most important characteristic of natural caffeine is that it occurs in nature, without human
intervention. Caffeine that is artificially constructed, even if from natural ingredients, does not qualify.

Scientists are often able to replicate the molecular structure of caffeine using man-made
compounds. Depending on how the stimulant is intended to be used, it can be more cost-effective to
create it synthetically than to extract it from nature. Man-made caffeine can be optimized to blend in
with other ingredients. It is often used in energy drinks and some pain medications, and to boost the
caffeine levels of certain prepared coffees and teas.

Extractions from Coffee and Tea

Coffee beans are some of the most popular natural sources of caffeine, though the actual caffeine
content can vary depending on bean type, roast, and brewing style. Tea leaves are also a common
source. Black tea, or tea that has been oxidized and dried, typically has the highest content, followed
by green and white teas. As with coffee, preparation and brew time often influences stimulant
content, but even so-called “decaffeinated” versions of these drinks still contain trace amounts.

Cocoa Beans and Chocolate

Cocoa beans, which are the root of chocolate production, contain small amounts of caffeine. As a
result, chocolate contains trace amounts of the stimulant, but rarely ever very much. Most chocolate
production involves a number of different ingredients. The more cocoa solids a chocolate contains,
the higher its stimulant content will be — bittersweet or baking chocolate, for instance, is usually
more caffeinated than milk chocolate or powdered mixes for things like hot cocoa. So long as the
chocolate flavor derives from cocoa beans, however, there is likely to be a bit of natural caffeine in
the final product.

Regional Plants and Herbs

The kola nut native to many sub-Saharan African countries is one of the more popular natural
sources of caffeine in African culture. The nut, which grows as a fruit of the evergreen kola tree, is
often chewed raw. It can also be brewed into a drink much as coffee would be, though the taste is
usually quite distinct.
Other natural sources include the leaves of the yerba mate and guarana plants, which grow in the
rainforests of South America. Yerba mate is one of the most popular caffeine sources in subtropical
South America, especially Argentina and Paraguay. The leaves can be used to make an infusion
that resembles green tea, although its flavor — and caffeine content — tend to be much stronger.

Caffeine can be hidden. A number of food and beverage manufacturers extract natural caffeine for
use in otherwise non-caffeinated products like energy drinks or athletic enhancement supplements.

Non-cola sodas
Colas and other sodas like Mountain Dew are well-known caffeinated culprits, but
others play less obvious roles in your daily caffeine intake. Some brands of root beer,
such as Barq’s, contain caffeine. Both the regular and diet flavors have 23 milligrams
per 12-ounce can, just 12 milligrams less than a can of Coke. Sunkist’s orange soda
has a surprising 41 milligrams of caffeine, and A&W Cream Soda has about 25
milligrams.
Chocolate
Caffeine is found naturally in cocoa beans, so any chocolate has a little bit of the
stimulant. Candy bars generally have less than 10 milligrams, but the darker the
chocolate, the higher the caffeine content. Hershey’s Special Dark Chocolate Bar has
a whopping 31 milligrams, almost as much as a can of Coke! Some chocolate is
fortified with additional caffeine for an energy boost—take the limited edition
Snickers Charge, which has 60 milligrams of caffeine, about the same as a cup of tea.
Ice cream
If there’s coffee or chocolate in your ice cream, expect the scoop to deliver a small
jolt. Many popular brands have coffee flavors that contain between 30 and 45
milligrams of caffeine per half cup, which is about the same as a can of Coke.
Chocolate ice cream has much less, however; a half cup of Breyer’s All Natural
Chocolate ice cream has only 3 milligrams, according to a Consumer Reports
analysis.
Alcoholic energy drinks
A slew of alcoholic energy drinks were reformulated or pulled from shelves after
investigators concluded that the products were being marketed to underage drinkers.
The Center for Science in the Public Interest sued MillerCoors to stop selling the
beverage Sparks, which, according to a lab analysis commissioned by a Miami TV
news station, contained a shocking 214 milligrams of caffeine per 16-ounce can—
about the same as six cans of Coke. Anheuser-Busch stopped producing fruit-flavored
beer Bud Extra, which had 55 milligrams of caffeine, about the same as a cup of tea,
as well as the malt beverage Tilt.
4. Energy drinks: These pick-me-up beverages depend on high amounts of
caffeine to give you a jolt. Caffeine in an 8 oz serving averages 80 mg, but some
energy drinks can contain twice that amount, according to the CSPI.

6. Sweet dairy products: Coffee and chocolate ice creams, yogurts, puddings,

and traditional sweets will have some amount of caffeine, but it may be as little as
2 mg and generally not more than 30 mg per serving. Some “energy” sweets,
however, register 150 mg of caffeine.