Caffeine Awareness Month: 10 Things To Know About Widely Consumed Stimulant

At some point, everyone has fallen victim to workplace tiredness. From addressing colleagues or clients by the wrong name, making mistakes via email, or even falling asleep on the job, tiredness and its effects on mental acuity can hinder you in a variety of ways. The good news is that you’re not alone, and having a better understanding of caffeine will make it clear why 85% of the US population relies on it daily. To help give Americans the boost they need whether at work or at play Red Bull has introduced three new Red Bull Editions: Yellow (Tropical Fruits) and Orange and Cherry, two zero calorie, zero sugar offerings. These new Editions offer the Wings of Red Bull with the same amount of caffeine as a similarly sized home-brewed coffee, and can vitalize mind and body.

In honor of National Caffeine Awareness Month, below are compelling findings about workplace tiredness from a recent study conducted by Red Bull and Glassdoor as well as insightful caffeine facts from the timely report issued by the National Consumers League.During March, which is both National Nutrition Month and Caffeine Awareness Month, the National Consumers League (NCL) is calling on consumers to turn their attention to the world’s favorite pick-me-up: caffeine. Coincidentally for the first time in its 35-year history the Scientific Report of the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee, released last month for public comment, addresses caffeine safety and consumption.

The truth about caffeine is that around 400mg of caffeine per day is commonly cited as a safe intake level for healthy adults. That’s about 6-7 cups of black tea, 4-5 cups of home brew coffee, 2-3 Starbucks Grande Lattes, 8 cans of Diet Coke, or 5 cans of Red Bull. A typical serving or portion of caffeine is usually an 8 fl oz cup of home brewed coffee, a 20 fl oz diet cola, a 1.5 fl oz espresso shot and an 8.4 fl oz energy drink, all of which are about equal with a range of approximately 70-90mg of caffeine. Regardless of whether caffeine is naturally occurring (coffee or tea), or in its synthetic form (cola or energy drink), the chemical structure is identical, and its effect on the human body is the same.

Overcoming tiredness in the workplace and fatigue at work causes distractions for more employed Americans (48 percent) than personal communications (35 percent) and social media (19 percent),66 percent of respondents said caffeine is the top fix for boosting energy compared to taking a walk (39 percent) or listening to music (37 percent), 93 percent of Americans have taken action to boost their energy at work, with caffeine coming in as the top workplace necessity,48 percent of Americans can’t live without caffeine at work – a higher percentage than those who can’t live without their smartphones (44 percent) or schedules (32 percent), 66 percent of respondents admit to making mistakes at work, and 41 percent have completely forgotten items they need to do, because of tiredness,24 percent of workers confess to addressing a colleague or client by the wrong name or making a mistake via email due to low energy.

10 facts you likely didn’t know about caffeine:

1. The earliest rumored consumption of caffeine was by a Chinese emperor in 3,000 BC who is said to have accidentally discovered that when certain leaves fell into boiling water, a fragrant and restorative drink resulted. We commonly know this drink as tea.

2. Caffeine is found in the seeds and leaves of more than 60 plants around the world. Coffee beans, tea leaves, cocoa beans, kola nuts, guarana plants, and yerba mate are just a few that contain caffeine.

3. Regardless of whether caffeine is naturally occurring (coffee or tea), or in its synthetic form (cola or energy drink), the chemical structure is identical, and its effect on the human body is the same.

4. Birds, dogs, and cats cannot metabolize caffeine – so don’t feed your pets chocolate (or give them coffee)!

5. The darker the coffee roast, the less caffeine in the coffee bean. Unroasted, green coffee beans have a higher concentration of caffeine. For teas, it’s the opposite: the darker the tea, the higher the caffeine.

6. Around 400mg of caffeine per day is commonly cited as a safe intake level for healthy adults. That’s about 6-7 cups of black tea, 4-5 cups of home brew coffee, 2-3 Starbucks Grande Lattes, 8 cans of Diet Coke, or 5 cans of Red Bull. A typical serving or portion of caffeine is usually an 8 fl oz cup of home brewed coffee, a 20 fl oz diet cola, a 1.5 fl oz espresso shot and an 8.4 fl oz energy drink, all of which are about equal with a range of approximately 70-90mg of caffeine.

7. Aside from the ‘pick-me-up’ that is a well-known effect of caffeine, there is evidence that caffeine has some positive effects against some diseases like Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s. But too much caffeine can result in side effects like nervousness, anxiety, nausea, sleeplessness, and jitteriness.

8. Eighty five percent of the US population consumes caffeine daily. How is it split? 64 percent from coffee, 17 percent from tea, 17 percent from sodas, and 2 percent from energy drinks.

9. Caffeine takes 15-45 minutes to take effect. The average person will eliminate half of the original amount consumed between 4-6 hours.

10. Pregnant women should avoid caffeine, and it is not recommended for children.