How much caffeine does coffee & co.

The small caffeine ABC

Who asked the question "The coffee with milk or sugar?" with a lapidary "Thank you, only with cup!" answered, is one of the 16.6 percent of German coffee drinkers who drink their coffee pure *. By the way, coffee experts call it a duty to drink the first cup of a new type of coffee without any additives. Only then can the genuine taste be judged correctly. Completely independent of which pleasure type it is? A common feature unites all coffee drinkers: they appreciate the stimulating effect of the caffeine contained in coffee. We ignore the 4.59 million Germans who bought more or less decaffeinated coffee in 2014. After all, it's about caffeine and its effects.

Caffeine scientifically considered

Caffeine (also Caffeine, Tein or Thein) is one of the substance group of xanthine be listening alkaloid, It is a stimulating psychotropic substancewhich is mainly included in luxury foods such as coffee, tea, cola, guarana, energy drinks and mate. Low levels of caffeine are also detectable in cocoa and chocolate. Pure caffeine occurs in the form of bitter-tasting, crystalline powder with a white tint. The chemical structure was created in 1875 by Ludwig Medicus with the bulky name 1,3,7-Trimethylxanthingekennzeichnet.


Caffeine versus Tein

The caffeine contained in green and black tea is colloquially often referred to as Tein. Scientifically, it is one and the same substance. The distinction is in the nature of the release of caffeine in the human organism. Caffeine contained in coffee is already absorbed in the stomach and acts accordingly fast. Caffeine from tea, however, is released only in the intestine. As a result, the stimulating effect of tea slows down but lasts longer.

The caffeine effect

The broad spectrum of action of caffeine includes symptoms such as central nervous system stimulation, increase in heart rate, increased intestinal activity, vasodilation or narrowing and much more. In addition to these, depending on the violence as pleasant or unpleasant side effects, it is primarily the stimulating effect that appreciate coffee drinkers. Caffeine acts as a stimulant for psyche, concentration and drive in small doses. At the same time, it eliminates signs of fatigue. According to recent studies, moderate coffee consumption should even improve long-term memory.

Caffeine as a drug?

The first cup of coffee in the morning is considered by many to be the "ignition key" for the beginning of the day. Without the caffeine kick, a good start is often difficult. This is an absolutely typical phenomenon for regular coffee drinkers. Body and psyche quickly develop a habituation to the stimulating effect and do not really get going without it. With a sudden cessation of regular caffeine intake withdrawal symptoms in the form of headache, energy loss, fatigue, drowsiness to depressive moods and flu-like symptoms may occur. These usually last two to nine days.


Here is a relatively large intersection of caffeine and other typical addictive substances. A heavy caffeine dependence is considered in professional circles as caffeine dependence designated. Although it is the most commonly consumed substance in the world with pharmacological activity, caffeine is not officially classified as an addictive substance.

Caffeine in drinks? an overview

The following overview can help you to better estimate your own caffeine consumption. How much harmless and how much harmful it is can not be generalized. The lethal dose for an adult is about 10 grams of caffeine. This is about the amount contained in one hundred cups of coffee (drunk at once!). Even the hardcore consumers are on the safe side.

caffeine content

(all figures are approximate values)


A cup of coffee (150 ml):

40 to 120 mg

An espresso (30 ml):

40 mg

A cup of black or green tea:

20 to 40 mg

Guarana (1 g dry matter):

40 to 90 mg

A cup of cocoa:

6 mg

Energy drink (Red Bull 100 ml):

32 mg

Mate Lemonade (Club Mate 100 ml):

20 to 25 mg

Cola (100 ml):

25 mg

Already Paracelsus knew: "Alone the crowd makes the poison". For all of you who call themselves a coffee aunt or coffee uncle, of course, this sentence applies. So: Hand on the caffeine-accelerated heart? What about your own coffee consumption? Hopefully this article was just as inspiring as a cup of good coffee. Well get it!

* Source: © Statista 2015 (de.statista.com)

How much caffeine in coffee? | March 2024