Measuring Soft Drinks’ Jolt

My last “Food for Thought” column noted that elderly women may keep their wits longer by drinking lots of caffeine. In that study, the women derived their caffeine from coffee and tea. A new study offers some guidance for Golden Girls who eschew the standard caffeinated brews but still want to reap some benefit from the stimulant. Many soft drinks contain caffeine, but how much of a jolt they deliver is seldom printed on the label.

Enter two food scientists from Auburn (Ala.) University. In the August Journal of Food Science, they report just how much caffeine they measured in a host of carbonated beverages. The researchers provide data on 74 colas, 28 Dr. Pepper or similar-tasting beverages, 26 citrus-flavored soft drinks, and another 5 miscellaneous drinks. Most of the drinks were nationally marketed brands, but the Auburn team included 41 store-brand soft drinks.

Although colas have a reputation for their nerve-jolting caffeine, citrus-flavored drinks actually offered substantially more of the stimulant. Diet and regular colas typically delivered 30 to 34 milligrams of caffeine per 12-ounce (0.35-liter) serving, whereas regular and diet citrus drinks provided an average of 50 and 55 mg, respectively. The soft drinks richest in caffeine in the entire survey were both citrus beverages: Vault Zero at 74 mg per serving and Diet SunDrop at 71.5 mg.

Caffeine values varied widely between drinks—even within a type—observe Leonard Bell and his former Auburn colleague Ken-Hong. Chou. Because few soft drink labels report how much caffeine a beverage contains, the researchers recommend that manufacturers start reporting—and posting—these values prominently so that consumers can look for drinks that will offer the amount of caffeine they seek.

To see how your favorites stack up, check the tables below:

National Brand Cola	Caffeine (mg/12 oz)
Pepsi One	57.1
Diet Cheerwine	48.1
Tab	48.1
Cheerwine	47.5
Diet RC	47.3
Diet Coke	46.3
Diet Coke with Lime	46.3
RC Cola	45.2
Diet Vanilla Coke	44.5
Shasta Cola	42.9
Faygo Cola	41.7
Diet Cherry Pepsi	40.5
Cherry Pepsi	39.7
Pepsi	38.9
Pepsi with Lime	38.4
Diet Vanilla Pepsi	38.1
Vanilla Pepsi	37.4
Diet Coke Black Cherry Vanilla	36.8
Diet Pepsi	36.7
Diet Pepsi with Lime	36.4
Coke Zero	35.8
Coca-Cola Black Cherry Vanilla	35.1
Diet Cherry Coke	35.0
Cherry Coke	34.4
Coca-Cola C2	34.4
Diet Coke with Splenda	34.4
Coca-Cola	33.9
Coke with Lime	33.6
Vanilla Coke	33.3
Red Rock Cola	26.1
Ritz Cola	10.3

Private/Store Brand Cola	Caffeine (mg/12 oz)
Big Fizz Cola	46.4
Diet version	61.9
Big K Cherry Cola	43.0
Diet version	39.9
Walgreens Cola	39.2
Diet version	45.0
Big K Cola	38.8
Diet version	30.0
Big Gulp Cola	38.0
Diet version	30.0
Chek Vanilla Cola	36.3
Diet version	28.9
Bubba Cola	35.4
Chek Cola	34.7
Diet version	27.5
Big K Cola with Lime	30.3
Diet version	18.6
Clover Valley Cola	28.8
Diet version	22.9
Chek Cherry Cola	26.3
Food Lion Cola	25.3
Diet version	11.9
Laura Lynn Cola	24.4
Diet version	11.3
Superchill Cola	24.2
Diet version	34.5
Publix Cola	23.1
Diet version	35.2
Rally Cola	13.3
Diet version	13.0
Piggly Wiggly Cola	12.7
Diet version	11.9
Sam’s Cola	12.7
Diet version	13.1
Publix Cherry Cola	12.4
Laura Lynn Cherry Cola	8.4
IGA Cola	4.9
Diet version	10.3
Chek Mate Diet Cola	26.2
Chek Diet Cola with Lime	45.8

“Pepper” style drinks	Caffeine (mg/12 oz)
Diet Dr Pepper	44.1
Dr Pepper	42.6
Diet Dr Pepper Berries & Cream	42.0
Diet Dr. Wham	41.9
Dr. Wham	41.6
Pibb Zero	41.2
Dr Pepper Berries & Cream	41.1
Pibb Xtra	40.3
Dr. Pepper Diet Cherry Vanilla	40.1
Dr. Pepper Cherry Vanilla	39.4
Dr IGAa	59.8
Diet Dr Pop	56.8
Dr Pop	47.5
Dr K	41.2
Diet Dr K	40.7
Dr Topper	34.0
Dr Publix	31.6
Dr Bob	31.3
Mr. Pibb	31.2
Diet Dr Bob	30.9
Dr Thunder	30.6
Dr Chill	29.9
Diet Dr Thunder	29.9
Dr Chek	24.4
Diet Dr Chek	22.3
Dr Lynn	19.3
Dr Perky	18.8
Diet Dr Lynn	18.2

Other soft drinks	Caffeine (mg/12 oz)
Vault Zero	74.0
Diet SunDrop	71.5
Vault Citrus	70.6
SunDrop	64.7
Diet Mountain Dew Code Red	55.4
Diet Mountain Dew	55.2
Mountain Dew	54.8
Mountain Dew Code Red	54.3
Mello Yello	49.5
Faygo Moon Mist	19.7
Chek Kountry Mist	55.1
Ramp Red	54.6
IGA Spring Mist	54.2
Publix Citrus Hite	54.1
Ramp	53.8
Mountain Chill	53.5
Chek Red Alert	53.2
Mountain Holler	53.1
Mountain Yeller	53.1
Clover Valley Citrus Drop	52.0
Sam’s Mountain Lightning	46.5
Chek Diet Kountry Mist	46.3
Mountain Lion	30.9
Laura Lynn Mt. Moon Drops	27.5
Big K Citrus Drop	26.2
Big K Diet Citrus Drop	25.1
Diet Sunkist	41.5
Sunkist	40.6
Big Red	34.0
A & W Cream Soda	28.6
Barq’s Root Beer	22.4

All tables adapted from Chou and Bell, Jrnl. Food Sci. Vol. 72, No. 6.