Should the FDA Regulate Caffeine in Foods? | wHealthySolutions

The Associated Press reported recently that with the proliferation of people using energy-boosting foods such as energy drinks and most recently energy gums, ?The Food and Drug Administration said Monday that it will investigate the safety of added caffeine and its effects on children and adolescents.?

What is caffeine?

Q: Dr. Arad, we all know that caffeine helps us to boost energy, but what exactly is caffeine and how does it trigger the energy boosting mechanism in our body?

A: Coffee is a natural substance obtained from coffee beans. There are thousands of different varieties of coffees, so we need to be careful when generalizing about it. However, most commonly coffee is a mild stimulant (when used in moderation) that increases wakefulness, focus, and concentration. It is also a healthy nutrition source, since it contains many antioxidants that prevent damage from oxidization in the body. Oxidization is considered to be the major cause of multiple diseases as well as aging.

Coffee in this theoretical sense is a double-edged sword. The positive benefits may be counterbalanced by adverse effects of over stimulation, although the image of the over-stimulated coffee addict going wild and wreaking havoc is unsubstantiated by any academic research.

Physiological effect of coffee

Another concern is the physiological effect of coffee, including increased heart rate and blood pressure, which could theoretically be harmful to the heart. Fortunately, these concerns are also theoretical. I have searched the Google and Pub Med database dating from 1997 to 2013, and could find only a single article that documents the effects of acute caffeine administration in adolescents (Temple, J. L., A. M. Dewey, et al. (2010). ?Effects of acute caffeine administration on adolescents.? Exp Clin Psychopharmacol 18(6): 510-520.). In that study, intake of as much as 200mg of caffeine actually resulted in decreased heart rate and minor increase in diastolic blood pressure, and no change in systolic blood pressure. In comparison, Starbuck?s Grande Cappuccino has only 150mg of caffeine. So the likelihood of significant physiological damage from one to two cups of coffee is minimal even in adolescents.

In addition, a recent study has shown that people who drink coffee in the morning are 30% less likely to be involved in a car accident. And students who drink coffee before examinations tend to do better than those who don?t.

?Safety of energy drinks

Q: ?Are the energy drinks currently available on the market safe?

A: The caffeine content of most energy drinks is less than 250mg/serving, which should definitely be safe. However, there are a few of them which exceed this amount. For example, Chameleon Cold Brew Coffee has 2160 mg of caffeine in 32 ounces (or 8, 4oz servings delivering 270mg of caffeine each). 5150 Semi Sweet contains 15,200 mg in 32 ounces, or 475mg/ounce. Whether intake of multiple servings from these products is harmful has not been established, however, according to the Mayo Clinic, daily consumption of more than 500 to 600 mg of caffeine may cause insomnia, nervousness, restlessness, irritability, upset stomach, fast heartbeat and muscle tremors. Still they do not mention serious morbidity or mortality associate with this intake.?

How much coffee should I drink?

Q: ?So what would be your recommendation to your patients as far as drinking coffee is concerned?

A: My recommendation to my patients is that you may drink as much coffee as you like as long as you don?t experience the negative side effects mentioned above. However, in moderation this is a safe drink with some real health benefits.

FDA to regulate caffeine in food or not

Q: So in your view, should the FDA regulate the caffeine quantities in food products, or not?

A: In my opinion, there is absolutely no evidence today that indicates that the FDA should get involved in regulating caffeine quantities in food.

Before any regulations are implemented much more research is required. I would therefore encourage FDA to commission a comprehensive study to address the questions mentioned in this blog.

About the Interviewee:

Dr. Yadon Arad is Board certified in Internal Medicine, Endocrinology and Metabolism, and Emergency Medicine. He has extensive experience in various aspects of human and animal Endocrinology, Metabolism, and Preventive Medicine. Dr Arad received a BA in Mathematics, Magna Cum laude, and an MD from the University of Rochester, and trained at Columbia University.

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