Coffee and developers have a strong connection. I mean a very strong connection, not unlike what Gollum shares with The One Ring. While having my cup of Americano yesterday, I started thinking - what's the best way of Caffeine intake. So cheers, folks! That's what we have on the menu today. 😉
While ranking all the drink and ways to drink them, we will consider the amount of caffeine per serving and also the calories that go with it. So you will have your best source of caffeine at the end of this article.
Soft Drinks
Caffeine: 27.8mg
Calories: 130
Yup, your cola may contain some caffeine. One small cup may contain 27.8mg of caffeine and 31g of sugar. That's why it is not recommended to lean toward your cola for caffeine needs unless you don't have another option available. I know you will say "What if I take Diet Coke?". Well, there are many types of research that show Diet Coke is even more harmful. Check this link out.
Redbull
Caffeine: 80mg
Calories: 117
Well, I'm not a big fan of Redbull, to be honest. It may contain the same amount of caffeine as a cup of coffee, but it has too much sugar in it. Although Redbull is quite popular among programmers, it's actually not a great source of caffeine. I have seen many people associating hackathons with energy drinks, maybe that's the reason Redbull is such a craze. And the mystical "taurine", which their marketing team pushes as some sort of magic pixie dust, is actually not that magical at all. Some people suggest it acts as more of a sedative than a stimulant, so it could actually slow your brain's activity rather than speed it up. Ironic, right? 😃
Lattes and Cappuccinos
Caffeine: 30-40mg
Calories: 120-30
I know how much you love your Lattes and Cappuccinos, but sadly, my favorite caffeinated beverage is also not the best source of caffeine for you. They contain a lot of sugar, and let's not even talk about all those flavors we love to add on top. More sugar! It may be the best treat for your taste buds, but not for your health. There's no harm in enjoying it occassionally though. Just don't kid yourself that you're drinking it for something other than the taste. 😆
Chai Tea (Indian👳🏻♂️)
Caffeine: 67-78mg
Calories: 140
(Note: If you prefer small size, the numbers will be halved)
A typical Indian Chai, apparently the most consumed beverage in India, or Chai Latte for Westerns. This is the most preferred source of caffeine for most of the Indians. It has a fair amount of caffeine in it, but also suffers from the same downfalls as Cappuccinos and Lattes. It has a lot of sugar in it, so you shouldn't consume a lot of it.
Espresso
Caffeine: 64 mg
Calories: 9
As we are going down, we are moving towards the healthier sources of caffeine. Espresso has an impressive amount of caffeine and that too in just 9 calories. The best part about this is that it's a shot. So no more savoury sips. One shot and you are done.
Brewed Coffee
Caffeine: 100-120 mg
Calories: <5
Yes, brewed coffee is the best source of caffeine according to me. Freshly brewed coffee can have upto 120mg of caffeine, and that too by consuming less than 5 calories. It has many antioxidants that increase the brain power. There are many other health benefits also. Check this post.
Conclusion
So there you have it. All the popular sources of caffeine dissected and analyzed. But the purpose of this post isn't to tell you to stop drinking certain drinks. You should definitely enjoy them all occassionally. After all, variety is the spice of life. Just try to lean on the healtheir side if, like me, you depend on caffeine to dominate your day. 😉
Oh and while we're at it, don't take too much caffeine. Everything is good in moderation, and that's true for caffeine as well. If you want to cut your intake, try some other sources not listed here, like dark chocolate or green tea. I'm sure you can find plenty if you look.
And don't forget to comment your favorite caffeinated beverage below!
Oldest comments (84)
You shouldn't forget Monster Energy Drinks with 240mg coffeine per 500ml.
I don't think that's healthy bro.
It's not healthy, indeed. Neither are soft drinks 😏🤔
Yes
It's super healthy.
Much better than burnt beans.
Full of electrolytes and well-preserved B vitamins to protect the brain.
Oh yes 😩👌
(I am only referring to the sugar free Ultra of course)
And you simply cannot ignore the aesthetic.
Edit: Red and violet are good too. Orange is a bit weird, has the most accidental sugar, and too much caffeine.
I'm curious about this product (it is almost sugar-free, for a long time I thought it wasn't due to the black can) but they made the can hideous again, and I can't buy it locally:
😂😂😂😂
I use to had milk, been 2 years without coffee ☕
I went cold turkey on caffeine at work last year after I was getting migraines all the time. I stopped drinking coffee entirely, and switched from normal tea to rooibos. The withdrawal symptoms were pretty awful, but after a week I started to feel a lot better.
I have let my consumption creep up again though in the last few months.
Tea also contains a small amount of caffeine.
Actually green tea contains a pretty fair amount of coffeine! 🍵
Depends on the flavor.
That's why I stopped drinking it in favour of rooibos, which is naturally caffeine free but can be drunk in the same way. Decaf tea is usually vile, although Yorkshire Tea do a nice Bedtime Brew which is decaffeinated.
But a moderate amount of caffeine won't harm you. It's actually good to have a moderate amount.
I still drink ordinary tea at home, and will have the odd coffee, but I generally stick to rooibos at work. I was drinking two coffees a day, as well as tea throughout the day, and I found that started to cause problems.
Same. I found that after basically giving up coffee, my concentration was better, I felt wide awake in the morning, had no detox headaches at the weekend and generally feel much better. I have one or two a month, as a treat. The other advantage is that when I do feel tired and have a coffee, I have no tolerance so get a huge kick from the caffeine. Win!
I'll normally start my day with a large cup of drip coffee. Occasionally I'll have another cup mid-day, but luckily I don't feel a strong need or dependency beyond that.
Same here.
Tell me the address, I'm coming 😃
What do you do when you're stuck in a traffic jam?
Write a blog post, of course!
Haha you sure didn't waste any time posting this. :P
Damn, When did you clicked it?
I'm a ninja! 🐱👤
I've been running on espresso since Tuesday when I got a new machine. Before that, for almost a year, I drank mostly Turkish coffee which gives an extra kick since I make it with some sugar. However, before that, I went from 3-4 espressos a day to 0 and had no caffeine at all for about 6 months. I didn't miss it at all, had no withdrawal symptoms, but I just love coffee too much to give it up forever.
Yeah, If you take it in a moderate amount, you won't experience withdrawal symptoms.
My college does Starbucks which is not a good thing at all for my health, especially when the Christmas range was out 😅
I get you bro.
I prefer direct injection. JK, actually straight tea with no additives appears to be my fix. No sugar please. 😁
Can't forget the tried and true and incredibly cheap caffeine pill! I take half of pill in the morning which is 100mg and thats all I need to get me going! I like coffee, but I don't want to have to worry about finding coffee every day so I just pop a pill and I am good to go.
Is it healthy to take that? are those pills Natural?
Yep, my doctor knows I take them and has zero concerns about it. In fact, he would rather I get caffeine from a pill than a sugary drink any day of the week.
There are all natural ones you can take but I prefer the generic version of No Doz.
That's cool then 😊
Appeal to nature.
They're not natural, they're purpose made.
They provide what you are asking for, and not contaminants.
Also convenient, portable, and shelf-stable.
also it's well tolerated, which is definitely an upside for many people. Although you have to consider that is "kicks in" pretty fast, so if someone just likes to sip a hot beverage and is more comfortable with getting that effect over a longer period, coffee or tea is probably the way to go.
I don't need caffeine to program at all.
Wait... is there caffeine in tea, Mountain Dew, and Diet Coke?
Oh. There is. Hmmm. In that case, I need copious amounts of caffeine.
My body is a fine tuned machine turning caffeine into code.
😂😂😂
I drink a cup of coffee at home before work, then get another tall cup at Starbucks on my way in, both black, and that’s usually it. If I feel like I’ve gotten a lot done in a day I’ll sometimes reward myself w/ another cup at around 3, but other than that just the two in the morning is plenty to keep me going, and not so much that I get jittery and anxious when I crash at the end of the day.
Same here bro.
I used to be heavily into redbull sugar free.
I've now landed on espresso and have 2 or 3 a day.
That's good. Redbull should not be taken regularly.
Do you have a reason why? I've been thinking recently this amount of espresso is probably just as bad if not worse 🤯😂
The reason is probably taurine which Redbull have. You can google it a lot of theories on it.
Even though you never really know if it’s science or placebo, I’m a believer in l-theanine along with coffee for cognition and focus.
It's not placebo, it's magic 💪💪😂
Double espresso. No sugar.
Hahaha, I know how's that feel.