We often talk about the amount of caffeine in drinks like coffee and tea, but what about the amount of caffeine in the food we eat? When the topic of natural edible caffeine comes up, the conversation often turns to chocolate.chocolate is made from cacao beans, often called cacao solids, are seeds from the cacao tree that naturally contain caffeine. To make the chocolate we are familiar with, cocoa beans are fermented, dried, roasted, and ground before being mixed with other ingredients and flavorings. The amount of caffeine also varies depending on the type of chocolate. But how much is actually in it? Is eating it as a dessert enough to interfere with a restful night’s sleep? How to find out how much caffeine is in your favorite chocolate treat? It is as follows:
Getty Images
What is the recommended amount of caffeine per day?
by Food and Drug Administration (FDA)), up to 400 milligrams (mg) of caffeine per day (equivalent to 4 to 5 cups of coffee) is generally considered safe for the average adult. However, everyone metabolizes this stimulant differently, so if caffeine causes headaches, nervousness, anxiety, increased heart rate, or other side effects, avoid consuming large amounts at all costs. . If you are pregnant or breastfeeding, ask your doctor about the amount of caffeine they advise you to consume.
How much caffeine does chocolate contain?
Chocolate contains natural caffeine, but in most cases, the amount is small compared to the caffeine found in coffee, certain teas (such as black and green tea), and soft drinks. I have included a breakdown for your reference.
- The average 12-ounce can of soda contains 30 to 40 mg of caffeine.
- An 8-ounce cup of green or black tea contains about 30 to 50 mg (green tea typically contains less than black tea).
- An 8-ounce cup of coffee contains 80 to 100 mg.
- An 8-ounce can of energy drink contains between 40 and 250 mg.
When it comes to chocolate, the amount of caffeine can actually vary depending on the type of chocolate, the growing conditions of the cocoa beans, and the source of the cocoa, says the Boston-based chocolatier. chocolate allure.
“In general, a 3.5-ounce dark chocolate bar can contain between 50 and 150 mg of caffeine,” Pargamentgal says. That’s quite a range, and 150 mg of caffeine is impressive, but this is the maximum. And in general, people consume more coffee than chocolate at one time.
For example, dark chocolate, such as bittersweet or semi-sweet chocolate, usually contains the highest amount of caffeine. Milk chocolate usually contains less caffeine because it has less cocoa solids. White chocolate does not contain any caffeine as it does not contain cocoa solids.
Pergament-Gal adds that there is technically another stimulant found in cocoa beans called theobromine. “This increases your energy levels, but the spike is not as great as with caffeine.
dark chocolate caffeine
Because dark chocolate contains the most cocoa beans or cocoa solids, it also contains the most caffeine. These higher percentages (85 percent, 77 percent) found in dark chocolate bars represent the amount of cocoa solids in the bar. The higher the percentage of cocoa solids, the darker and more bitter the chocolate, less sugar, and more antioxidants. It also contains more cocoa solids, which means it contains more caffeine.
milk chocolate caffeine
According to the FDA, milk chocolate must contain at least 12 percent milk solids and 10 percent chocolate liquor (non-alcoholic). Milk chocolate by definition has less cocoa solids (more than 12% milk solids added) and therefore less caffeine. According to the USDA, each 1.5-ounce bar contains about 9 mg of caffeine.
white chocolate caffeine
“White chocolate contains only cocoa butter and no cocoa solids (cocoa butter is the fat extracted from cocoa solids). Therefore, it does not contain caffeine.” Pergamentogal explains. Because white chocolate does not contain cocoa solids, many people do not consider it to be real chocolate.
caffeine in hot chocolate
We may consume more hot cocoa at one time than a chocolate bar, but that doesn’t necessarily mean more caffeine.
Hot chocolate contains some caffeine, but not a lot. Most packaged hot chocolate mixes made at home typically contain less than 5 milligrams of caffeine. Be even more careful when ordering hot chocolate at a cafe or coffee shop. For your reference, tall hot chocolate Starbucks has about 20mg of caffeine per 12oz serving. Again, this is far from the 400 mg daily limit, but it’s still caffeine, and it’s great if you’re looking for a sneaky source of caffeine or giving your kids too much. This is important to consider when deciding not to give caffeine.
“In hot chocolate, a lot of milk is added to the chocolate, so even if it’s chocolate, [itself] It’s on the high end in terms of caffeine content, so hot chocolate probably won’t have as much of it,” Pergamangal points out.
