How Much Caffeine Is In Your Dietary Supplement?

Given the increase in consumption of energy drinks over the last several years as well as recent reports of 5 deaths being associated w/said highly caffeinated beverages, it begs the question of just how much caffeine we're consuming.  It turns out that sodas are limited to just 71mg per 12 ounce serving. And depending upon how (much) coffee is made, a cuppa joe may contain 100-175mg of caffeine.

But in a research letter published earlier this week in JAMA Internal Medicine, the authors noted that dietary supplement product labels often failed to list the amount per serving or understated the amount detected using standard chemical analytic methods.  To add insult to injury, manufacturers can hide behind federal regulations that are less stringent with regards to dietary supplement labels as opposed to food stuffs.  

So in fact, the authors found upwards of 200mg & more of caffeine per serving in some dietary supplement products.  And we know how easy it is to consume more than a single serving!  Therefore, how can we advise our patients on what's safe to consume when we don't know how much is inside?  Something to ponder as the supplement manufacturers fight for more lenient regulations!

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