What Soda Has the Most Caffeine?

What Soda Has the Most Caffeine?
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What Is Caffeine?

Caffeine is the most widely used drug in the United States. While caffeine occurs naturally in a lot of plants, it’s added to many soda drinks and energy drinks. Caffeine is also found in coffee, tea and chocolate, so it’s no surprise that many American adults consume more than 300 milligrams of caffeine every day. Caffeine causes blood vessels to constrict and nerve cells to fire more quickly, and the body responds by producing adrenaline. Adrenaline causes many side effects, such as an increased heart beat, increased blood pressure, and a tightening in the muscles. These side effects contribute to the “buzz” that many people look for when they drink coffee, soda or energy drinks.

Top 20 Most Caffeinated Sodas

The amount of caffeine for the sodas below is calculated as milligrams of caffeine per ounce of soda. A typical can of soda is 12 ounces, making the total amounts of caffeine range from 38.4 mg to 70.8 mg per can.

1.Vault Soda - 5.9 mg/oz

2. Pepsi Max - 5.8 mg/oz

3. Diet Mountain Dew - 4.6 mg/oz

4. Pepsi ONE - 4.6 mg/oz

5. Mountain Dew (original, Baja Blast, and Code Red) - 4.5 mg/oz

6. Mello Yello - 4.4 mg/oz

7. Diet Mello Yello - 4.2 mg/oz

8. Sunkist Solar Fusion - 4.1 mg/oz

9. Diet RC Cola - 3.9 mg/oz

10. TaB - 3.9 mg/oz

11. Diet Coke (also Diet Coke with Lemon or Lime and Diet Vanilla Coke) - 3.8 mg/oz

12. RC Cola - 3.8 mg/oz

13. Shasta Cola - 3.6 mg/oz

14. Diet Sunkist Orange - 3.5 mg/oz

15. Faygo Cola - 3.5 mg/oz

16. Dr. Pepper (diet or regular) - 3.4 mg/oz

17. Pibb Xtra (also Pibb Zero) - 3.4 mg/oz

18. Sunkist Orange - 3.4 mg/oz

19. Diet Mr. Pibb - 3.3 mg/oz

20. Pepsi-Cola (also Wild Cherry Pepsi) - 3.2 mg/oz

Caffeine: The Downside

A little burst of caffeine every now and then is no problem, but it’s important to keep in mind that caffeine is still a drug. After the initial good feeling wears off, you can face fatigue and a feeling of depression. Following this crash with another dose of caffeine may make you feel better, but producing more adrenaline keeps your body in a state of emergency for extended periods of time. Caffeine is an addictive drug, which is why many people feel they absolutely must start the day with a cup of coffee. Cutting back on caffeine can help ease feelings of stress or anxiety and lead to better sleep, so knowing what soda has the most caffeine can be a good way to keep tabs on your caffeine consumption. Some sodas are normally caffeine free, such as Sprite and 7-Up, and many caffeinated sodas now come in caffeine-free varieties.

References:

Brain, Marshall, and Charles W. Bryant. “How Caffeine Works” 01 April 2000. HowStuffWorks.com. https://health.howstuffworks.com/wellness/drugs-alcohol/caffeine.htm 17 February 2011.

Energy Fiend, www.energyfiend.com