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To cite this article: V. Olmos , N. Bardoni , A.S. Ridolfi & E.C. Villaamil Lepori (2009): Caffeine levels in beverages from
Argentina's market: application to caffeine dietary intake assessment, Food Additives & Contaminants: Part A, 26:3, 275-281
To link to this article: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/02652030802430649
Introduction
Caffeine (1,3,7-trimethylxantine) is the most consumed
psychoactive substance in the world (Concon 1988;
Lewin 1998; Nehlig 1999). It has a major effect on the
central nervous system (Janssen et al. 1996; Smith
2002), but it also affects, to a lesser degree, the
cardiovascular system (Rachima-Maoz et al. 1998;
Savoca et al. 2005) and diuresis (Serafin 1996).
Caffeine is rapidly absorbed from the gastrointestinal
tract. A maximum plasma level is obtained in 15 min to
1 h after ingestion (Concon 1988; Baselt 2000). The
plasma half-life in adults was shown to be between 3
and 6 h (Baselt 2000). The metabolism of caffeine by
the liver P450 system is extensive and its metabolites
are excreted in urine.
Caffeine naturally occurs in plants like Coffea
arabica, Coffea robusta, Thea sinensis, Theobroma
cacao, Cola acuminata and Ilex paraguayensis, and it
is present in a wide variety of beverages including
coffee, tea, Argentine mate, carbonated soft drinks and
energy drinks.
The intake of moderate amounts of caffeine is not
harmful to healthy adults or occasional consumers.
Intakes of 20200 mg day1 are associated with positive effects on mood like alertness, efficiency, energy,
concentration and motivation to work (Ellenhorn
1997; Fredholm et al. 1999). Moderate amounts of
caffeine (200500 mg day1) may produce headaches,
tremors, nervousness and irritability (Lewin 1998).
Caffeinism is a syndrome related to excessive caffeine
consumption. It has typical cardiovascular, gastrointestinal and neuropsychiatric characteristics (Lewin
1998). It has been described with daily intakes of over
1000 mg of caffeine (Foxx and Rubinoff 1979;
Fredholm et al. 1999).
The aims of this study were to determine the caffeine
content of different beverages and how much it contributes to caffeine total daily intake in a population of
different ages. For that purpose, the caffeine content of
beverages from Argentinas markets was measured by
high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with
ultraviolet (UV) detection. Also, a consumption study
was carried out to evaluate caffeine total daily intake
and to identify sources of caffeine intake. Other caffeine
sources like food, herbal supplements and medicines
were not considered in this study.
276
V. Olmos et al.
concentration (Quattrocchi et al. 1992). Lowest concentration levels (0.005, 0.010 and 0.015 mg ml1) were
used to build a second calibration curve. From the
extrapolation to zero concentration, a blank response
(Ybl) was estimated. The standard deviation (SD) for
each point of the curve described previously was
determined. A plot of SD versus concentration was
obtained and an SD for zero concentration (Sbl) was
extrapolated.
LOD and LOQ were calculated according to:
LOD Ybl 3Sbl =b
Analytical procedure
Standard solutions
A caffeine stock solution was prepared in water to
a final concentration of 1 mg ml1.
Three sets of working standard solutions of 0.005,
0.010, 0.015, 0.020, 0.025, 0.030 and 0.050 mg ml1
were prepared from the stock solution.
Chromatography
The HPLC system (Jasco Corporation, Tokyo, Japan)
consisted on an HPLC pump (PU-980) with a ternary
gradient unit (LG-980-02), an automatic sampler
injector (AS-950), a UV/VIS detector (UV-975) and
an on-line degassing system (Alltech, Deerfield, IL,
USA). Data and chromatograms were collected and
analysed using a BorwinTM Chromatography Software
(JMBS Developments, Grenoble, France). The C18
reverse-phase column was a Nucleosil HD100 RP-18
(Macherey Nagel, Duren, Germany). The length of the
separation column was 150 mm, with an i.d. of 4.6 mm
and a 5 mm particle size.
The mobile phase consisted of methanol:water
(28:72, v/v). The injection volume was 20 ml and the
flow rate was 1.0 ml min1. The detection wavelength
was 272 nm. The assay was performed at room
temperature.
Statistical analysis
Statistical analysis was performed using Info-stat
software (student version; Cordoba, Argentina).
Analysis of variances (ANOVA) test and a
Bonferroni a posteriori test were performed to compare
caffeine contents between coffees.
Consumption study
Population studied and assessment of caffeine intake
A cross-sectional study was performed among students, teachers and workers (and their families) of
a public university in Buenos Aires, Argentina, during
the fall of 2006. The population was comprised of 471
people between 2 and 93 years of age (200 males and
271 females, including eight pregnant and five breastfeeding women). All people were asked to fill in
a questionnaire (a closed list of caffeine containing
beverages and serving sizes, and open answer about
number of serving sizes) voluntarily about their weekly
caffeine-consuming habits. The quantity ingested was
recorded in units of volume.
Total daily intake (mg day1) was calculated
by multiplying the daily ingested volume of each
beverage by its mean caffeine content obtained in this
study, and by summing all the caffeine sources for each
individual.
277
(2.4)
(7.1)
(1.6)
(5.3)
(12.0)
(7.8)
Consumption data
The intake of caffeine-containing beverages is widely
distributed among the Argentine population. The
survey showed that 98% of the children and teenagers
(aged 220 years) and almost 100% of the adults
consumed caffeine from different sources.
The mean caffeine intake for adults was
288 mg day1 (4.4 mg kg1 day1). Caffeine intake
among adults was shown to be higher in comparison
with data reported by other authors for countries such
as the USA: 193 mg day1 (Frary et al. 2005),
3 mg kg1 day1 (Barone and Roberts 1996) or
(Mandel
2002);
the
UK:
2.4 mg kg1 day1
4 mg kg1 day1 (Barone and Roberts 1996); and
Brazil: 171 mg day1(Rojo Camargo et al. 1999).
278
V. Olmos et al.
Range
Coffees
Regular (espresso)
Instant
Coffee bag
Electric machine
Coffee and milk
Short coffee
0.78 (0.31)
0.41 (0.16)
0.47 (0.04)
0.39 (0. 07)
0.22 (0.14)
1.38b (0.68)
Teas
Tea bag
Leaves
Mates
Mate bag
Leavesa
Chocolate milk
Cocoa milk
Soft drinks
Diet soft drinks
Energy drinks
Light energy drinks
Beverages
Range
ml per serving
Number of samples
0.461.59
0.210.44
0.420.52
0.260.53
0.100.35
0.732.76
93.6c (28.3)
95.2c (42.8)
53.7d (15.0)
86.4c (16.5)
54.9 (37.2)
90.7c (25.1)
59.7158.9
48.2159.9
42.178.2
58.6121.8
22.787.2
60.6132.7
200
200
150
220
150
45
10
6
4
10
2
9
0.12 (0.03)
0.27 (0.04)
0.080.17
0.220.33
24.8 (7.4)
55.0 (8.9)
16.036.3
45.368.3
200
200
5
3
0.15 (0.02)
0.33 (0.03)
0.034 (0.005)
0.040 (0.002)
0.11 (0.01)
0.13 (0.01)
0.28 (0.08)
0.32 (n.a.)
0.120.18
0.310.34
0.0300.042
0.0370.042
0.090.12
0.120.14
0.170.36
n.a.
24.335.3
71.179.3
7.410.5
9.310.4
31.445.9
43.151.1
42.693.3
n.a.
200
200
250
250
354
354
250
350
3
7
3
2
4
4
6
1
29.2
75.2
8.5
10.0
38.8
45.7
70.7
112.2
(4.3)
(5.8)
(1.3)
(0.5)
(4.6)
(2.9)
(20.2)
(n.a.)
Energy
drinks
Tea
Coffeeb
Matec
Chocolate
milk
Total
intake
Soft
drinksa
Energy
drinks
Tea
Coffeeb
95th percentile
Matec
Chocolate
milk
35
120
240
227
322
346
296
277
1.3
2.3
4.1
3.8
4.8
5.1
4.2
3.7
14
30
26
20
29
25
17
15
0
2
3
2
1
0
0
0
2
8
13
18
16
10
19
28
5
32
73
64
90
138
110
123
4
38
119
121
185
172
149
110
10
11
6
1
1
0
0
0
86
344
741
461
704
653
674
629
63
74
94
78
120
94
73
103
0
4
17
10
0
0
0
0
11
40
52
79
77
45
57
80
33
168
227
196
368
414
400
349
34
200
512
314
560
560
560
400
19
29
19
7
6
0
0
0
mg day1 mg kg1 day1 mg day1 mg day1 mg day1 mg day1 mg day1 mg day1 mg day1 mg day1 mg day1 mg day1 mg day1 mg day1 mg day1
Soft
drinksa
210
41
1115 37
1620 27
2130 104
3140 107
4150 62
5160 49
460
44
Age
(years)
Total intake
Mean
Table 3. Mean caffeine intake and 95th percentile by age group of the studied population.
280
V. Olmos et al.
Conclusion
To our knowledge, this is the first report on caffeine
content of a wide variety of non-alcoholic beverages
from Argentinas markets, and it is also the first report
on caffeine daily intake by source and by age in the
Argentine population. The most significant finding is
that mate is the main contributor to total caffeine
intake among people of 11 years of age and older, and
we think it is responsible for the higher caffeine intake
among the children surveyed compared with caffeine
intakes among children from other countries.
Nevertheless, to extrapolate this finding to the whole
population, a survey on a larger number of participants is needed.
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