I love coffee, yet along with a good part of the thinking public, I have always had the sneaking suspicion that something might a little off about the brew passed across the counter at the neighborhood Starbucks.
Daniel Gross of Slate on MSN.com did some research on Starbucks coffee and found some interesting facts (see his article here). Aside from the fact that the chain announcned plans to up the price of its espressos due to the rising costs of sugar and coffee, more startling are the whopping caffeine levels in Starbucks coffee and drinks. According to this chart from the Center for Science and Public Interest, a 16 oz. cup of regular coffee from Starbucks contains 550 mg. of caffeine-that's more than twice the amount in one dose of Maximum Strength NoDoz and nearly the equivalent of 8 1 oz. shots of Starbucks espresso. Next to the java from 7-11 and Dunkin Donuts which averages around 157 mgs. of caffeine per 16 oz. cup, Starbucks coffee is loaded with tasty trimethylxanthine (caffeine's scientific name).
Just think, with the average american consuming 200 mg of caffeine per day, suck down just one 16 oz. Starbucks coffee, you'll have already caffeinated yourself over twice as much as everyone around you. But then again, doesn't everyone drink Starbucks coffee.
I'm not suggesting there's really anything wrong with that much caffeine, it's simply good information to have.
