Skip to main content
Springer Nature Link
Log in

Caffeine Consumption Over Time

  • Living reference work entry
  • First Online:
Save living reference work entry
View saved research
Image Handbook of Substance Misuse and Addictions

Abstract

Caffeine is one of the most consumed substances worldwide, and although it is present in many food products in different concentrations, coffee is likely the most significant product in terms of caffeine concentration and consumption. Despite being known and used by humankind for hundreds of years, the patterns of consumption and environmental risks are not fully understood. Therefore, global spatial and temporal caffeine consumption was investigated over the last 20 years, and health perspectives were discussed. An increase of 37% in per capita coffee consumption was observed in the last two decades worldwide, mainly in the Middle East and North Africa (84.2%) and upper middle-income countries (86.1%). Although there is still controversy on whether it is an addictive substance, it is worth noting that risks associated with its high consumption exist, mainly by more sensitive people and when mixing it with other substances, such as alcohol.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

Explore related subjects

Discover the latest articles, books and news in related subjects, suggested using machine learning.

Abbreviations

B.C:

Before Christ

EAP:

East Asia and Pacific

ECA:

Europe and Central Asia

EFSA:

European Food Safety Authority

FDA:

U.S. Food and Drug Administration

g:

Gram or grams

GDP:

Gross domestic product

GNI:

Gross national income

HDI:

Human development index

LAC:

Latin America and Caribbean

MENA:

Middle East and North Africa

mg:

Milligram or milligrams

mg/kg/day:

Milligram per kilogram per day

mg/kg:

Milligram per kilogram

mg/L:

Milligram per liter

NA:

North America

ng/L:

Nanogram per liter

SA:

South Asia

SSA:

Sub-Saharan Africa

Tg:

Teragram

WHO:

World Health Organization

References

  • Ágoston C, Urbán R, Király O et al (2018) Why do you drink caffeine? The development of the motives for caffeine consumption questionnaire (MCCQ) and its relationship with gender, age and the types of caffeinated beverages. Int J Ment Heal Addict 16:981–999

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Aguirre-Martínez GV, DelValls AT, Martín-Díaz ML (2015) Yes, caffeine, ibuprofen, carbamazepine, novobiocin and tamoxifen have an effect on Corbicula fluminea (Müller, 1774). Ecotoxicol Environ Saf 120:142–154

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Barger-Lux MJ, Heaney RP, Stegman MR (1990) Effects of moderate caffeine intake on the calcium economy of premenopausal women. Am J Clin Nutr 52:722–725

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Browne ML, Bell EM, Druschel CM et al (2007) Maternal caffeine consumption and risk of cardiovascular malformations. Birth Defects Res A Clin Mol Teratol 79:533–543

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Bruton T, Alboloushi A, de la Garza B et al (2010) Fate of caffeine in the environment and Ecotoxicological considerations. In: Contaminants of emerging concern in the environment: ecological and human health considerations. American Chemical Society, Washington, DC, pp 257–273

    Google Scholar 

  • Budney AJ, Brow PC, Griffiths RR et al (2013) Caffeine withdrawal and dependence: a convenience survey among addiction professionals. J Caffeine Res 3(2):67–71

    Google Scholar 

  • Buerge II, Poiger T, Müller MD et al (2003) Caffeine, an anthropogenic marker for wastewater contamination of surface waters. Environ Sci Technol 37:691–700

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Bunch AR, Bernot MJ (2011) Distribution of nonprescription pharmaceuticals in Central Indiana streams and effects on sediment microbial activity. Ecotoxicology 20:97–109

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Camacho-Muñoz D, Martín J, Santos J et al (2012) Effectiveness of conventional and low-cost wastewater treatments in the removal of pharmaceutically active compounds. Water Air Soil Pollut 223:2611–2621

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cameron R, Boehmer J (1982) And coffee too. Int J Addict 17:569–574

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Carrillo JA, Benitez J (2000) Clinically significant pharmacokinetic interactions between dietary caffeine and medications. Clin Pharmacokinet 39:127–153

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Chei C, Loh JK, Soh A et al (2018) Coffee, tea, caffeine, and risk of hypertension: the Singapore Chinese health study. Eur J Nutr 57:1333–1342

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Chen YH, Huang YH, Wen CC et al (2008) Movement disorder and neuromuscular change in zebrafish embryos after exposure to caffeine. Neurotoxicol Teratol 30:440–447

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Coffee & Health. Guidelines on caffeine intake. https://www.coffeeandhealth.org/topic-overview/guidelines-on-caffeine-intake/. Accessed May 2021

  • Conway TL, Vickers RR Jr, Ward HW et al (1981) Occupational stress and variation in cigarette, coffee, and alcohol consumption. J Health Soc Behav 22:155–165

    Google Scholar 

  • Cruz D, Almeida Â, Calisto V et al (2016) Caffeine impacts in the clam Ruditapes philippinarum: alterations on energy reserves, metabolic activity and oxidative stress biomarkers. Chemosphere 160:95–103

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Dafouz R, Cáceres N, Rodríguez-Gil JL et al (2018) Does the presence of caffeine in the marine environment represent an environmental risk? A regional and global study. Sci Total Environ 615:632–642

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Dawber TR, Kannel WB, Gordon T (1974) Coffee and cardiovascular disease: observations from the Framingham study. N Engl J Med 291:871–874

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Del Rey ZR, Granek EF, Buckley BA (2011) Expression of HSP70 in Mytilus californianus following exposure to caffeine. Ecotoxicology 20:855

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Di Lorenzo T, Castaño-Sánchez A, Di Marzio WD et al (2019) The role of freshwater copepods in the environmental risk assessment of caffeine and propranolol mixtures in the surface water bodies of Spain. Chemosphere 220:227–236

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Diogo JS, Silva LS, Pena A et al (2013) Risk assessment of additives through soft drinks and nectars consumption on Portuguese population: a 2010 survey. Food Chem Toxicol 62:548–553

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • EFSA – European Food Safety Authority. Caffeine. https://www.efsa.europa.eu/sites/default/files/corporate_publications/files/efsaexplainscaffeine150527.pdf. Accessed May 2021

  • Emurian HH, Nellis MJ, Brady JV et al (1982) Event time-series relationship between cigarette smoking and coffee drinking. Addict Behav 7:441–444

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Ennis D (2014) The effects of caffeine on health: the benefits outweigh the risks. Perspectives 6:2

    Google Scholar 

  • Favrod-Coune T, Broers B (2021) Addiction to caffeine and other xanthines. In: El-Guebaly N, Carrà G, Galanter M et al (eds) Textbook of addiction treatment. Springer, Cham

    Google Scholar 

  • FDA – U.S. Food & Drug Administration (2018) How much caffeine is too much? https://www.fda.gov/consumers/consumer-updates/spilling-beans-how-much-caffeine-too-much. Accessed May 2021

  • Frary CD, Johnson RK, Wang MQ (2005) Food sources and intakes of caffeine in the diets of persons in the United States. J Am Diet Assoc 105:110–113

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • George SE, Ramalakshmi K, Mohan Rao LJ (2008) A perception on health benefits of coffee. Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr 48:464–486

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Gera M, Kalra S, Gupta P (2016) Caffeine intake among adolescents in Delhi. Ind J Commun Med 41:151–153

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gupta BS, Gupta U (1999) Caffeine and behavior: current views and research trends. CRC Press. Boca Raton, Florida, USA

    Google Scholar 

  • Harvard T.H. Chan. School of Public Health. Caffeine. https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/caffeine/. Accessed May 2021

  • International Coffee Organization. https://www.ico.org/new_historical.asp?section=Statistics. Accessed May 2021

  • Istvan J, Matarazzo J (1984) Tobacco, alcohol, and caffeine use: a review of their interrelationships. Psychol Bull 95:301–326

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Jee HJ, Lee SG, Bormate KJ et al (2020) Effect of caffeine consumption on the risk for neurological and psychiatric disorders: sex differences in human. Nutrients 12:3080

    Article  CAS  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Juliano LM, Griffiths RR (2004) A critical review of caffeine withdrawal: empirical validation of symptoms and signs, incidence, severity, and associated features. Psychopharmacology 176:1

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Klatsky AL, Friedman GD, Siegelaub AB et al (1977) Alcohol consumption among white, black, or oriental men and women: Kaiser-Permanente multiphasic health examination data. Am J Epidemiol 105:311–323

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Kuhns JB, Clodfelter TA, Bersot HY (2010) Examining and understanding the joint role of caffeine and alcohol in facilitating violent offending and victimization. Contemp Drug Probl 37:267–287

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lawrence JR, Zhu B, Swerhone GD et al (2012) Molecular and microscopic assessment of the effects of caffeine, acetaminophen, diclofenac, and their mixtures on river biofilm communities. Environ Toxicol Chem 31:508–517

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Leonard TK, Watson RR, Mohs ME (1987) The effects of caffeine on various body systems: a review. J Am Diet Assoc 87:1048–1053

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • López-Cruz L, Salamone JD, Correa M (2013) The impact of caffeine on the behavioral effects of ethanol related to abuse and addiction: a review of animal studies. J Caffeine Res 3:9–21

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Mayo Clinic (2020) Caffeine. https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/in-depth/caffeine/art-20045678. Accessed May 2021

  • Mitchell DC, Knight CA, Hockenberry J et al (2014) Beverage caffeine intakes in the US. Food Chem Toxicol 63:136–142

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • My Food Data. Top 10 food and drinks high in caffeine. https://www.myfooddata.com/articles/high-caffeine-foods-and-drinks.php#:~:text=High%20caffeine%20foods%20and%20drinkscaffeine%20is%20as%20an%20average. Accessed May 2021

  • Nawrot P, Jordan S, Eastwood J et al (2003) Effects of caffeine on human health. Food Addit Contam 20:1–30

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Olsen NL (2013) Caffeine consumption habits and perceptions among University of new Hampshire students. Honors Theses Capstones 103:1–68

    Google Scholar 

  • Phillips JG, Ogeil R (2015) Decision-making style, nicotine and caffeine use and dependence. Hum Psychopharmacol Clin Exp 30:442–450

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pourshahidi LK, Navarini L, Petracco M et al (2016) A comprehensive overview of the risks and benefits of coffee consumption. Compr Rev Food Sci Food Saf 15:671–684

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Price KR, Fligner DJ (1990) Treatment of caffeine toxicity with esmolol. Ann Emerg Med 19:44–46

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Qi H, Li S (2013) Dose-response meta-analysis on coffee, tea and caffeine consumption with risk of Parkinson’s disease. Geriatr Gerontol Int 14:430–439

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Quadra GR, Paranaíba JR, Vilas-Boas J et al (2020) A global trend of caffeine consumption over time and related-environmental impacts. Environ Pollut 256:113343

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Reyes CM, Cornelis MC (2018) Caffeine in the diet: country-level consumption and guidelines. Nutrients 10:1772

    Article  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Rockett I (2002) Caffeine “addiction” in high school youth: evidence of an adverse health relationship. Addict Res Theory 10:31–42

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rodríguez-Gil JL, Cáceres N, Dafouz R et al (2018) Caffeine and paraxanthine in aquatic systems: global exposure distributions and probabilistic risk assessment. Sci Total Environ 612:1058–1071

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Rosi-Marshall EJ, Kincaid DW, Bechtold HA et al (2013) Pharmaceuticals suppress algal growth and microbial respiration and alter bacterial communities in stream biofilms. Ecol Appl 23:583–593

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • RStudio Team. RStudio: Integrated Development for R (2020) RStudio. PBC, Boston. http://www.rstudio.com/

    Google Scholar 

  • Satel S (2006) Is caffeine addictive? A review of the literature. Am J Drug Alcohol Abuse 32:493–502

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Steele WB, Mole RA, Brooks BW (2018) Experimental protocol for examining behavioral response profiles in larval fish: application to the neuro-stimulant caffeine. J Vis Exp 137:57938

    Google Scholar 

  • Strauch G, Möder M, Wennrich R et al (2008) Indicators for assessing anthropogenic impact on urban surface and groundwater. J Soils Sediments 8:23–33

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Swanson JA, Lee JW, Hopp JW (1994) Caffeine and nicotine: a review of their joint use and possible interactive effects in tobacco withdrawal. Addict Behav 19:229–256

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Tang-Liu D, Williams R, Riegelman S (1983) Disposition of caffeine and its metabolites in man. J Pharmacol Exp Ther 224:180–185

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Temple JL (2009) Caffeine use in children: what we know, what we have left to learn, and why we should worry. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 33:793–806

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Thomas PM, Foster GD (2005) Tracking acidic pharmaceuticals, caffeine, and triclosan through the wastewater treatment process. Environ Toxicol Chem Int J 24:25–30

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Treur JL, Taylor AE, Ware JJ et al (2016) Associations between smoking and caffeine consumption in two European cohorts. Addiction 111:1059–1068

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Weinberg BA, Bealer BK (2019) The world of caffeine: the science and culture of the world’s most popular drug. Routledge, New York and London

    Google Scholar 

  • WHO. World Health Organization (2016) WHO recommendations on antenatal care for a positive pregnancy experience. World Health Organization

    Google Scholar 

  • WHO. World Health Organization. Restricting caffeine intake during pregnancy. https://www.who.int/elena/titles/caffeine-pregnancy/en/. Accessed May 2021

  • Winkelmayer WC, Stampfer MJ, Willett WC et al (2005) Habitual caffeine intake and the risk of hypertension in women. JAMA 294:2330–2335

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Winston AP, Hardwick E, Jaberi N (2005) Neuropsychiatric effects of caffeine. Adv Psychiatr Treat 11:432–439

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • World Bank. https://data.worldbank.org/. Accessed May 2021

List of Useful Website

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Departamento de Biologia, Laboratório de Ecologia Aquática, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biodiversidade e Conservação da Natureza, Universidade Federal de Juiz de Fora, Juiz de Fora, Brazil

    Gabrielle Rabelo Quadra, Joyce Andreia dos Santos & José R. Paranaíba

  2. Laboratório de Química Tecnológica e Ambiental (LQTA), Programa de Pós-Graduação em Engenharia Ambiental, Universidade Federal de Ouro Preto, Ouro Preto, Brazil

    Emília Marques Brovini

Authors
  1. Gabrielle Rabelo Quadra
    View author publications

    Search author on:PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Emília Marques Brovini
    View author publications

    Search author on:PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Joyce Andreia dos Santos
    View author publications

    Search author on:PubMed Google Scholar

  4. José R. Paranaíba
    View author publications

    Search author on:PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Gabrielle Rabelo Quadra.

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Westminster, London, UK

    Vinood B. Patel

  2. Dept of Nutrition & Dietetics, King's College London, London, UK

    Victor R. Preedy

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2022 Springer Nature Switzerland AG

About this entry

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this entry

Quadra, G.R., Brovini, E.M., dos Santos, J.A., Paranaíba, J.R. (2022). Caffeine Consumption Over Time. In: Patel, V.B., Preedy, V.R. (eds) Handbook of Substance Misuse and Addictions. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-67928-6_78-1

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-67928-6_78-1

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-030-67928-6

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-030-67928-6

  • eBook Packages: Living Reference MedicineReference Module Medicine

Keywords

Publish with us

Policies and ethics