METHYLXANTHINES IN STIMULANT FOODS AND BEVERAGES COMMONLY CONSUMED IN BRAZIL

Abstract

This work investigated the contents of methylxanthines in 25 types of stimulating foods available in the Brazilian market, totaling 199 samples, from which 264 coffee, tea, and chocolate beverages were made using the most common preparation methods in the country. Among solid foods, soluble coffee powders showed the highest mean content of caffeine (2506 ± 477 mg/100 g), while chocolate powders showed the lowest (25 ± 6 mg/100 g). Nevertheless, dark chocolate presented the highest mean contents of theobromine (1036 ± 136 mg/100 g) and theophylline (7.8 ± 2.1 mg/100 g). Regarding beverages, soluble coffees presented the highest content of caffeine (269 ± 12 mg/100 g), followed by espresso coffees (196 ± 37 mg/100 g) and by coffees prepared by electric dripper (120 ± 19 mg/100 g). Among teas, black tea (bulk) and green maté (“chimarrão”) presented the highest caffeine contents (23 ± 8 and 22 ± 3 mg/100 g, respectively). Mean contents in cola soft drinks and energy drinks were 8.3 ± 1.2 and 35 ± 1 mg/100 g, respectively. These results suggest that foods and beverages other than coffee can increase importantly the daily intake of stimulant substances and reveals a large variation in the contents of caffeine in coffee and tea beverages, which is often unknown by the general population. The inclusion of methylxanthines’ contents in food package labels and food composition tables is an important step to increase people´s awareness of methylxanthines existence in certain types of foods.