Costa Coffee's Flat White Contains THREE Times More Caffeine Than A Red Bull Can
It's January and, for many, it's the first day back at work after having had Christmas and New Year off. The January Blues are back with a vengeance, and you're going to need something strong to power you through to the end of the day when you can finally retreat to your sofa once more. Enter: coffee.
The easiest thing is to nip into your local coffee shop on your way to work, but did you know your hit of caffeine could vary dramatically depending on where you buy it from? A report submitted to the government’s committee on toxicity revealed that Costa Coffee is the worst culprit when it comes to high caffeine levels, with a regular sized flat white containing more caffeine than three cans of Red Bull. Talk about giving you wings.
Caffeine Informer, who conducted the research, revealed that a Costa flat white contains 277mg of caffeine. A 250ml can of Red Bull, on the other hand, contains 80mg of caffeine - a pretty stark difference.
In comparison, a flat white at Starbucks contains 160mg of caffeine, while Nero's has 86mg and Pret's contains just 65mg.
If you had one of Costa's flat whites per day, you wouldn't be exceeding the recommended daily intake of caffeine for an adult, which is 400mg. But mix one flat white with several teas and a soft drink, and you could be tipping yourself over the edge of what's healthy.
If you're pregnant, the recommended daily dose of caffeine is half that of a regular adult, at 200mg. It doesn't take a mathematician to work out you'd be over that limit with just one regular flat white from Costa.
Speaking to The Times, the editor of Caffeine Informer Ted Kallmyer said: "It is important that consumers understand caffeine better and the amount that is right for their body."
He continued: "Some people will be having more caffeine than they think they’re having. Two flat whites can put you over your recommended limit. The main problem is if it affects your sleep, it can then have other health effects because sleep is so important."
If you can't quite face cutting out coffee altogether as a New Year's Resolution, then why not challenge yourself to simply be more aware of how much caffeine your consuming, and reduce your intake that way.
Cosmopolitan UK has reached out to Costa Coffee for comment in relation to this article.
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