High caffeine levels are most commonly associated with coffee and energy drinks. There can be variance among the amount of caffeine levels offered in these drinks, but generally, caffeine levels in energy drinks, like Red Bull® are still lower than the amount of caffeine in coffee. Where you get your coffee may make a difference in caffeine levels, too.

The standard home brewed, 8-ounce (.23 L) cup of coffee contains about 100 milligrams of caffeine. However if you drink an 8-ounce cup of coffee from Starbucks®, it can contain as much as 250 mg of caffeine. If you enjoy coffee from coffee shops you might want to consider sticking with Lattes or Mochas, especially when you buy large sizes. A 16-ounce (.47 L) cup of coffee from Starbucks® will have 500 mg of caffeine, but a similarly sized latte or mocha is lower in caffeine levels than a standard cup of coffee, with about 75 mg of caffeine.

Caffeine levels in energy drinks may also vary. Most are lower, ounce for ounce than the standard cup of coffee. The highest contain about about the same caffeine levels as you would find in a home brewed cup of coffee. A few of these include:

• AriZona Extreme Energy Shot® 100 mg per 8 ounces
• Beaver Buzz® 110 mg per 8 ounces
• BuzzWater® 100 mg per 8 ounces
• Daredevil® 120 mg per 8 ounces
• Hogan Energy® 80 mg per 8 ounces

A couple of energy drinks boast much higher levels of caffeine per ounce. Two of the highest are Sky Rocket® and Power Shot®, which feature 100 mg of caffeine per ounce. Another drink with very high levels of caffeine is Upshot™ with 200 mg of caffeine in a 2.5-ounce (.07 L) serving.

Virtually all colas, caffeinated sodas, and caffeinated teas fall well below the high caffeine levels in coffee and certain energy drinks. Experts are now becoming increasingly concerned about caffeine intake among teens, especially with energy drinks that contain sugar. Unlike coffee, which is primarily sipped, energy drinks are often chugged. An 8-ounce can seems a very minimal amount of a “soda” type drink. Especially for those drinks that are featuring 80-100 mg of caffeine per ounce, concern exists that young people can easily become ill from drinking too much caffeine quickly.

Death by caffeine is fairly hard to achieve. You’d need to drink around 35 cups of coffee very quickly. But caffeine toxicity from high caffeine levels is becoming more common. People may feel as though they’ve taken methamphetamines when consuming 4-5 ounces of a drink like Sky Rocket®. Higher caffeine levels can create the opposite of energy, especially in kids. Many teens feel sleepy instead of alert after consuming highly caffeinated drinks.

Given the risks, you may want to stick with your own cup of coffee, or even try some decaffeinated drinks now and again. Consider a nice herbal tea, a decaffeinated 16-ounce cup of coffee from a cafe or a cup of cocoa, with only about 5 mg of caffeine per 8 oz.