Overview
About Caffeine
Caffeine sensitivity spots drinks and foods — coffee, matcha, dark chocolate, energy drinks — that can amplify stress, gut motility, or sleep disruption for some.
Caffeine is a natural stimulant found in coffee, tea, chocolate, and many soft drinks. While safe for most people, those with caffeine sensitivity may experience anxiety, rapid heartbeat, digestive issues, or sleep disturbances even from small amounts.
In the data
Where you will find caffeine
- Very high in caffeine (roughly 80 to 120 mg a cup), the main driver of jitters, palpitations, anxiety and broken sleep
- Naturally acidic, which can aggravate acid reflux, GERD and a sensitive stomach independently of the caffeine
- Graded high in caffeine. A standard brewed cup runs about 95 mg, espresso is more concentrated by volume, and decaf is far lower. Caffeine has a half-life of roughly five hours, so a mid-afternoon cup is still measurable at bedtime.
- It raises stomach acid output and loosens the lower esophageal sphincter, a reflux mechanism entirely separate from the caffeine that survives decaffeination
- High in caffeine, though roughly half that of the same volume of brewed coffee, enough to affect sleep or jitters
- Very concentrated caffeine, about 2 mg per ml, so a small shot delivers a fast 60 to 80 mg hit
- Caffeine can set off palpitations, anxiety, reflux and disrupted sleep, and the speed of a shot makes the spike sharper
Examples
A few ingredients either way
Grading
How we grade caffeine
Every ingredient in the database carries one grade for caffeine, and this page, the checker and the app all read that same grade. It describes the ingredient as it is usually eaten. Portion size and preparation move it.
Practical
Working with caffeine
- Try having caffeine earlier in the day or in smaller amounts.
- Eat something with protein before or alongside caffeine.
- Gradually reduce caffeine to avoid withdrawal headaches
- Switch to decaf versions of your favorite drinks
- Be aware of hidden caffeine in chocolate and some medications
- Try herbal alternatives like rooibos or peppermint tea
- Caffeine sensitivity can change with age and stress levels
Method
Test it with a diary
Most people find their own triggers by logging meals and symptoms for a few weeks and reading the result back. Three steps.
- 1Log every meal for a few weeks. Type it, say it out loud, or scan a barcode, and it lands as a list of ingredients.
- 2Rate how you feel through the day on whatever you are tracking, whether that is bloating, headaches, skin or sleep.
- 3Read the pattern back. Every ingredient you logged is scored against the days you felt worse, and the result ranks caffeine against everything else you eat.
Questions
Questions people ask
Does black tea have less caffeine than coffee?
Yes. A cup of black tea has roughly half the caffeine of the same size cup of brewed coffee, so it is a lower-caffeine option, but it is still enough to disturb sleep or cause jitters in caffeine-sensitive people.
More about black teaIs it the caffeine or the acidity that upsets my stomach?
It can be both, and they are separate. Caffeine speeds up the gut and can cause urgency or loose stools, while coffee's natural acidity can worsen reflux and heartburn. If decaf still bothers your stomach, acidity rather than caffeine is the likely culprit, and a lower-acid or cold-brew coffee may help.
More about black coffeeDoes decaf coffee count as caffeine-free?
Not completely. Decaffeination removes most but not all of the caffeine, leaving roughly 2 to 5 mg per cup versus 80 to 120 in regular coffee. That is low enough that most caffeine-sensitive people tolerate it, but if you are extremely sensitive or drink several cups it can still add up.
More about black coffeeDoes matcha have more caffeine than coffee?
It can be close. Because matcha is powdered whole leaf that you drink rather than a steeped-and-discarded infusion, a well-made bowl delivers a caffeine dose in the same range as a cup of coffee, and noticeably more than a regular cup of brewed green tea. The L-theanine gives it a calmer feel, but the caffeine is still high.
More about matchaDoes a matcha latte have caffeine?
Yes, a meaningful amount. Because matcha is powdered whole tea leaf that you drink rather than steep and discard, a serving carries roughly 55 to 65 mg of caffeine. That is usually less than a cup of drip coffee but well above decaf, and matcha also supplies L-theanine, which tends to make the caffeine feel smoother.
More about matcha latte
Read next
Where to go next
References
Caffeine sources
Where the caffeine grades come from: food composition databases, clinical guidelines and patient organisations.
5 sources from peer-reviewed research, regulatory bodies, and clinical guidelines.
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Tracking caffeine?
Log what you eat and how you feel, and the app finds the pattern for you. Or look an ingredient up here first.
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