# Caffeine in soda: Why not "all or nothing"? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 1, 2007, 2:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/caffeine-in-soda-why-not-all-or-nothing/413912 "2007-08-01T02:32:14Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![pkbites](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pkbites/32/204_2.png) [@pkbites](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pkbites)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2007, 2:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/caffeine-in-soda-why-not-all-or-nothing/413912/1 "2007-08-01T02:32:14Z")
I drink lots of diet soda and I take it to extremes when it comes to caffeine: during the day I want lots of it (Vault Zero, Diet Mt. Dew, etc.) at night I want none (Diet Rite, Diet 7-Up, etc). I’ve often wondered why bottlers don’t have an “all or nothing” philosophy. For instance, Diet Cherry Coke has 34 lousy mg. of caffeine. Barq’s Root Beer has a meager 23mg… What good is that? Why add any caffeine at all to these sodas. They have enough to _maybe_ screw up your sleep if you drank them before bed, but nowhere near enough to help me through the work morning like a couple cans of [Sugar Free Red Bull](http://wilstar.com/caffeine.htm) does. If they’re going to add caffeine, I say **ADD** caffeine or don’t add any! What’s the dope on soda makers making soda with just a bit of caffeine added. What’s the point? ---
**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2007, 2:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/caffeine-in-soda-why-not-all-or-nothing/413912/2 "2007-08-01T02:35:03Z")
WAG: If you got fired up right away, you’d be less likely to drink multiple sodas over the course of the day since you’d gotten your fix. The company wants you to buy lots of soda. Other people don’t intentionally seek out a caffeine dose from soda, but subconsciously like having a small “high” from it. Getting jittery would turn them off of that soda. That being said, go for Mountain Dew or Diet Pepsi Max if you want a nice spike of caffeine; those are my poisons of choice. ---
**Author:** ![Bear\_Nenno](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bear_nenno/32/3358_2.png) [@Bear\_Nenno](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bear_Nenno)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2007, 2:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/caffeine-in-soda-why-not-all-or-nothing/413912/3 "2007-08-01T02:41:40Z")
I dont even consider the caffeine in Diet Coke. If I think I’ve had too much caffeine for the day–like, say, 48oz of Monster and 3-4 cups of coffee–then I might refrain from drinking any more caffeine, but I wouldn’t avoid drinking more Diet Cokes. ---
**Author:** ![I\_Love\_Me\_Vol.I](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/i_love_me_vol.i/32/521_2.png) [@I\_Love\_Me\_Vol.I](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/I_Love_Me_Vol.I)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2007, 2:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/caffeine-in-soda-why-not-all-or-nothing/413912/4 "2007-08-01T02:42:24Z")
[QUOTE=pkbites] What’s the dope on soda makers making soda with just a bit of caffeine added. What’s the point? [/QUOTE] I f soda makers add TOO much caffeine then you may become so wired that you’d want to stop after one can. They would like you to drink 5 or 6 cans to get your full buzz. If it’s just caffeine you want and not all the sugary, bubbly fun, why not just drink one can and wash down some caffeine pills with it? There are ways to get massive caffeine rushes even more directly. But while they may be legal, I’m not going to go into them here. Not something I would want to do–that’s for sure. ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2007, 2:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/caffeine-in-soda-why-not-all-or-nothing/413912/5 "2007-08-01T02:46:11Z")
For the taste. Caffeine is very, very bitter, and a little bit of it is only a little bit bitter. A little bit bitter is a lot better than a lot bitter brew, but bit of bitter makes sugar bite better. ---
**Author:** ![pkbites](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pkbites/32/204_2.png) [@pkbites](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pkbites)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2007, 2:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/caffeine-in-soda-why-not-all-or-nothing/413912/6 "2007-08-01T02:47:38Z")
[QUOTE=Ferret Herder] WAG: If you got fired up right away, you’d be less likely to drink multiple sodas over the course of the day since you’d gotten your fix. The company wants you to buy lots of soda. Other people don’t intentionally seek out a caffeine dose from soda, but subconsciously like having a small “high” from it. Getting jittery would turn them off of that soda. [/QUOTE] At first read that seems like a milqtoast answer, except you may be right. I kind of suspect the same type thing is done with light beer. People don’t realize that most light beer is made by adding 20% extra carbonated water to regular beer. This reduces the alcohol by one-fifth, and thus the calories. People wanting a buzz actually have to drink at least 20% more light beer than they would if they drank the regular version. Brewers sell more beer because of that. [QUOTE=Ferret Herder] That being said, go for Mountain Dew or Diet Pepsi Max if you want a nice spike of caffeine; those are my poisons of choice. [/QUOTE] Nope. Vault Zero & Sugar Free Red Bull have more caffeine. And for some reason the buzz from V.Z. really hangs on!! Great for when I’m on nights! ---
**Author:** ![pkbites](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pkbites/32/204_2.png) [@pkbites](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pkbites)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2007, 2:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/caffeine-in-soda-why-not-all-or-nothing/413912/7 "2007-08-01T02:49:09Z")
[QUOTE=I Love Me, Vol. I] There are ways to get massive caffeine rushes even more directly. But while they may be legal, I’m not going to go into them here. Not something I would want to do–that’s for sure. [/QUOTE] Hea. Some mornings I’d freebase the shit if I could! 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2007, 2:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/caffeine-in-soda-why-not-all-or-nothing/413912/8 "2007-08-01T02:54:00Z")
[QUOTE=pkbites] Nope. Vault Zero & Sugar Free Red Bull have more caffeine. And for some reason the buzz from V.Z. really hangs on!! Great for when I’m on nights! [/QUOTE] How’s the price comparison of those versus an equivalent amount of soda? I was under the impression that Red Bull, etc., were more expensive of a caffeine dose even taking into account the higher amount of caffeine. ---
**Author:** ![pkbites](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pkbites/32/204_2.png) [@pkbites](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pkbites)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2007, 3:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/caffeine-in-soda-why-not-all-or-nothing/413912/9 "2007-08-01T03:23:22Z")
[QUOTE=Ferret Herder] How’s the price comparison of those versus an equivalent amount of soda? I was under the impression that Red Bull, etc., were more expensive of a caffeine dose even taking into account the higher amount of caffeine. [/QUOTE] Red Bull is pricey. But I don’t drink it as much as Vault Zero, which is the same price for a 12 pack or case as any other soda. ---
**Author:** ![Epimetheus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/c4cdca/32.png) [@Epimetheus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Epimetheus)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2007, 8:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/caffeine-in-soda-why-not-all-or-nothing/413912/10 "2007-08-01T08:34:47Z")
Red bull doesn’t have much more caffine than Mountain Dew, and certainly not more than coffee. Moutain Dew has like 55mg per 12 oz, while a can of Red Bull has 80 mg. A cup of coffee on the otherhand can have anywhere from 90-135 mg per 8oz. [Cite](http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/caffeine/AN01211). ---
**Author:** ![RandMcnally](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b782af/32.png) [@RandMcnally](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RandMcnally)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2007, 9:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/caffeine-in-soda-why-not-all-or-nothing/413912/11 "2007-08-01T09:01:35Z")
[QUOTE=WhyNot] For the taste. Caffeine is very, very bitter, and a little bit of it is only a little bit bitter. A little bit bitter is a lot better than a lot bitter brew, but bit of bitter makes sugar bite better. [/QUOTE] …you did that on purpose. ---
**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2007, 11:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/caffeine-in-soda-why-not-all-or-nothing/413912/12 "2007-08-01T11:18:02Z")
[QUOTE=Epimetheus] Red bull doesn’t have much more caffine than Mountain Dew, and certainly not more than coffee. Moutain Dew has like 55mg per 12 oz, while a can of Red Bull has 80 mg. A cup of coffee on the otherhand can have anywhere from 90-135 mg per 8oz. [Cite](http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/caffeine/AN01211). [/QUOTE] For some reason - and I’m sure it’s psychosomatic - I have a larger **perceived** pick-me-up from soda than from coffee. I can drink anywhere from one to three cups of coffee in the morning, but not feel “awake” until I have a soda. Thus I stick with a single soda as my morning beverage; my coworkers see my soda and comment on how much caffeine that must be, as they’re sipping from big Starbucks cups. (I drink diet soda, so it’s not the sugar.) ---
**Author:** ![Rhythmdvl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/85f322/32.png) [@Rhythmdvl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhythmdvl)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2007, 11:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/caffeine-in-soda-why-not-all-or-nothing/413912/13 "2007-08-01T11:41:16Z")
[QUOTE=WhyNot] For the taste. Caffeine is very, very bitter, and a little bit of it is only a little bit bitter. A little bit bitter is a lot better than a lot bitter brew, but bit of bitter makes sugar bite better. [/QUOTE] 😛 Would you drink it from a can? Would you drink it with a man? ---
**Author:** ![Turek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/turek/32/18782_2.png) [@Turek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Turek)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2007, 12:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/caffeine-in-soda-why-not-all-or-nothing/413912/14 "2007-08-01T12:11:01Z")
[QUOTE=RandMcnally] …you did that on purpose. [/QUOTE] Probably, but when I called the makers of Barq’s a few years ago to ask why they alone of root beer makers put caffeine into their drink, I was told it was for taste. ---
**Author:** ![oft\_wears\_hats](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/7993a0/32.png) [@oft\_wears\_hats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/oft_wears_hats)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2007, 12:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/caffeine-in-soda-why-not-all-or-nothing/413912/15 "2007-08-01T12:51:30Z")
[QUOTE=Rhythmdvl] 😛 Would you drink it from a can? Would you drink it with a man? [/QUOTE] Would you drink it on the Dope? Would you drink it with the Pope? Couldn’t resist. ---
**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2007, 12:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/caffeine-in-soda-why-not-all-or-nothing/413912/16 "2007-08-01T12:53:59Z")
[QUOTE=Turek] Probably, but when I called the makers of Barq’s a few years ago to ask why they alone of root beer makers put caffeine into their drink, I was told it was for taste. [/QUOTE] Their catchphrase was something about Barq’s being the root beer that had “bite,” so I’m assuming they’re using that hit of bitterness (and caffeination) to distinguish their product from their very sweet root beer competitors. ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2007, 1:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/caffeine-in-soda-why-not-all-or-nothing/413912/17 "2007-08-01T13:05:45Z")
[QUOTE=RandMcnally] …you did that on purpose. [/QUOTE] 😃 (But it is true, according to my ex who worked in the pop-making biz. He also “procured” little baggies of caffeine powder from work to sprinkle on the coffee grounds at his second job as a night-club security dude. Kept all the bouncers wide awake all night, but boy was that some bitter coffee!) ---
**Author:** ![essell](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/34f0e0/32.png) [@essell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/essell)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2007, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/caffeine-in-soda-why-not-all-or-nothing/413912/18 "2007-08-01T14:39:37Z")
Do they really “Add” caffine to Coke (And Diet Coke) ? I thought it naturally contained some from the cocca plant used in it’s production ? ---
**Author:** ![pkbites](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pkbites/32/204_2.png) [@pkbites](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pkbites)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2007, 3:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/caffeine-in-soda-why-not-all-or-nothing/413912/19 "2007-08-01T15:47:25Z")
[QUOTE=Epimetheus] Red bull doesn’t have much more caffine than Mountain Dew, and certainly not more than coffee. Moutain Dew has like 55mg per 12 oz, while a can of Red Bull has 80 mg. A cup of coffee on the otherhand can have anywhere from 90-135 mg per 8oz. [Cite](http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/caffeine/AN01211). [/QUOTE] Uh, no. Even by your own cite you’re wrong. Red Bull has 80mg per **8** ounces compared to Mt. Dews 55 per 12 ounces. That means Red Bull has 120mg per 12 ounces compared to Mt.Dews 55 per 12 ounces. That’s over **double** the caffeine!! Not as much as coffee, yes. I love coffee but I don’t drink in on these 92 degree days in the summer. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2007, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/caffeine-in-soda-why-not-all-or-nothing/413912/20 "2007-08-01T15:55:42Z")
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