Dietary Supplements Often Caffeinated
Many dietary supplements contain caffeine, even though it’s not listed on the label.
Caffeine is a natural alkaloid that occurs not only in tea and coffee, but also in more than 60 other plants and in plant derivatives known as “botanicals.” These botanicals, such as guarana, yerba mate, kola nut and green tea extract, are common dietary-supplement ingredients and are printed on the label’s ingredient list.
Agricultural Research Service (ARS) scientists recently analyzed a number of dietary supplements for their caffeine levels. Approximately half of the tested products contained the caffeine equivalent of up to two cups of coffee per day. Of the 28 analyzed products that voluntarily listed a caffeine amount on the label, 25 were found to contain caffeine levels within 20 percent of the label amount.
In the United States, there is no requirement to state the amount of caffeine present in a food, beverage or supplement on the product’s label. If caffeine in its pure form is added to a product, however, there is a requirement to add the word “caffeine” to the label’s ingredient listing.
Source: Agricultural Research Service, USDA
