Caffeine: a pick-me-up for billions

Caffeine has been popular for a long time around the globe. Around 80 percent of the world's population consume coffee, tea, cocoa or chocolate, cola or energy drinks at least once a day. There are also many other drinks, food or food supplements such as capsules, powders and bars to which caffeine, for example from guarana, is added. In Europe, however, coffee is the predominant source of caffeine for adults, accounting for 40 to 94 percent of total intake. Only in Ireland and the UK is tea ahead, contributing just under 60 percent of total caffeine intake. For adolescents, the main sources vary greatly between countries: in some it is chocolate, others coffee, cola drinks or tea. Chocolate, including cocoa-based drinks, is the number one source of caffeine for children aged three to ten in most countries, followed by tea and cola drinks.