Natural vs. Synthetic Caffeine: What Foods Naturally Contain Caffeine?

Caffeine is a drug which has been commonly used and brought under application from a long period of time since ancient times. Coffee has been a formidable part of the Arabian appetite, in the South American region cacao has been a part of the regular diet of the people living in that region and in China tea culture has been a great part of their social and traditional ritual. This substance has so many benefits and many other properties like it helps in the boosting of the brain and these are the reasons it has been brought under use since ancient times.

The spread of these substances across the world was very quick because of the benefits and effectiveness of these substances. In the western culture, the use of these substances like chocolate, tea and coffee became very popular along with budging, in social consumption during the 17th century. 

Natural caffeine

This substance was naturally discovered in various plants like yerba mate, guarana berries and cacao and at present this is present and can be obtained from 60 different plant species but this substance caffeine is very hard to be found on its own naturally and a lot of vitamins along with methylxanthines are to be found in the plant in very significant amounts. The quantities of methylxanthines and vitamins are known to regulate the fall and rise of the caffeine levels in the body system and help in the delivery of the substance into the body at a very constant and steady rate. This substance helps in the promotion or in the boosting of energy in a very sustainable way than that of synthetic caffeine which helps in the calcification of mental thinking and helps you to stay focused for a much longer time period.

The steady and sustained intake of caffeine in our body will help you to stay away from jitters and subsequent crashes which are usually associated with the intake of synthetic caffeine products, for example energy drinks. Due to regular intake and release of natural caffeine in the body there are no side effects to be found in the body like sleeping difficulty, nervousness and flushed face and these side effects are found very commonly associated with the intake of synthetic caffeine.

You can easily get to know whether the product that you are eating or drinking has natural caffeine or not just by reading the nutritional panel carefully. 

Synthetic caffeine

The synthesis of caffeine was first done with help of artificial methods in the 1800s and was consumed in huge amounts by the Nazis during the time of World War II. They were not allowed to consume various products which included caffeine as well by Embargoes which led these people to obtain this product synthetically. The demand of caffeine began to rise significantly and the production of synthetic caffeine was at a rise and was very helpful in fulfilling the demands of the people through various energy drinks and sodas. 

Majority of the people do not even know what kind of caffeine they are taking in or if there is any synthetic caffeine present in the market. The production of synthetic versions of caffeine is much cheaper and easier than producing the natural form of caffeine through various ingredients. The synthetic caffeine is commonly found in products like bottled food products and beverages. The synthetic caffeine is used in huge amounts by big companies and are very potent (as these products obtained or made with synthetic caffeine are very cost effective) and the consumption of two little spoons of these products can prove to be very fatal for the human body. 

The synthetic caffeine is absorbed in a very easy and quick manner by the digestive system than that of the caffeine which is obtained naturally. There is a quick enhancement in the level of caffeine and thus resulting in the quick crash of the body as well. To differentiate between the natural and synthetic caffeine at molecular level is a very tough task as they are almost similar.

Natural sources of caffeine

There are some many sources and ways like leaves, fruit and beans of guarana, coffee and cocoa plants, from which a person can obtain this product naturally and some of the sources are mentioned below: 

Cocoa beans and chocolate

This product is known to contain caffeine naturally which is a clear indication that chocolate and other products which are flavored with chocolate contain some amount of caffeine but the percentage of cocoa it possesses directly influences the amount of caffeine present in the product. The amount of caffeine 100 gram of different chocolates has are given below: 

Milk chocolate contains 33% of cocoa and it has about 45 milligrams of caffeine

100% of cocoa chocolate is known to have about 240 mg of caffeine which is equivalent to two and a half cup of regular coffee

Bittersweet chocolate contains about 55% cocoa which gives out 124 milligrams of caffeine

Caffeine also contains some other useful substances like methylxanthines and flavonols which are considered as functional foods and it possesses some other beneficial properties like anti-inflammatory and antioxidative properties which makes this product medicinally helpful.

Coffee

This is a beverage which is brewed and is obtained from coffee beans and is the most commonly found natural source of caffeine, apart from its stimulating effects which enhances the mood, alertness and energy levels it is widely consumed for its aroma and taste as well. Its effect in increasing the chances for disease is still very controversial as its regular consumption is found to have increased heart disease related problems but majority of the studies have found to be very beneficial for a person's health for instance it is very helpful in reducing the severity and risks of type 2 diabetes.

On an average 240 ml of coffee is found to have an amount of 100 milligrams of caffeine in it. 

Conclusion

Whether it is natural or synthetic caffeine there are so many health benefits that are found to be associated with its consumption. As there are various health issues related to synthetic caffeine, natural caffeine holds an upper hand in the field of health benefits.

Naturally, the occurrence of caffeine is very tough but it's consumption can greatly impact your health and the methods or sources mentioned above can provide a huge amount of caffeine. But, it is always recommended to drink or consume coffee in a very limited and monitored way. 

For an adult it is advised to consume about 400 milligrams of caffeine on a regular basis and it will be very beneficial if the caffeine which is consumed is naturally sourced.