GREENSBORO, N.C. — Panera Bread is being sued by the families of two people who died after drinking the caffeinated charged lemonades. Panera denies any wrongdoing and stands behind its products. So how much caffeine is really in the drinks?
According to Panera’s website, at most a large 30-ounce charged lemonade has 237 milligrams of caffeine. That's less per ounce than Red Bull and coffee, but one large is more than half the daily recommended level of caffeine.
"It is a stimulant. It increases blood pressure. It increases the rate at which the heart contracts,” said Dr. Allen Taylor with MedStar Health when our Verify team talked with him last year about how much caffeine is too much.
The FDA says up to 400 milligrams of caffeine per day appears to be safe for most healthy adults. According to the Mayo Clinic, that's roughly the amount of caffeine in four cups of coffee or 10 cans of cola But that can vary based on age, body type, medications, medical conditions, time of day caffeine is consumed, and how much caffeine the person is used to drinking.
"There is tolerance to these stimulants that develops,” Taylor said.
The FDA has not set a level for children. The American Academy of Pediatrics says children and young adults shouldn't consume caffeine and other stimulants.
If you have a medical condition or caffeine sensitivity, it's always best to check with your doctor. Always listen to your body. If your heart is thumping much faster than usual, and you feel extra shaky and jittery, it's probably time to lay off.
"You can get caffeine toxicity,” Taylor said.
And if you love coffee, but still want to sleep at night, Consumer Reports says finish your last cup around 2 pm.
Doctors say cutting back on caffeine starts with getting better sleep. 2 Wants To Know talked with experts to get advice there: