00:00If you start your morning with a medium cappuccino from Costa, you're drinking the caffeine equivalent of nearly four entire
00:06cans of Red Bull.
00:07A new study by consumer group Witch found wild variations in caffeine levels across high street coffee chains.
00:13To demonstrate, let's say this blue liquid represents caffeine, where every milliliter is a milligram.
00:18Costa took the top spot for the strongest hit, packing a whopping 325 milligrams of caffeine into a medium cappuccino.
00:25At the other end of the scale, Starbucks, their medium cappuccino sits at just 89 milligrams, nearly three times weaker
00:32than Costa.
00:32Gregg's came in second with 235 milligrams, while Cafe Nero hit 221 milligrams, doubling its caffeine content since the last
00:41test, and Pretz sits at 180 milligrams.
00:45So why such a wild gap?
00:47Coffee experts point out that caffeine isn't a fixed formula like an energy drink.
00:51Beans grown at lower altitudes produce way more caffeine to ward off insects, while lighter roasts actually hold slightly more
00:57caffeine than dark roasts.
00:58Throw in different bean blends, extraction times, and cup sizes, and no two high street brews end up the same.
01:04While a strong brew is a bonus for some, experts warn it's crucial information for anyone cutting back, particularly pregnant
01:10women who are advised to cap daily caffeine at 200 milligrams.
01:13Meaning just one Costa cappuccino puts you way over your daily limit in a few sips.
01:18Even matcha lovers aren't exempt. A hot matcha latte from Costa packs 99 milligrams of caffeine, and a Starbucks matcha
01:24has 57 milligrams, meaning it actually has more caffeine than its own espresso shot.
01:29Costa says all nutritional info is available online to help customers make informed choices, but the bottom line is, whether
01:35you're highly sensitive or watching your intake, pay attention to how much caffeine you're consuming, because not all high street
01:41coffees are brewed the same.
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