Did you know that eating a protein bar before bedtime will keep you up at night? Well…if your answer is NO, then you haven’t read the label carefully. Depending on the brand, you may find as much as 50 milligrams of caffeine per bar. Take note that the U.S. Dietary Guidelines for Americans advise adults to have no more than 400 milligrams caffeine per day.
“Some people can have adverse reactions when consuming greater than this amount of caffeine,” says Emily Rubin, RD, registered dietitian and director of clinical nutrition in the division of gastroenterology and hepatology at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, in Philadelphia. “They may experience sleeping problems, restlessness, heartburn, or diarrhea.”
Let’s debunk some hidden sources of caffeine!