My friend Mark, from Dallas, Texas, just can’t start his day out unless he has a hot, heaping handful of steamy Starbucks coffee. Mark is hooked on caffeine. My brother, Mickey, drinks coffee all day—yup—all day. There isn’t a time when he doesn’t have a cup of coffee in his hand. So devoted is he, that he throws away what’s left in the pot if it’s been sitting out for more than an hour or two. He says that the coffee turns acidic if it sits too long, so he makes a new pot of coffee, and so on, and so on. I’m pretty sure he’s hooked on caffeine, also. But wait! Just this week I’ve found out that many of our specialty coffeehouses are brewing their coffee much stronger for a more robust taste. And guess what? That also raises the caffeine to stratospheric heights. So much stronger are the coffeehouse brands that old standbys, like Folgers, that are sold in the supermarkets, pale in comparison to the caffeine amounts in the coffeehouse brews.

Many consumers of high-octane coffee complain that if they don’t get their morning jolt of caffeine, then their body goes into withdrawal. They complain of headache, drowsiness, and difficulty concentrating.

Now, does this mean that caffeine is an addictive drug? Well, scientists usually use the term "physically dependent" rather than "addicted," a term they use for the more severe cases like heroin or cigarette smokers who smoke several packs of ciggies a day. (Oh yes, did I also mention that my brother, in addition to a cup of coffee in his hand at all times, also has a lit cigarette in his other hand.) Is he physically dependent and addicted?

Let’s get back to those coffeehouse brews again. The more robust taste sure does lure many customers. Their businesses may be thriving in part because those customers are seemingly addicted to a drug, though one that is legal. House blends at speciality coffeehouses have an average of 56 percent more caffeine than samples from 7-Eleven stores and 29 percent more than those from Dunkin Donuts.

Probably the strongest and most successful of the chains is Starbucks, without a doubt. Their houseblend had 223 milligrams of caffeine on average per 16 ounce medium cup size. But Starbucks admits that on average it’s many different varieties of coffee contain even more caffeine—320 milligrams in a medium cup. Yikes—that’s a lot of caffeine! No wonder people complain they just can’t get their day started unless they get their cup of coffee in the morning. People do suffer from caffeine withdrawal. It usually begins within 12 to 24 hours after the last cup of java was consumed. Many are irritable or grouchy in the morning unless they get their caffeine fix. You wake up in a state of withdrawal.

The popularity of Starbucks is based on the taste of the coffee, so says Norm Ovellette, the company’s vice president of research and development. Starbucks’ coffee is brewed to bring out "the best flavor quality" without regard to caffeine content. Norm questions research connecting caffeine with physical dependence noting that the APA, in it’s Diagnostic and Statistical Manual for Mental Disorders, does not list caffeine among the drugs that cause dependency.

For coffeehouses, the amount of caffeine in their product is probably unintentional, as they are after greater flavor. Many experts don’t consider caffeine very risky at all. A bitter white powder found in many plants, a dose of 200 milligrams of caffeine have been shown to elicit feelings of increased alertness, happiness and sociability—a coffee buzz. Scientists say that caffeine is a mild stimulant to the central nervous system and agree that it isn’t a big risk, and some very recent studies suggest that a little coffee may even have health benefits.

But, let me put in my two cents worth. It’s a stimulant—a drug—that some people have a hard time controlling. If people need it to function and do everyday tasks, then I call that an addiction—not a physical dependence as the scientists state. Be very aware of your coffee/caffeine intake and its effect on you. Caffeine amounts may vary from coffeehouse to coffeehouse.

Rick Moore is a personal trainer certified by the American Fitness Professionals & Associates. Visit him at www.ricksfitness.net or call 302-684-0316.