Over the past 20-30 years, there has been a significant rise in the consumption of caffeine. But that’s not to say that everyone enjoys drinking bitter black coffee. Many caffeine infused products have hit the market recently, attempting to lure you- the frantic high school student, the caffeine addict, and the coffee hater- into buying one of these easy, on-the-go goods. Not all have been successful, but some are definitely worth a try, especially if you are in one of the previously mentioned categories. Here are a few caffeinated products that reviewers seemed to enjoy.

1.     STEEM peanut butter
2.     Fairly good bang for the buck, (5.99 per 8oz jar)
3.     150mg of caffeine per serving which is equal to about 2 cans of Redbull®
4.      Can buy at microcenter (I think) and at their online store (steempb.com)
5.     Military energy gum
6.     Good price (1.29/pack)
7.     100mg of caffeine per piece which is equal to about 1.2 cans of Redbull®
8.      According to reviews, go with the spearmint kind
9.     You can buy this gum on amazon
10.     VAT19 gummies
11.     Good taste
12.     32mg of caffeine per pack (60 calories) equal to about 1/3 of a Redbull®
13.      Can be bought on Amazon and on their website vat19.com

As with everything in life, there are downsides to every upside. Due to their recent releases, the effects of many of the caffeine infused products are unknown. Even the FDA is concerned with the new products that have been introduced to the market.  Wriggly® took their caffeine infused gum off the market after the FDA decided it was time to investigate the safety of caffeinated products. The FDA is not only concerned with accidental child consumption (due to the lure of candy and gum, both of which are products that children are attracted to) but they are also worried about excess consumption overall. Caffeine can and has killed, and with access to 3 or 4 cups worth of coffee simply sitting in your pocket, in the form of, say, gum, overdose is easier than ever. Pure, powdered caffeine powder is also on the rise, and this product can very easily lead to overdose with 1 tsp being roughly equivalent to the amount in 28 cups of coffee.Teenager Logan Steiner is just one person who died at age 18 from an overdose of caffeine powder (which he was likely taking for wrestling). That being said, the new caffeine infused products that have hit the market can be very beneficial, but just be sure to read the labels and know your limits. It is recommended by the Mayo Clinic that adults consume no more than 400mg per day and that adolescents consume no more than 100mg per day. Consuming more than this amount will probably not kill you, but could cause negative side effects such as insomnia, nervousness, irritability, stomach upset, a fast heartbeat and muscle tremors. Also note that not everyone reacts the same way to caffeine, and that some people are more sensitive to its effects than others.