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Decaf Coffee Isn't
Caffeine-Free
Study shows drinking decaf doesn't eliminate
caffeine.
By Jennifer
Warner
WebMD
Medical News |
|
Sticking to decaf isn't going to
eliminate caffeine from your coffee.
That's according to a new study that
shows even decaffeinated coffee comes with at least
a small dose of caffeine.
"If someone drinks five to 10 cups of
decaffeinated coffee, the dose of caffeine could
easily reach the level present in a cup or two of
caffeinated coffee," says researcher Bruce A.
Goldberger, PhD, of the University of Florida, in a
news release.
Researchers say caffeine is the most
widely consumed drug in the world, and coffee is a
major source. Despite this, there are few guidelines
about how much caffeine is too much, and even low
doses may adversely affect some people.
People with certain medical
conditions, including high blood pressure and heart
arrhythmia, as well as those taking certain
prescription medications are advised to avoid or
limit caffeine.
In an effort to abstain from
caffeine, many people turn to decaffeinated coffee,
but researchers say they may be unaware that these
decaf beverages also contain caffeine.
There's Caffeine in My Decaf!
In the study, published in the
Journal of Analytical Toxicology, researchers set
out to find out how much caffeine is likely to be
found in popular decaffeinated coffees.
Researchers purchased 10 16-ounce
decaffeinated cups of drip coffee from coffee shops
and restaurants and analyzed them for caffeine
content.
They found all but one --
decaffeinated Folgers Instant, purchased at a
Krystal fast-food restaurant -- contained caffeine.
The caffeine content ranged from 8.6 milligrams to
13.9 milligrams.
That's about a tenth of the caffeine
found in an 8-ounce cup of regular drip-brewed
coffee, which contains about 85 milligrams of
caffeine.
Next, researchers tested several
samples of decaffeinated espresso shots and decaf
brewed coffee from the same Starbucks location to
determine if caffeine content varied in the same
drinks from the same location.
The results showed that the caffeine
content of the decaffeinated espresso shots varied
widely -- from 3 to nearly 16 milligrams; the
caffeine content of the decaf brewed coffee ranged
from 12 to 13.4 milligrams per 16-ounce serving.
Researchers say even though the
caffeine content of decaffeinated coffees is low,
people could develop a dependence on them.
"The important point is that
decaffeinated is not the same as caffeine-free,"
says Roland Griffiths, PhD, a professor of
behavioral biology and neuroscience at the Johns
Hopkins School of Medicine, in the news release.
"People who are trying to eliminate
caffeine from their diet should be aware that
popular espresso drinks such as lattes (which
contain two shots of espresso) can deliver as much
caffeine as a can of Coca-Cola -- about 31
milligrams."
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