Decaf / Not Decaf?
Decaf coffee may still pack a mini-caffeine punch,
Decaf coffee is often not totally caffeine-free, a new study shows. In fact, while these beverages have far less caffeine than a cup of regular coffee, they still may have enough of the stimulant to cause physical dependence on them.Further down in the report,
Goldberger and his colleagues tested the caffeine content of decaf from 10 different coffee establishments. Only one -- Folger's Instant -- contained no caffeine. The rest contained anywhere from 8.6 milligrams (mg) to 13.9 mg for a 16-ounce cup, the team reports in the Journal of Analytical Toxicology.A decaf after about 3pm will keep me awake until 1AM sometimes...The researchers also tested six samples of decaf espresso and six of decaf coffee from Starbucks, and found a wide variation in their caffeine content. Decaf espresso shots contained from 3 mg to 15.8 mg of caffeine, while decaf coffee ranged from 12 mg to 13.4 mg.
A previous study by Goldberger and his colleagues found caffeinated specialty coffees contained an average of 188 mg per cup.
Comments
How exciting. A "new" study shows us something that's already known. I know I'm being harsh on the study, but really it's an issue with the news agency reporting it. They blew the headline.
It isn't news that decaf contains caffiene. The news is that the small amount of caffiene is enough to cause addiction.
Posted by: Michael | October 23, 2006 4:00 AM