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Nutrition, Vitamins & Supplements for Seniors
Senior Coffee Addicts Who Choose Decaf to Avoid
Caffeine May Be in for a Jolt
Decaffeinated coffee is not caffeine-free, says UF
study
 October
11, 2006 - Senior citizen coffee addicts and we can assume
there are millions since a poll not long ago found most seniors would
prefer giving up sex before their coffee drinking may switch to decaf
for health reasons. But, that change does not free them from the
clutches of caffeine. A new study by University of Florida researchers
has discovered that almost all decaffeinated coffee contains some
measure of caffeine.
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Caffeine is the most widely consumed drug in the
world. And, because coffee is a major source in the supply line, people
advised to avoid caffeine because of certain medical conditions like
hypertension should be aware that even decaffeinated brew can come with
a kick, UF researchers report in this month's Journal of Analytical
Toxicology.
"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," said co-author Bruce Goldberger,
Ph.D., a professor and director of UF's William R. Maples Center for
Forensic Medicine. "This could be a concern for people who are advised
to cut their caffeine intake, such as those with kidney disease or
anxiety disorders."
Despite caffeine's widespread use, most medical
texts have no guidelines for intake, Goldberger said, but even low doses
might adversely affect some people. So UF researchers set out to conduct
a two-phase study designed to gauge just how much caffeine is likely to
turn up in decaffeinated coffees.
First they purchased 10 16-ounce decaffeinated
drip-brewed coffee beverages from nine national chains or local coffee
houses and tested them for caffeine content. Caffeine was isolated from
the coffee samples and measured by gas chromatography. Every serving but
one - instant decaffeinated Folgers Coffee Crystals - contained
caffeine, ranging from 8.6 milligrams to 13.9 milligrams.
In comparison, an 8-ounce cup of drip-brewed coffee
typically contains 85 milligrams of caffeine.
In the study's second phase, scientists analyzed 12
samples of Starbucks decaffeinated espresso and brewed decaffeinated
coffee taken from a single store. The espresso drinks contained 3
milligrams to 15.8 milligrams of caffeine per shot, while the brewed
coffees had caffeine concentrations ranging from 12 milligrams to 13.4
milligrams per 16-ounce serving.
Even though the amount of caffeine in these coffees
is considered low, some people could conceivably develop a physical
dependence on the beverages, said co-author Mark S. Gold, M.D., a
distinguished professor of psychiatry, neuroscience and community health
and family medicine at UF's College of Medicine.
"One has to wonder if decaf coffee has enough, just
enough, caffeine to stimulate its own taking," Gold said. "Certainly,
large cups and frequent cups of decaf would be expected to promote
dependence and should be contraindicated in those whose doctors
suggested caffeine-free diets."
And even moderate caffeine levels can increase
agitation, anxiety, heart rate and blood pressure in some susceptible
individuals, Goldberger said.
"Carefully controlled studies show that caffeine
doses as low as about 10 milligrams can produce reliable subjective and
behavioral effects in sensitive individuals," said Roland Griffiths,
Ph.D., a professor of behavioral biology and neuroscience at the Johns
Hopkins School of Medicine. "More than 30 percent can discriminate the
subjective effects of 18 milligrams or less. The present study shows
that many decaffeinated coffee drinks deliver caffeine at doses above
these levels.
"The important point is that decaffeinated is not
the same as caffeine-free," Griffiths added. "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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