Coffee and caffeine.

Botanical name: 

Date: Wed, 28 Feb 1996 21:20:38 -0500
Sender: HERB.TREARNPC.EGE.EDU.TR
From: Laura Hundt <LHundt.AOL.COM>
Subject: Re: Coffee

>I also have been reading the coffee discussions with interest. Pardon me if I'm wrong, but isn't the problem the caffeine in coffee, or is there something in coffee that makes it much worse than other caffeinated beverages like tea. I genuinely like the tast of coffee; but per doctor's orders and also because I know excessive stimulants are never a good thing, I drink primarily decaf; is that bad too?

Here is a caffeine comparison chart for popular drinks...

Beverage Serving size Caffeine dose per serving
Coffee 1 cup 60-150mg
Decaf Coffee 1 cup 2-5mg
Tea (loose or bags) 1 cup 20-50mg
Hot Cocoa 1 cup 6mg
Milk Chocolate 1 oz 6mg
Baking Chocolate 1 oz 35mg
Mate 1 cup 25-50mg
Cola Drinks 12 oz can 40mg
Guarana varies 25-50mg per gram

Caffeine is considered to be inappropriate for consumption durring pregnancy or lactation, or by persons with the following conditions: High blood pressure, gastric ulsers,active heart disease, stimulant sensitivities, hypoglacimia. Over-consumption of caffeine even by normal consumers can cause nervousness, sleeplessness, irritability, anxiety and or heart palpitations. Caffeine also has laxative effects and those who become habituated to it may become constipated and experience head aches when they quit....

From "THE HERB RESEARCH FOUNDATION" April 20 1995

I do also know that coffee can cause bad stomach acid, and is not good for people with ulcers.......


From: Eric Yarnell <yarnell.SCN.ORG>
Subject: Re: Coffee or Caffeine Comparison Chart

> Would be interested in any published chart comparing Coffees and caffeine products.

From Sue Rodwell Williams _Nutrition and Diet Therapy_:

source: caffeine in mg:
brewed coffee (180 ml cup) 80-140
instant coffee (180 ml cup) 60-100
decaff coffee (180 ml cup) 1-6
black leaf tea (180 ml cup) 30-80
black tea bag (180 ml cup) 25-75
instant black tea (100 ml cup) 30-60
cocoa (180 ml cup) 10-50
cola 8 oz 15-50
chocolate candy bar 1 oz 20
Excedrine (per unit) 60
Cafergot (per unit) 100

From: "Couvia, Susan" <SCouvia.TCHMAI.TCHDEN.ORG>

Well, all this talk about coffee has started me thinking... I am addicted to the stuff - really addicted. The one time I tried to quit (15 years ago now) I was drinking about 12 - 16 cups a day. Had a full pot of coffee even before going to work. Have my coffee pot in my bedroom at the foot of my bed on a timer so that when the alarm goes off, the coffee is already made, just have to crawl to the end of the bed to pour my first cup. REALLY adicted. In addition to the headaches that everyone else reports upon trying to quit, I also had nausea, vomiting, and hallucinations. Started seeing all kinds of things - pretty colors and lights especially. Instead of taking this as a warning that things were really bad and I shouldn't touch this stuff again, I quickly started drinking it again just to have the symptoms go away. Although I did cut down to about 6 cups a day.

Now, even though I have changed most other "non-healthy" habits, coffee is the one I retain. However - all this talk has made me think: If a doctor prescribed a stimulant, told me that I would have to take it every day for the rest of my life, that it has side effects like it makes you jittery, sometimes insomniac, makes it difficult to absorb some vitamins, etc - I would have told that doc that I would never take this "medication" yet here I am taking it.

Well, looks like it's time to really quit. (Wish me luck!)


From: Howie Brounstein <howieb.TELEPORT.COM>

>If you do your research properly I think you will find that Yerba Mate contains little or no caffeine.

I disagree. This is a common mistaken belief, especially common among Mate drinkers.


From: Kathy K-Larson <Kathjokl.AOL.COM>

: Hi! I'm a newcomer to the list and have been following the discussion about coffee. I was wondering if anyone has any information on the caffeine in organic coffee. I heard that it has about half of what is in regular coffee. And it sure does taste about twice as good!

Organic coffee does not have less caffeine because it is organic. What you may have heard that caused the confusion was that organic coffee, like gourmet coffee comes from 100 % arabia beans which naturally have a lower caffeine content than robusta beans. Robusta beans are used to make commercial coffee. They produce earlier and have higher yields so are less expensive but also less flavorful.


From: Rene Burrough <100735.543.COMPUSERVE.COM>

My understanding of the taboo against coffee in cases of candida is that coffee wipes out your B vitamins. It also limitis/inhibits absorption of Zinc & Iron...especially when drunk with meals.

The Bs (yeast free obviously), Zinc, and Iron are all recommended supplements to help restore the body in its fight with candida.