Want to Be a Caffeine-Addict No Longer? Decaf Is Not the Solution

Addiction to coffee and caffeine is the most popular type of addiction worldwide. Usually, people who have already developed health disorders due to heavy regular coffee consumption switch to decaf coffee, hoping that they can continue to taste the flavored substance without any side effect. But a recent study conducted by researchers at the University of Florida has come with bad news for decaf consumers: this type of coffee is not caffeine-free, therefore the addiction is not off.

"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. This could be a concern for people who are advised to cut their caffeine intake, such as those with kidney disease or anxiety disorders," explained and cautioned at the same time co-author of the study Bruce Goldberger, Ph.D., Professor and Director of University of Florida's William R. Maples Center for Forensic Medicine.

However, medical experts do not state that small amounts of caffeine are completely harmful for and individual, on the contrary. It is generally acknowledged, by researchers and health 'gurus' also, the fact that small amounts of caffeine have beneficial effects on healthy people. For instance, moderate or regular consumption of caffeine is very helpful in keeping away the risk of getting diabetes. Also, along with fruits and vegetables, coffee contains significant amounts of antioxidants.

The short-term effects of coffee upon our body are also extremely beneficial, as it helps us think faster and clearer, banishing drowsiness and fatigue. By improving an individual's performance, vigor, alertness and efficiency the caffeine in coffee leads to a decline in levels of depression and anxiety, as well as risk of committing suicide.

But consuming large amounts of caffeine on a regular basis and becoming a heavy coffee drinker is not as beneficial for one's health. "Carefully controlled studies show that caffeine doses as low as about 10 milligrams can produce reliable subjective and behavioral effects in sensitive individuals. 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," said Roland Griffiths, Ph.D., Professor of Behavioral Biology and Neuroscience at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine.

However, the leading idea of the current study was to inform people that decaf coffee is not completely caffeine-free. Naturally, decaf contains lower amounts of caffeine as compare to regular coffee, but this does not mean that it contains no caffeine. People who are likely to develop certain health problems if consuming caffeine should be careful when thinking that decaf coffee is risk-free.

"The important point is that decaffeinated is not the same as caffeine-free. 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," concluded Roland Griffiths.