Are you under doctor’s orders to switch from regular to decaf, perhaps due to pregnancy or a medical condition? Or does your current caffeine intake leave you feeling jittery, irritable or nauseated, wanting nothing more than to cut back or eliminate caffeine altogether? With the proliferation of super-sized coffee concoctions and sugary, high-caffeine energy drinks, it’s no wonder so many people are switching to decaf options these days. For die-hard coffee drinkers, decaf can be a tough sell, as it’s difficult to remove the caffeine from coffee without removing a lot of the other compounds responsible for flavor. But there are plenty of flavorful decaf beverage options out there, including coffee, if you know where to look.
What is caffeine, and why do we love it so much?
Used by people for several thousand years, caffeine is a naturally occurring alkaloid found in dozens of plant species, including coffee, tea and cacao trees. It is a habit-forming stimulant (albeit a relatively mild one) that increases heart rate and blood pressure. You may use it to help you wake up in the morning, and to help you concentrate and stay alert throughout the day. Several over-the-counter medications (such as headache relief preparations) contain caffeine, as it enhances the efficacy of pain relievers like aspirin and acetaminophen.
How much caffeine am I consuming, and how much is too much?
Be aware that coffee generally contains substantially more caffeine than tea and other beverages like soda. Coffee made from Robusta beans (usually cheaper brands) has approximately twice as much caffeine as coffee made from the Arabica bean varieties, which are far more common.
Drip-brewed coffee can have anywhere from 60- 180 milligrams of caffeine per standard cup, depending on the variety of bean, blend composition, grind fineness, water temperature, and roast color of the coffee. These factors also affect the caffeine content of decaffeinated coffee, which usually has between 2-6 milligrams of coffee per cup. For many people, the caffeine in decaf is undetectable, but for those who are extremely sensitive to it (especially due to medical conditions), even amounts this small can be too much.
If you consume coffee and other beverages containing caffeine on a daily basis, chances are you know what happens when you suddenly stop or drastically limit your consumption. According to a 2004 study by Roland Griffiths (Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine) and Laura Juliano (American University’s Department of Psychology), almost all adults in North America consume the caffeine equivalent of three standard six-ounce cups of coffee every day. This works out to approximately 280 milligrams of caffeine daily, more than enough to cause symptoms of withdrawal, which indicates
chemical dependence.
How do I cut back on caffeine, or cut it out altogether?
Eliminating caffeine all at once is rarely a good idea, especially if your intake is high. Even if you only consume a safe, moderate amount of caffeine on a daily basis, suddenly stopping altogether can cause the unpleasant symptoms of caffeine withdrawal to set in.
In their 2004 study, Griffiths and Juliano identified the major symptoms of caffeine withdrawal syndrome, which include headaches, fatigue, mood changes, irritability, and difficulty concentrating. Slowly reducing the amount of caffeine you consume can keep these symptoms to a minimum. CaffeineAwareness.org is an excellent resource for figuring out your current caffeine intake; with it you can formulate a realistic and perhaps even symptom-free plan for reducing that amount.
Many national brands available in supermarkets sell half-caffeinated versions of their coffees. You can also make your own half-caf or low-caf blends. For a gradual step-down, mix three parts regular coffee with one part decaffeinated coffee. The more accustomed you get to the flavor and reduction in caffeine, you’ll be able to go down to half and half, then down further to one part regular coffee to three parts decaf. Before you know it, decaf will be your beverage of choice.
You can also try substituting one caffeine-free beverage a day for one of your typical cups of coffee. Try a decaf chai, a spicy, flavorful option which is actually free of caffeine to begin with, or a decaf green tea, which is rich in antioxidants. Going decaf may not be easy at first, but it could get you out of a beverage rut and introduce you to a whole new level of health and well-being.
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