Coffee
Posted: Wed Feb 20, 2008 9:39 pm
NOTE: The original poster removed their question about coffee
Hi Kathy
Seems like you got some great advice already.
Most all of my clients tell me that once that get off caffeine and past the detox and headaches and lethargy, they feel like they have more energy than ever.
Just to review some of the info and make a few additions and points of clarity
Technically speaking, only products made from the leaves, buds and twigs of the tea bush, Camellia sinensis, can be called "tea". Products made from other leaves, buds, twigs, fruits, grains etc are supposed to be called "herbal infusions".
There are 4 main teas, white, green, oolong, and black all coming from the same plant, and are fermented for different times with the white being the least and the black being the most fermented.
The following are averages and dependent on several factors. The average amount of caffeine is a cup of brewed coffee is about 100-150 mgs, for Black tea it is about 35-60, green tea around 15-25. Oolong is between black and green and there is some debate on white as some have found it a little more than green and some a little less.
Decaffeinated means that most of the caffeine has been removed (~98%) from the coffee or tea and caffeine free means there is no added caffeine to the product.
Teas labeled Decaffeinated will contain no more than 0.4% caffeine on a dry weight basis.
To qualify as decaf coffee in the United States, coffee must have at least 97 percent of its caffeine removed. That still leaves about 5 milligrams of caffeine in a 6 ounce cup of decaf coffee.
You can decaffeinate teas at home by the "water process" which is done by infusing the tea leaves for 30 seconds and then pouring off that infusion. Then steep as you normally would. While this does eliminate some caffeine it is difficult to be sure just how much caffeine is left.
A recent analysis of decaf coffees bought at local popular coffee houses showed that several of them exceeded the guidelines to be called decaf and some even had levels as high as regular coffee.
Good luck!
In Health
Jeff Novick, MS, RD
Hi Kathy
Seems like you got some great advice already.
Most all of my clients tell me that once that get off caffeine and past the detox and headaches and lethargy, they feel like they have more energy than ever.
Just to review some of the info and make a few additions and points of clarity
Technically speaking, only products made from the leaves, buds and twigs of the tea bush, Camellia sinensis, can be called "tea". Products made from other leaves, buds, twigs, fruits, grains etc are supposed to be called "herbal infusions".
There are 4 main teas, white, green, oolong, and black all coming from the same plant, and are fermented for different times with the white being the least and the black being the most fermented.
The following are averages and dependent on several factors. The average amount of caffeine is a cup of brewed coffee is about 100-150 mgs, for Black tea it is about 35-60, green tea around 15-25. Oolong is between black and green and there is some debate on white as some have found it a little more than green and some a little less.
Decaffeinated means that most of the caffeine has been removed (~98%) from the coffee or tea and caffeine free means there is no added caffeine to the product.
Teas labeled Decaffeinated will contain no more than 0.4% caffeine on a dry weight basis.
To qualify as decaf coffee in the United States, coffee must have at least 97 percent of its caffeine removed. That still leaves about 5 milligrams of caffeine in a 6 ounce cup of decaf coffee.
You can decaffeinate teas at home by the "water process" which is done by infusing the tea leaves for 30 seconds and then pouring off that infusion. Then steep as you normally would. While this does eliminate some caffeine it is difficult to be sure just how much caffeine is left.
A recent analysis of decaf coffees bought at local popular coffee houses showed that several of them exceeded the guidelines to be called decaf and some even had levels as high as regular coffee.
Good luck!
In Health
Jeff Novick, MS, RD