How to know if you have a caffeine sensitivity and what to do about it

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

Caffeine sensitivity is not a reason to deny yourself a cup of great, well-brewed coffee. You just need to understand the issue and find out more about the varieties of grains, the methods of their preparation, the amount of caffeine in different variations of the drink, as well as about the so-called decaffeinated coffee. We will talk about all this.

Warning: If your doctor has strictly forbidden you to consume any form of caffeine, do not read this article! Just close and forget.

Most people react to caffeine normally: they just feel a kind of uplift, enthusiasm. This is due to the action of caffeine at the cellular level: it temporarily blocks adenosine, disinhibiting neurons.

From the point of view of the body, coffee is a useful thing, if you do not abuse it. It is rich in antioxidants and elements necessary for health, it increases productivity and gives a boost of vivacity. True, we are talking about properly prepared coffee, not over-roasted, brewed from quality beans.

However, there is a small percentage of people who are hypersensitive to caffeine. Typical symptoms of this hypersensitivity:

insomnia,
anxiety, nervousness,
cardiopalmus,
stomach upset,
involuntary muscle contraction, spasms,
diuretic (diuretic) effect, dehydration.

How much caffeine is actually in coffee

Similar to the degree of alcohol, the caffeine content in different drinks (and even in different variations of the same) is different:

Robusta	140-200 mg caffeine per medium cup (170 g)
Arabica	40-60 mg caffeine per 170 g
Arabica and excelsa (mix)	40-60 mg caffeine per 170 g
Espresso regular	30-50 mg caffeine per 30 g
Instant coffee	40-100 mg caffeine per 170 g
Decaffeinated coffee	3-16 mg caffeine per 170-200 g
Cocoa	10-15 mg for 170-200 g
Dark hot chocolate	50-100 mg per 170 g
Milk hot chocolate	30-50 mg per 170 g
Coca-Cola, Pepsi, Mountain Dew	20-26 mg for 170-200 g
Green tea	12-30 mg for 170-200 g
Black tea	40-60 mg for 170-200 g

These are averages and do not apply to specific teas, chocolate or specific coffee beans.

Is caffeine always to blame?

Many people who experience unpleasant symptoms after drinking coffee are 100% sure that caffeine is the cause. However, this is not always the case. There are other substances in coffee that can cause a specific reaction. If your body really reacts to pure caffeine, then you should observe the same symptoms after a cup of strong black tea, a bottle of cola, chocolate and some other products. If it doesn't, then caffeine is not the problem.

Another test is decaf coffee. If your reaction to it is absolutely the same as to the usual one, then it’s again in some other components.

If not caffeine, then what?

By itself, coffee is completely harmless. But when the grains begin to roast, some chemical compounds appear in them that can cause rejection and the symptoms listed above in a certain group of people. Roasting that is too strong destroys the structure of the elements contained in the beans (especially oils and sugars), and some people simply cannot drink this coffee.

In addition, there is the problem of a poor-quality product: violation of storage conditions, excessive humidity, etc. In this case, the violently reactive organism is absolutely right.

Decaffeinating artificial and natural

The easiest way to reduce your caffeine intake is to drink special decaffeinated coffees or opt for special varieties. In the first case, the share of caffeine is reduced by chemical means; in the second, coffee is brewed from such varieties of beans that contain a minimum of this substance.

What is decaffeinating

This process is surrounded by unkind rumors and various rumors: "But there is still caffeine, our brother is being fooled!"

Indeed, even after all the chemical operations, some of the caffeine remains. But it is insignificant, minimal. By American standards, decaffeinated is a drink from which 97% of the caffeine has been removed. According to European standards, 99, 92% of the total mass of coffee beans must be decaffeinated.

In general, this coffee contains less caffeine than cola, chocolate, or green tea.

How does this process take place

The term "natural decaffeination" is rather dubious. The grains are first evaporated for half an hour, and then several times are treated with special chemical mixtures (methylene chloride, ethyl acetate) for about 10 more hours. Then it is evaporated again and dried without chemistry for another 10 hours.

There is also an alternative method, it is really closer to nature. This method was invented and patented in Switzerland: no chemicals are used here, only water and a charcoal filter. However, the Swiss method is very expensive and complicated, so not every company can afford such decaffeination. In other embodiments, carbon monoxide, triglyceride and pressures up to 300 atmospheres are used for processing.

Special varieties

As mentioned above, some coffees naturally contain less caffeine. So sometimes they can be compared with decaffeinated ones. For example, Vietnamese coffee has 70% less caffeine than regular coffee, and the taste and aroma are preserved. In general, active development and research are being carried out in this direction: perhaps the day is not far off when we will drink genetically modified coffee with 0% caffeine.

A few final tips

When choosing coffee, give preference to darker beans: they have less caffeine.
Do not brew coffee with boiling water, but just hot water (for example, in a French press).
Well, most importantly, drink less soda, instant cocoa, do not overeat chocolate and other caffeine-containing harmful substances. Better to leave your caffeine limit for the tastiest and favorite: for a cup of excellent, high-quality coffee!