Decaf Thing You Should Remember
Got the shakes, even though you're drinking decaf? Few decafs are 100% caffeine-free and most contain enough caffeine to get you hooked.
Sudden headaches? Mid-day slump? If you're caffeine sensitive, reaching for decaf may not be the answer.
"There is caffeine in decaffeinated coffee, to a lot of people's surprise," says nutritionist Scott Estrada.
Decaf coffee can contain as much as seven milligrams of caffeine. Estrada says that's enough to wake you up, boost your mood, help you focus, and get you hooked.
"If you go back to ancient times it was used as medicine, powerful medicine but we overuse it in the States and it's become more of an addiction for a lot of people," he says.
Don't add sugar or cream. Scott says the best way to drink coffee is plain. But if caffeine makes you anxious, there are alternatives.
"You could go for a really good tea. Let your palate wrap around a really good coffee alternative like Yerba Mate or a green tea or something that has more of a natural caffeine in it," says Estrada.
Sean Kohmescher owns Temple Coffee house. He sells those teas and lots of Fair Trade Coffees, but only about 15 cups of decaf a day.
"Some people do it just because they've grown to love the taste of coffee but maybe for health reasons they can't have it anymore or sometimes its just later in the evening and they prefer to go to bed on time," says Kohmescher.
Sean says the decaffeinating process actually muddies what coffee lovers value most - flavor.
"It will still taste like coffee but you probably wouldn't be able to discern between different regions if it is decaf," he says.
Sean Kohmescher says that if you must have decaf, protect the flavor by always drinking a fresh cup.
CBS Broadcasting Inc.
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