So You Thought You Were Safe Settling For Decaf...

The Sydney Morning Herald | November 20, 2002 | Julie Robotham

[yankeedame]

So, you thought you were safe settling for the decaf

By Julie Robotham, Medical Writer

November 20 2002

Decaffeinated coffee can give the heart every bit as big a jolt as the full-strength equivalent, according to new research which suggests a mystery ingredient of coffee has yet to be discovered.

Swiss doctors studied the effect of decaf and regular coffee in people who were habitual coffee drinkers and those who rarely or never drank it. They found that abstainers' systolic blood pressure - the higher of the two measures of blood pressure, taken when the heart beats - rose markedly within an hour of drinking a triple espresso, regardless of whether or not it contained caffeine.

There was also an increase in the activation of their sympathetic nervous system which controls heartbeat and breathing, again independent of the caffeine content of the drink. Among the regular coffee drinkers, nervous system activation increased but blood pressure remained stable when they drank either form of coffee, said lead researcher Roberto Corti, a cardiologist from the University Hospital in Zurich. This implied the body could learn to tolerate and compensate for the effect of coffee on blood pressure, Dr Corti said. It also suggested that the effect was due not to caffeine but to some other, so far unidentified, ingredient.

Susan Anderson, a dietitian and the national nutrition manager for the National Heart Foundation of Australia, said the organisation did not have any policy or recommendations in relation to coffee drinking, because research evidence so far had not been conclusive.

She said coffee had been implicated in raising cholesterol levels, which can, in turn, lead to heart disease.

It was difficult to study the health effects of high coffee intake, she said, because heavy users often also smoked and drank alcohol to excess.

[yankeedame]

You know, just in case you ran out of things to worry about.

[RichardW]

I'll cut back from my usual two gallons to only one gallon after reading this warning.

[Bella_Bru]

My blood pressure shoots up when I discover that some office moron took the last cup without brewing another pot.

[EggsAckley]

I believe they are right. I gave up coffee years ago, and an occasional cup of decaf reminds me of why I gave it up.

[stanz]

I believe they are right. I gave up coffee years ago, and an occasional cup of decaf reminds me of why I gave it up.

Exactly, EggsAckley.

[TruthShallSetYouFree]

I'm in my early fifties and in tip-top shape. I play hard at racquetball at least three times a week, for about ninety minutes.I also am a heavy drinker of coffee--the more caffeine, the better. One day last year, I had my usual three cups of coffee with breakfast. I also was suffering from a slight head cold, so I took some Sudofed. As I was playing racquetball, my heart was pounding so hard, I felt like that little Alien was trying to break out of my chest. I stopped playing and felt better, but booked a stress test. Result: I'm fine, and my heart is A-OK. Bottom line: don't mix a lot of coffee, Sudofed and exercise in the same time slot.

[Slyfox]

heart beats - rose markedly within an hour of drinking a TRIPLE EXPRESSO

C'mon, they couldn't use a 'regular decaf' for their study? No wonder they got the results they did.

[my_pointy_head_is_sharp]

Do you have a link for this? I'd like to pass it along to someone.

[buffyt]

Quick Mabel, hold muh beer and get me an EXPRESSO!

One of my weaknesses is Cafe Mocha with tons of whipped cream. I HOPE no one does a study on health risks of that! If they do, please don't post it here, I don't want to know! LOL

Have a great day, all. I am packing to move to Texas Saturday. 1600 miles across desert in son's Probe, no AC, two cats in car.... need I say more????? [sympathy appreciated here] LOL

[buffyt]

I took Sudafed on an empty stomach one morning and later felt like I was having a heart attack. [Had stress test on 9/11/2001 as the buildings were being attacked in NY and I never want to relive that day] Heart was fine. I only take 1/4 of a Sudafed at a time now, that stuff is STRONG! My doctor freaked out when he found out I took it.

[UB355]

Many over the counter decongestants raise your blood pressure because one their effects is to constrict your blood vessels.

[LibertyGirl77]

My sympathies. :)

[INSENSITIVE GUY]

DECAF IS A SISSY DRINK!

[Tony in Hawaii]

It's right up there with nonalchoholic beer and "Gardenburgers."

[July 4th]

Coffee smells great, but I can't stand the taste. If I need sugar-free caffeine, it's tea or Diet Coke for me. It's just too bad no one ever offers you either of those for free...

[OldFriend]

Chocolate creates that same buzz as caffein.......be nice if these people had some answers before they rush out with their proclamations.

[Happygal]

Am I the only person around here who doesn't drink coffee?

When someone asks me for a cup of the black stuff, I automatically pour Guinness!!! Sheesh

[Happygal]

What's a "Gardenburger."

[Tony in Hawaii]

Meatless "hamburger" made from vegetable scraps and other stuff not fit for human consumption.

[Happygal]

Meatless "hamburger"...isn't that a paradox in terms?

If those veggies want to eat veggies, let them call 'em vegetables.
Let 'em leave us carnivores with our Burgers, Steaks, Racks of Lamb, Chicken Kebabs...mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm.... ;-)