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Caffeine: Addiction; Toxicity; Overdoses

Decaff coffee is good if you like coffee but can't handle the caffeine. I drink it occasionally if I want something warm to drink but don't want the caffeine, because I don't like the non-caffinated tea's they sell at school.
 
Spot on RO, I love the taste of coffee, but obviously can't handle the caffeine.

sunsplash said:
Decaf Coffee: What's the point? Drink Tea for goodness sake!

What's the point of semi skimmed milk? Drink water for goodness sake!! :lol:
 
Caroline said:
Tea contains caffeine, not in the quantity found in coffee, but it still contains it. It also contains theobromine.
Depends. Some types contain much more caffeine than coffee.
TABLE 1. CHEMICAL COMPOSITION OF BLACK TEA
Constituents Units
Theaflavins (%) 0.78
Thearubigins (%) 8.02
High polymerized substances (%) 11.19
Caffeine % 3.51
Total polyphenols % 20.0
Amino acids % 1.0
Protein % 20.6
Lipid % 2.5
Carbohydrates % 32.1
Moisture % 6.0
Calcium (mg/100 g) 470
Phosphorus (mg/100 g) 320
Iron (mg/100 g) 17.4
Sodium (mg/100 g) 3.0
Potassium (mg/100 g) 2000
Vitamin A (U /100 g) 900
Vitamin A (IU/100 g) 500
Vitamin B1 (mg/100 g) 0.10
Vitamin B2 (mg/100 g) 0.80
Niacin (mg/100 g) 10
Gallic acid (%) 0.15
Epigallo catechin (%) 0.57
(+) Catechin (%) 0.18
Epicatechin (%) 1.51
Epigallocatechin gallate (%) 2.86
Epicatechin gallate (%) 0.30

TABLE 2: FLAVOUR COMPOSITION OF BLACK TEA
Compound
a-pinene
Linalool oxide 1
Linalool oxide 2
Citronellal
Benzaldehyde
Linalool
Phenyl acetaldehyde
Geranyl acetate
Methyl salicylate
Nerol
Geraniol
a-ionone
Benzyl alcohol
Phenyl ethanol
b-ionone
cis-nerolidol
Methyl jasmonate

*slurp* ahhh!


:D
Mmmmm....TEA!
 
Mr_Eamcat said:
Spot on RO, I love the taste of coffee, but obviously can't handle the caffeine.

sunsplash said:
Decaf Coffee: What's the point? Drink Tea for goodness sake!

What's the point of semi skimmed milk? Drink water for goodness sake!! :lol:

Semi-Skimmed? What the hell is that?

*'Splash watches kettle boil *
 
Is there a 'coffee' thread?


CARREY HAPPIER AFTER CUTTING BACK ON CAFFEINE

JIM CARREY has never been happier after embracing a healthy lifestyle and cutting his caffeine intake considerably.

The ETERNAL SUNSHINE OF THE SPOTLESS MIND actor, who has two marriages behind him and has struggled with depression, is amazed by how caffeine products have come to dominate daily western culture.

He says, "A lot of it has to do with living more healthily. I've eliminated wheat, dairy products and sugar from my diet because they make me less clear.

"I've also cut way back on caffeine, which I think is a major health problem, especially for children who are drinking too much soda pop and coffee.

"I have one coffee a day now rather than seven. The world is living in a coffee-induced hyper mode that is insane."


15/01/2006 21:07

contactmusic.com


Emphasis mine. Oh, so that explains everything then. We're nuts because of coffee. :roll:
 
He not going all Tom Cruise on us is he? :?

Coffee's what keeps me relatively sane.
 
This recent case illustrates the dangers of excessive caffeine intake.
Terrifying Medical Case Reveals What Can Happen if You Overdose on Caffeine

Caffeine is the most widely taken psychoactive stimulant in the world – not to mention the only one that isn't really regulated anywhere, at least in products like coffee, tea, and soft/energy drinks.

But while most of us ingest caffeine in safe, moderated doses, the truth is that in its pure or concentrated powdered form, caffeine is an extremely powerful substance that can be dangerous if you take too much.

The FDA warns that a single teaspoon of caffeine powder is equivalent to approximately 28 cups of coffee, which helps to explain why the sale of caffeine powder supplements in bulk form has been banned in both the US and elsewhere.

Those bans came after multiple deaths in recent years tied to caffeine overdoses, leading to mounting concerns over the availability of powdered caffeine.

A new case study in the UK serves as an alarming refresher on why such concerns and bans are warranted, showing just what can happen when people swallow massive amounts of powdered caffeine.

The report, led by critical care doctor Rebecca Harsten from Queen Elizabeth Hospital in London, details the experience of a 26-year-old patient who turned up in emergency about three hours after she ingested two heaped teaspoons of powdered caffeine (approximately 20 grams).

Per the FDA's reckoning, that puts the dose in the ballpark of 50 to 60 cups of coffee at once, and as Harsten and her co-authors report, it's more than enough to kill a person. ...

FULL STORY: https://www.sciencealert.com/this-e...what-can-happen-when-you-overdose-on-caffeine
 
Why did she ingest caffeine powder at all?
 
I fail to see any problem here. I love coffee. I mean all of it. Frappuccinos are for
milquetoasts anyway.
 
It is counter-intuitive but I have learned that, on paper at least, high-roast espresso beans are actually lower in caffeine than medium-roasted ones! I suppose we are misled by the druggy talk of those who measure their "fixes" in "shots." Dosage must also be an issue, because tea is said to be equally powerful as a stimulant but no one drinks it rich and thick - in Europe, anyway.

Death by caffeine must be a horrible way to go: mind racing, sweats, all that fight-and-flight, topped with the intelligent perception that you are actually dying. :willy:
 
This man's energy drink (i.e., caffeine) habit led to hospitalization with both heart and kidney failure.
Man's energy drink habit lands him in the hospital with heart failure

A young man's heart problems may have been triggered by his excessive consumption of energy drinks — he ended up in the hospital with heart failure after consuming four energy drinks per day for two years, according to a new report of the case.

The findings add to a growing body of evidence linking energy drink consumption with heart problems, leading the authors to call for warnings about the dangers of drinking these beverages in large amounts.

The 21-year-old man went to the hospital after he experienced progressively worse shortness of breath for four months as well as weight loss, according to the report, published Thursday (April 15) in the journal BMJ Case Reports. ...

He reported drinking four 500-milliliter cans of energy drinks every day for about two years, with each can containing 160 milligrams of caffeine. (A typical cup of coffee contains about 90 mg of caffeine.)

The man recalled that he occasionally had episodes of indigestion, tremors and a racing heartbeat, which he didn't seek care for in the past. He felt so unwell and lethargic in recent months that he had to stop his university studies, according to the report, from doctors at St Thomas' Hospital in London.

After a barrage of tests, the man was diagnosed with two potentially life-threatening conditions: heart failure and kidney failure. ...

After 58 days in the hospital, the man was cleared to go home and was prescribed several heart medications. He stopped drinking energy drinks completely and his heart function improved so much that his doctors say he doesn't need a heart transplant at this time. However, he will likely need a kidney transplant at some point in the future. ...
FULL STORY: https://www.livescience.com/energy-drink-heart-failure.html
 
Sounds like it gave him the opposite of energy. When did this fashion for energy drinks start? I don't remember any problems with Lucozade.
 
Sounds like it gave him the opposite of energy. When did this fashion for energy drinks start? I don't remember any problems with Lucozade.
Lucozade gave you energy from glucose rather than caffine, i remember caffine drinks becoming pretty big in the 90's, with redbull, V, indigo, lots of talk of gurana and taurine at the time too.
 
What's wrong with sticking to espresso? Geez, it's fun to drink and it won't kill you as long as you don't have more than 4 or 5 a day.
 
Lucozade gave you energy from glucose rather than caffine, i remember caffine drinks becoming pretty big in the 90's, with redbull, V, indigo, lots of talk of gurana and taurine at the time too.

Lucozade in the 80s was isotonic too! Whatever that meant. But how much energy do you need for the day, a constant buzz would just exhaust you eventually, wouldn't it?
 
What's wrong with sticking to espresso? Geez, it's fun to drink and it won't kill you as long as you don't have more than 4 or 5 a day.

I have two mugs of coffee a day, not espresso, though (a mug of espresso?!). Must admit I don't notice any difference in my energy levels.
 
I drink probably four or five proper coffees a day, and from midday throw in a few decaf coffees. After about 5 o'clock I only drink decaf. I started drinking decaf after a problem about three years ago, which I'll put in a spoiler box, to protect those of a delicate disposition.

I urgently felt the need to pee all the time, and even after I stopped peeing and was still standing in front of a urinal, I still felt I needed to pee. I was travelling all over the country at the time, often squirming in my seat looking for the next layby.

I switched to decaf completely and didn't drink energy drinks, and that problem went away immediately. However, I had a headache for twenty-four hours. I can't say caffeine, or the lack of it, has ever affected my energy levels, and when I gave it up I never felt any cravings. But I love coffee, and I am now careful about throwing some decafs in there.
 
I drink probably four or five proper coffees a day, and from midday throw in a few decaf coffees. After about 5 o'clock I only drink decaf. I started drinking decaf after a problem about three years ago, which I'll put in a spoiler box, to protect those of a delicate disposition.

I urgently felt the need to pee all the time, and even after I stopped peeing and was still standing in front of a urinal, I still felt I needed to pee. I was travelling all over the country at the time, often squirming in my seat looking for the next layby.

I switched to decaf completely and didn't drink energy drinks, and that problem went away immediately. However, I had a headache for twenty-four hours. I can't say caffeine, or the lack of it, has ever affected my energy levels, and when I gave it up I never felt any cravings. But I love coffee, and I am now careful about throwing some decafs in there.
Wow i drink about 4 pints of coffee before i get dressed in the morning, i think im on my 7th now
 
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Lucozade in the 80s was isotonic too! Whatever that meant. But how much energy do you need for the day, a constant buzz would just exhaust you eventually, wouldn't it?
You would be suffer from adrenal fatigue—except that's not a recognized medical diagnosis, so I suppose you would just be sleep deprived instead.

I urgently felt the need to pee all the time, and even after I stopped peeing and was still standing in front of a urinal, I still felt I needed to pee. I was travelling all over the country at the time, often squirming in my seat looking for the next layby.

I switched to decaf completely and didn't drink energy drinks, and that problem went away immediately.
It sounds like you were dehydrated (it may sound like a paradox, but your pee was not dilute enough, so it irritated your, um, drainage apparatus). Caffeine is a diuretic.
 
This UK man overdosed on caffeine in January 2021, apparently as a result of miscalculating a portion. An inquest was held concerning his death this month.
Man dies from caffeine overdose after drinking equivalent of 200 cups of coffee

A man in the U.K. died from a caffeine overdose after drinking a mixture containing the caffeine equivalent of several hundred cups of coffee, according to news reports.

The 29-year-old man, Tom Mansfield, was a personal trainer who had ordered a 100 gram (3.5 oz) bag of caffeine powder to use in supplement drinks ... However, when measuring the powder on a scale, he made an error that resulted in him consuming a fatal dose of caffeine.

The recommended dose of caffeine powder was between 60 and 300 milligrams (0.002 and 0.01 oz), but the scale Mansfield used had a starting weight of 2 grams (0.07 oz), according to the BBC. This meant Mansfield ended up consuming several grams of the powder, equivalent to up to 200 cups of coffee ...

Immediately after consuming the drink on Jan. 5, 2021, Mansfield clutched his chest and said his heart was beating fast, the BBC reported. He then began foaming at the mouth, and his wife called an ambulance. Mansfield was taken to the hospital after going into cardiac arrest, and was pronounced dead later that day.

The coroner found that Mansfield had a caffeine level in his blood of 392 mg per liter. The typical caffeine level after drinking a cup of coffee is around 2 to 4 mg per liter ...
FULL STORY: https://www.livescience.com/caffeine-overdose-200-cups-of-coffee
LOCAL (WALES) ARTICLE: https://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/personal-trainer-died-after-consuming-23247277
 
Ugh, what a horrifying death that must have been. :-(
(I don't know why I am in italics)
 

Father whose son took his own life after downing 15 cans of energy drinks a day while battling depression warns they're 'as powerful an addiction as crack'


The father of a man who took his own life after an 'addiction' to energy drinks says that drinking 15 cans a day worsened his depression and turned him into a 'zombie'.

Justin Bartholomew, 25, from Newhaven, East Sussex, died in 2017 after consuming vast quantities of high-caffeine and sugary drinks, which he turned to as a coping mechanism after the breakdown of his marriage in 2015.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/...nergy-drinks-responsible-son-taking-life.html

- So, obviously, he wants them banned for everyone else.

maximus otter
 
I am definitely not well if I miss out my daily coffee.

I remember taking pro plus in addition to drinking coffee as a student in the late 80s and early 90s.

I took loads of them (I am sure I must have been overdosing on them) when I was trying to do dissertations in a hurry with a deadline coming.

I wouldn't advise it. I don't think I ever used them again after that.

I used to believe legal things were obviously harmless or they wouldn't be legally sold in shops. :oops: This was despite obvious example of the legal sale of cigarettes which are harmful. I was young/foolish.
 
I mostly write commercially for a living these days.
I wouldn't be able to earn a crust without coffee. Lots of it.
I have a stove top pressure pot, a cafetiere, and a pour over thingy for a mug to take a paper filter. I also have these wee coffee bags you fill yourself.
I buy beans in large quantities and grind as I need them. Haven't yet roasted beans myself. (Fnar!)
I recently learned about the temperature control elements of the stove top pot that have made a huge difference to flavour.
I have three proper does per day.
A good bucket mug of cafetiere brew in the morning. A half mug of espresso about 11 and a cappuccino type thing before 3.
And I sleep like a labrador!
 
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