More than 2.25 billion cups of coffee are consumed in the world every day, mainly due to the benefits that caffeine provides. But what about those who seek to avoid those “benefits”? Does decaffeinated coffee have caffeine?
Most decaffeinated coffee still contains some caffeine, but it’s hard to know exactly how much, since decaffeinated coffee looks, tastes, and smells just like caffeinated coffee, and you usually don’t see caffeine levels on the screen. cup label.
But for those who are sensitive to caffeine, it can cause discomfort. So here’s how much caffeine could be hiding in your cup of decaffeinated coffee.
Does decaffeinated coffee have caffeine?
Yes, decaffeinated coffee contains some caffeine. One study pointed out That most commercially decaffeinated coffee drinks contain caffeine in varying amounts.
The ten decaffeinated coffee samples analyzed in the study indicated that caffeine levels ranged from 0 to 13.9 mg per 16 ounces. serving cup (compared to about 100 mg in a regular 8-ounce cup of coffee).
In short, the caffeine content of decaffeinated coffee varies by brand, but almost all decaffeinated coffee still contains some caffeine.
Is decaffeinated coffee a stimulant?
Decaffeinated coffee is well below the recommended daily limit for caffeine. According to the Mayo Clinic, healthy adults who do not have health problems that would be affected by caffeine You can safely consume up to 400 mg of caffeine. per day.
Since caffeine is a stimulant, decaffeinated coffee can still
For people with health problems or caffeine sensitivities, even drinking decaffeinated coffee can have significant implications. Lightly caffeinated drinks, such as decaffeinated coffee, can cause some people to get headaches, become more irritable, experience “jitters” or feel nauseous.
Should you avoid decaffeinated coffee if you want to avoid caffeine?
The variability of caffeine content in decaffeinated coffee varies between brands, so people who are very sensitive to caffeine should avoid it. For example, a 16-ounce cup of Starbucks decaffeinated coffee contains 25 mg caffeine.
If your doctor has recommended you avoid caffeine, decaffeinated coffee may not be a good solution.
Tea or decaffeinated coffee: which has more caffeine?
Decaffeinated coffee has much less caffeine than an average cup of caffeinated tea. The results of several studies on the caffeine content of tea and decaffeinated coffee reveal that an 8-ounce cup of tea steeped for five minutes contains between 34 and 51 mg of caffeine, which is significantly higher than an 8-ounce cup of decaffeinated coffee.
The caffeine content of your tea increases the longer the tea bag is steeped. So if you want to reduce the amount of caffeine in your tea by 10-20 mg, shorten the tea steeping time.
It’s worth noting that decaffeinated teas, on average, contain as much caffeine as decaffeinated coffee (depending on the brand).
Furthermore, herbal infusions do not contain any significant level of caffeine — So stick with an herbal tea if you want to reduce your caffeine intake.
