Coffee

[Maisiepaisie]

I normally buy decaf tea and coffee but recently I was told that the process of decaffeination involves chemicals which make it more harmful than tea and coffee with caffeine. There is a method of decaffeination using CO2. Is it safe to assume that organic tea and coffee would use this method rather than harmful chemicals?

[Pob]

I'm pretty sure CO2 is the usual method - certainly for coffee.

[Antonia]

I can't answer your question Maisiepaisie, but I think it's a damn good one! I too drink decaff, and would be interested to find out more. I generally try not to drink it too much and have herbal teas when I can. Sometimes though, it's just gotta be a creamy soyamilk coffee to hit the spot.

[VeganJohn]

I would be interested in finding more about this too. I don't drink much tea and coffee, but I am really sensitive to caffeine, so try to avoid it.

Maisiepaisie makes a damn fine cup of tea I'd like to add!!

[Tigerlily]

I know they make coffee subsitutes, made from chickory and other plants--which are naturally caffeine free. I haven't had any before but they look quite interesting. Maybe you could look into those if the decaf methods bother you?

[applecrumble]

I believe there is also a water method of decaffeinating. There are about 100 things in coffee which affect you, xanthines I think. I find the decaff still affects my mood and concentration.

You can by chicory in instant powder and sometimes in roast form. It's more bitter than coffee but nice mixed with it.

[Antonia]

Clippers Organic Decaffeinated Freeze-Dried Arabica Coffee (Fairtrade). Glass jar, green top, available in most supermarkets.

"Organically grown and decaffeinated without the use of harmful chemicals is produced by fairtrade registered farmers..."

[Pob]

I drink that one
And Clippers organic decaf tea - annoyingly I can't find a decaf fairtrade one

[Maisiepaisie]

I drink that one
And Clippers organic decaf tea - annoyingly I can't find a decaf fairtrade one

I buy Teadirect decaf which is fairtrade. You can buy it at Tesco. I could only find one though that was fairtrade, decaf and organic but it was too expensive, £2.59 for 40 teabags. I think that was Clippers.

I rarely drink coffee and after doing some research it seems that chemical methods are not used for tea. Thats a relief as I drink about 10 cups per day

[fiamma]

My only real vice is coffee. I never eat sweets or sugar, and rarely touch cakes, biccies or alcohol. But I love coffee! Probably the "ritual" of it as much as the drink itself. But I have a few questions:

I have read that coffee inhibits the absorption of nutrients. What is then considered a "safe" daily intake of coffee?
Stephen Walsh talks about homocysteine levels and mentions these may be raised by drinking "unfiltered" black coffee. What does that mean exactly? Does it include espresso/stovetop coffee machine made coffees? And where does instant coffee fit it into it all? And on the subject of instant coffee - is it vegan?
Sorry for so many questions all in one - thanks all.

[absentmindedfan]

As far as I know it's the caffeine in coffee that inhibits the absorption of iron and various vitamins. De-caf is fine as far as I know.

I would say more than 3 cups a day would be excessive, but I don't know the exact figures.

[Tigerlily]

I heard you shouldn't have more than 8 cups of coffee, but I think that's just because of a caffeine "overdose" and not the absorption of nutrients. I heard from another site that you shouldn't drink coffee or tea within an hour of eating.

[fiamma]

I love your photos absentmindedfan! I think you have a great eye for photography

[absentmindedfan]

Wow thankyou *blushes*

[snaffler]

Never drink any caffine based drink after a meal it will kill every vitamin and mineral, try to keep cafine based drinks low as possible if you can I would say 4 cups tops.

[absentmindedfan]

Love your avatar you crazy bumpkin

[Gal]

I keep caffeine in coffee form for the treatment of headaches, for easing the airways if they should happen to feel a bit tighter than is meant to be normal and if I get really tired but have to stay awake for a long time, then a cup of coffee gives me those extra hours I need to keep alert. Other than that, caffeine is no earthly good as a natural treatment if you drink it habitually, which ofcourse, is not good for you for the reasons already said by the others.

[fiamma]

Love your avatar you crazy bumpkin

I'm with you there! Is that really you jaydog? If so what's it like to hold a fox? What an amazing experience...

[fiamma]

Thanks for all your responses, I really appreciate it

[herbwormwood]

depends how strong you drink it.
The more caffiene in it, the less cups you need. It can also contribute to the development of osteoporosis (thinning bones) and anaemia.
Remember tea and many soft drinks contains caffiene too.

[Wildflower]

I have been hearing a lot lately about the health benefits of coffee. Coffee beans are loaded with anti-oxidents and scientists are now saying it offers some health benefits if you drink it daily.

I would assume this applies to fresh (non-instant) coffee (noone really drinks instant here in america, allthough it is widely popular in the rest of the world). i would buy organic fair trade coffee and grind the beans before use.

Some health benefits I have heard and some are also included in the below articles -

reduced risk of type 2 diabetes (6cups per day reduced risk in men by 54%, women 30%)
reduced risk of liver damage and improved liver function
reduced risk of gallstones
reduced risk of parkinson's disease
reduced risk of colon cancer (probably because coffee has a slight laxative effect, helps prevent constipation, etc)
increased sperm mobility (and increased conception rates amongst men who drink coffee)

I have heard more... but anyway, obviously you don't want to drink so much you are shakey, drink it when you are pregnant, drink it if you react badly to it in some other way or drink it so that you feel addicted and can't skip a day with out horrible withdrawal. And yes, others are right, you want to avoid drinking it with vitamin packed foods. also, make sure you get enough water when you drink coffee to prevent dehydration.

But if you already enjoy coffee these are some added benefits.

http://www.health.harvard.edu/press_...ealth_risk.htm

http://www.webmd.com/content/Article...m?pagenumber=1

[Tigerlily]

I also think what people put into their coffees makes it "bad". Some people put so much cream and sugar, you can't even taste the coffee!

[Pilaf]

I'd say more than a single cup of caffeinated coffee per day is probably stretching it.

[tabitha]

If you listen to the experts, who knows what is too much of anything these days!. I dont drink coffee at home or my other jobs (I drink Barley Cup, herb teas or Rooibush tea), but when I work at the gym there is a coffee machine and when Im bored I will drink about 3 of those little plastic cups full of black coffee. I feel that is too much for my body. Perhaps we just have to individually make up our own minds because the so called experts change theres so often.

[Maisiepaisie]

I only just discovered Barley Cup and I love it! I drink it all the time now instead of tea and coffee.

[speedylemons]

Maisiepaisie i like the guinea pig .


I rarely drink coffee.. most of the time it's water or tea.. but really it is mostly water, which i'm pretty proud of.


However, this hangover just will not quit so i'm going to go hook up the coffee IV. Haha

[DoveInGreyClothing]

As long as you have it seperately from meals it won't inhibit nutrient absorbtion too much I believe.

After 2 cups I get the shakes... thats my limit.

I used to live on the stuff though, fags and milky sugary coffee and cheesy pasta used to be my staple diet in the bad old days! Once you quit it, you become sensitive to the caffeine more than you were before. These days its herbal tea all the way and I only have a coffee once a week or less.

[Tiggerwoo]

Yep I'd second that. I actually gave up normal tea and coffee about 8 months ago, but I do have a vice for Green and Blacks hot choccie!

[speedylemons]

oo black hot chocolate sounds good.

[DoveInGreyClothing]

I'm addicted to Yogi Choco tea these days- yummy!

[eve]

If you want to bring someone around to your way of thinking, you should make sure they have a cup of coffee in their hand, according to research showing that caffeine makes us more open to persuasion.

You can read the article in full, from ABC Science on-line here:
http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems...5/s1627955.htm

[fiamma]

Thanks for that Eve Fascinating stuff!

[Wildflower]

Wow - that is so interesting. Thanks Eve!

[veganwitch]

I rarely, if ever drink coffee. Having said that I bought 1/2 lb of it the other day. LOL! I recently had a cup at someone's house of a blend of french roast, columbian, and breakfast. It was so good. No bitterness or after taste. I drank it black. So I had this craving to make a mix of those 3. I'll only buy fair trade though.

I find I turn to coffee when I am under tremendous stress. Last time I went through a horrible time I couldn't eat and just drank a ton of coffee and I could hear the blood pounding in my ear. It was so loud and unbearable. It was awful.

I am addicted to tea, no doubt. I always knew it inhibited iron absorption but I didn't know it had the same effect on all other vitamins and minerals. I drink tea will all food and meals. On an average day I have at least 6-8 cups of tea (not talking tea cups either, but big mugs). After reading this thread I've been thinking about it and last night with dinner I had Cafix (barley drink) instead. I think it's more that I need a hot drink with my meals than anything else.

But if I go all day without my regular tea, by late afternoon I have a headache. As soon as I drink some tea, it goes away. Last year I did a 3-4 day detox off caffeine, but then I had some hot chocolate and never looked back.

[Bluey]

Well...the limit (warning on label) for energy drinks is two per day, they claim to have the same amount of caffeine as coffee. So is it the caffeine or the other stuff that makes coffee bad?

[Gal]

It's the caffeine when used habitually whether it be one or a dozen times in a day. Habitually pulls down the pure caffeine in any medication to actual non-effect or very severe opposite reaction in most cases.

[Bluey]

http://www.abc.net.au/health/library/caffeine_ff.htm

It has just about all the answers...
I know I have some of the withdrawal symptoms if I don't get my fix in the mornings

[Wishin986]

When I drink coffee (I stopped for a really long time but have recently started drinking it again at work to keep me awake and help get through the day but I suppose I could always take a little walk for Oolong Tea instead) I always drink it black. No creamers, not sugar, nothing! Same with tea - just straight.

How do you all drink your coffe and/or tea?

[assilembob]

I have to have "late" style coffee. I hate the taste...

Tea I never add to. I like it straight and if it's not good straight I don't drink that variety. I usually drink herbal blends though so my black and green teas are flavored with fruits and flowers usually...

[absentmindedfan]

Decaf, small amount of sugar and with soya milk.

With herbal teas I just have a tiny amount of sugar.

[wilson]

coffee - always black, always from the Ottawa fair trade mini-chain 'Bridgehead'. I used to have many many sugars, then I got down to none at all, now I waver around 1.5 -2 spoons (in a large coffee). Organic brown sugar too

tea, I only drink herbal, like mint or 'Sleepytime' (from I think Celestial Seasonings) which is a combo of chamomile and some other floral looking stuff. No soy milk or sugar in herbal tea, of course

[Tigerlily]

I used to take my coffee black before I went vegan because I hated the way milk tasted in coffee. But since going vegan, I started having it with soy milk and it's much tastier.

I used to take my tea with milk and lots of sugar (3-4 tsp). Since going vegan, I stopped using the milk and cut down on the sugar (about 1-2 tsp). Sometimes I might have it with soy milk if I feel like milky tea but it's not the same.

I don't add any sugar to my herbal teas.

[Limey]

Don't drink coffee - not "allowed" to.

The only tea I'm allowed to drink is green tea. I usually just like it with some "honey". When I used to drink all kinds of tea I would drink it with milk. I thought everyone did that until I found out otherwise in college.

[Tigerlily]

Why aren't you allowed?

[Limey]

Tannic acid in coffee and tea - I have to be careful of ulcers. Same with soda, which is why I don't drink that anymore and consequently no carbonated drinks. I'm afraid if I get back on them, I will be a soda addict again.
Hmm, I can have herbal teas, I just usually don't bother. I stick to my green tea.

[rianaelf]

Coffee with So Good and tea <green or herbal> on its own

[foxytina_69]

i drink coffee black w/ 1/2 - 1 teaspoon of sugar.

teas i drink plain w/ 1/2 - 1 teaspoon of sugar depending on how strong it is.

[Tigerlily]

Tannic acid in coffee and tea - I have to be careful of ulcers. Same with soda, which is why I don't drink that anymore and consequently no carbonated drinks. I'm afraid if I get back on them, I will be a soda addict again.
Hmm, I can have herbal teas, I just usually don't bother. I stick to my green tea.

Ahh okay.

[cedarblue]

coffee:
either decaf latte with soy milk and a syrup flavour
black decaf espresso with sugar

tea:
only decaf earl grey with a little soy milk
fruit teas, fennel, peppermint, tranquility, yogi spice teas

[Cherry]

I prefer my tea and coffee with soya milk but am fine drinking it black. I always go for Earl Grey if poss when there's no milk. No sugar, unless it's in bitter coffee and I need an extra pick-me-up.