[sharpstick]

my wife has an unpleasant jittery reaction to too much caffeine. her heart also gets palpitations.
so she brews her own decaf on weekends. (she doesn't bother during the week.)
she has found that costa rican coffee tends to bother her less, so we have been trying to mix about 60% decaf with 40% regular. she also has found that L-Theanine supplement neutralizes the unpleasant effects, but not the energy high itself. so now we can share the same pot of coffee! i've been mixing mine half and half anyway so i can drink more without overamping on the caffeine. (although my tolerance is much higher, and not particularly unpleasant, but i get cranking on several cups of full strength!)
L-Theanine is a naturally occurring substance in tea. this explains why tea caffeine is milder than coffee.

i hope this might help anyone else who gets caffeine jitters or other side effects.

and can anyone explain why CR coffee might be milder than others? or suggest other coffees that might also be that way?

[Austin]

I have no clue, but thanks for the info.

[SusanMart]

I can't help you with this, but does she drink tea?

The reason I ask is because there's even more caffeine in tea than in coffee sometimes.... so am just curious

[sharpstick]

Originally Posted by SusanMart

I can't help you with this, but does she drink tea?

The reason I ask is because there's even more caffeine in tea than in coffee sometimes.... so am just curious

yes she does, and has no unpleasant reaction to it.
i've always thought that tea generally has less caffeine than coffee.
and research seems to bear that out:
How Much Caffeine in Drinks -- Coffee, Tea, Soft Drinks -- Caffeine Content
several other sites confirmed this. apparently tea leaves have more caffeine per weight than beans, but in the final liquid beverage forms coffee has roughly 3 times more caffeine than tea per volume.

[Austin]

Thanks for the link. I was surprised that different beverages made by the same company have varying caffeine content.

[SusanMart]

Thanks, Sharpstick for the link.
I wasn't aware that the consistency of caffeine in final beverages differs from consistency in beans and leaves)
Thanks

[costaricacoffee]

Originally Posted by sharpstick

my wife has an unpleasant jittery reaction to too much caffeine. her heart also gets palpitations.
so she brews her own decaf on weekends. (she doesn't bother during the week.)
she has found that costa rican coffee tends to bother her less, so we have been trying to mix about 60% decaf with 40% regular. she also has found that L-Theanine supplement neutralizes the unpleasant effects, but not the energy high itself. so now we can share the same pot of coffee! i've been mixing mine half and half anyway so i can drink more without overamping on the caffeine. (although my tolerance is much higher, and not particularly unpleasant, but i get cranking on several cups of full strength!)
L-Theanine is a naturally occurring substance in tea. this explains why tea caffeine is milder than coffee.

might help anyone else who gets caffeine jitters or other side effects.

And can anyone explain why CR coffee might be milder than others? or suggest other coffees that might also be that way?

I hope this response is timely, i am still doing the rounds looking for interesting topics in all the areas of the forum.

I think i can shed some light on the issue. First of all coffee that grows grows between 3,500 and 6,000 feet of altitude has less caffeine. It has a lot to do with the type of tree that grows in that range.

Now, specifically about Costa Rican, the reason is that most of Costa Rica is in that range of altitude, so the costa rican coffee can be said to have less caffeine than other countries with a wider range of altitudes.

One of the issues with regular coffee in the world is that it is blended with ROBUSTA beans so it has a lot more caffeine than it should. The Robusta bean is a low cost filler, designed to add bulk to a blend without bringing any particular characteristics of aroma and flavor.

One of the downfalls of Robusta is that it packs a lot more caffeine than the Arabica bean, so by blending with higher percentages of Robusta, companies are literally bringing in more caffeine to the equation, and believe me, there are companies in the USA blending with 97% of Robusta beans. RULE OF THUMB: the more commercial the coffee the greater the possibilities of a higher caffeine content. GOSSIP: Maxwell House is the largest buyer of Robusta beans in the whole world.

On the other hand, the finer the quality of the coffee, the greater the chances that it was picked ripe. Gourmet coffee has to be picked ripe, it is a way to guarantee the best flavor. One of the most interesting characteristics of ripe coffee is that it contains 50% less caffeine than a few weeks earlier when it was green. RULE OF THUMB: the more "gourmet" the coffee is, the lesser the caffeine content. But this rule of thumb has a disclaimer: just because it is expensive it does not mean that it is gourmet and picked ripe.

So, recommendations for a lower intake of caffeine? Buy coffee that is guaranteed to be SHB, or Strictly Hard Bean. This coffee, by definition, must grow between 4,700 and 6,000 feet of altitude. If the bag does not say SHB, then it is not.

Also, try to buy from the source. This will be your best guarantee that the coffee has not been blended. For instance, the production of Robusta beans is prohibited by law in Costa Rica, so there is no way that coffee been shipped directly to you from Costa Rica will have any Robusta beans in it.

Let me know how it goes.

Matias

[petralovescoffee]

i can send you samples for her to try? tiny caffeine but still good energy. read my blog here on CF if u wish (coffee forum). i wonder how many people on this forum drink coffee in the evening and if it causes acid indigestion ? i know when i eat really spicy stuff in the evening (like i may do tonite!), that happens to me. no need for both of you to suffer like that.

[9to5]

Originally Posted by sharpstick

yes she does, and has no unpleasant reaction to it.
i've always thought that tea generally has less caffeine than coffee.
and research seems to bear that out:
How Much Caffeine in Drinks -- Coffee, Tea, Soft Drinks -- Caffeine Content
several other sites confirmed this. apparently tea leaves have more caffeine per weight than beans, but in the final liquid beverage forms coffee has roughly 3 times more caffeine than tea per volume.

Very cool link, crazy how Mountain Dew has more caffeine than some energy drinks!!

[Civet Cat Coffee]

Individuals have different reactions to caffeine. It really depends on their health ratios. And it's true that there's more caffeine in teas and sodas. That's why some have palpitations also after drinking them.