YOUR MORNING HABIT HOLDS CHEMICAL BOMB
Coffee tests find sky-high caffeine levels
(Note from Espressotec: This is why we drink espresso Ristettos!)
By ANDRÉ PICARD
From the Globe and Mail , Canada
May 19, 2005
The gourmet coffees that Canadians seek out for their taste and purchase in dizzying quantities, contain whopping amounts of caffeine, according to research commissioned by The Globe and Mail and CTV News.
In fact, a 20-ounce jumbo cup of house blend at Starbucks or Second Cup contains almost 400 milligrams of caffeine ? the upper limit of what Health Canada says an adult can consume healthily in a day.
The gourmet java contains almost double the caffeine found in coffee served at some donut shops and gas stations. Excluding lattes, which have lower caffeine content, Java Stop served the coffee containing the least caffeine (186 mg per 20-ounce cup), followed by Country Style Donuts (232 mg.), Tim Hortons (270 mg.) and Timothy's Coffee (272 mg).
"There is absolutely a lot of caffeine in those [gourmet] coffees. There's no question of that," said Massimo Marcone, a professor of food science at the University of Guelph.
He said that, contrary to popular belief, coffee purchased in specialty shops in Canada actually packs far more of a wallop than coffee served in European cafes.
Canadians are among the biggest consumers of coffee in the world guzzling down 4.5 cups daily on average and some researchers believe the nation's love affair with coffee could result in some serious health problems.
"There are certain advantages to caffeine but, after 300 milligrams [daily intake], you start getting into health problems," Dr. Marcone said.
With cup sizes growing, and coffee being "addictive," many Canadians are easily surpassing that level daily, he said.
Ahmed El Sohemy, an assistant professor in the department of nutritional sciences at the University of Toronto, said caffeine is the "most widely used stimulant in the world."
Problems arise, he said, when people cut back. "You develop headaches, you are irritable, you seek caffeine to relieve those adverse effects," Dr. El Sohemy said.
Most scientists shy away from the term "addiction" when talking about coffee, but there is no doubt many people develop a dependence, either physical or psychological.
"Oh my God, don't even talk to me before I've had two large coffees in the morning," said Richard Maheux, sprawled out in a lounge chair at the Second Cup in Montreal's Gay Village. "The first one is more important than air, and the second is more important than water."
While Mr. Maheux was exaggerating for effect, he said his dependence on coffee is no joke. For him, eight cups of coffee daily is the norm. He likes big, strong, gourmet coffees in the morning, "because they give you a real jolt" and by evening will settle for anything, "even Tim Hortons."
Health Canada recommends that adults limit their consumption of caffeine to 400 mg daily ? the equivalent of about four small cups of coffee.
The health regulator says that because of its diuretic and stimulant properties coffee can cause insomnia, headaches, irritability and nervousness.
Yet, scientists are far from unanimous on the health impacts of coffee, and caffeine in particular. Research has shown that caffeine, a bitter white substance found in many plants, can cause spikes in blood pressure, and contribute to osteoporosis by depleting the bones of calcium. But there is also evidence that coffee drinkers are less likely to develop serious health conditions, including diabetes and Parkinson's disease.
And there is no doubt that coffee can increase alertness and happiness, phenomena commonly referred to as the caffeine buzz.
What is unclear is at what point the euphoria is replaced by a physical yearning.
But new research shows there is clearly a genetic component. Some people can clear caffeine from their system quickly and suffer few ill effects; but others, who have trouble "detoxifying" their bodies of caffeine, can suffer a host of health problems.
For them, the caffeine content of coffee is much more important.
The tests conducted for The Globe and Mail and CTV showed that the caffeine content of popular brands ranges broadly from 105 mg in a 20 oz. Starbucks latte, which is diluted with lots of milk, to 391 mg in a large Second Cup coffee.
Nursing his second coffee while reading the morning paper, Mr. Maheux said he wasn't surprised to learn that the coffee served at high-end coffee shops contains more caffeine. "That's what gives it the taste, right?"
Not exactly, but there is a connection. The dose of caffeine in a cup of coffee depends on several factors, including the type of bean, the duration of brewing and the amount of grounds used in a coffee machine.
Gourmet coffee shops use about two tablespoons of grounds for every six ounces of coffee made ? about double the amount used at a donut shop or in a home machine.
The coffee houses say their goal is better taste, not developing caffeine dependency. They also stress that even people who love their coffee are not forced to ingest caffeine. There are decaffeinated versions of all the popular brands.
Even so, research conducted in the United States shows that gourmet coffee customers are fiercely loyal. More than one in every eight patrons of gourmet coffee shops visit four or more times a week, according to the market-research firm Mintel International Group.
Is that loyalty or addiction? And, in that frequent visit to a gourmet coffee shop, are you seeking good taste or a good buzz?
Only your coffee-maker knows for sure.
With reports from Avis Favaro, CTV News medical reporter, and Jenny Wells, a CTV producer.