fluffball said:
Depends on the decaff coffee you happen to be drinking. As I said, the University of Florida scientifically measured a Starbucks decaff espresso shot as almost 16mg. One decaff latte would be 30+ - and 4 decaff lattes in a day would be 120+ mg. I don't consider that to be a tiny amount!
From the report:
"One has to wonder if decaf coffee has enough, just enough, caffeine to stimulate its own taking," Gold said. "Certainly, large cups and frequent cups of decaf would be expected to promote dependence and should be contraindicated in those whose doctors suggested caffeine-free diets."
And even moderate caffeine levels can increase agitation, anxiety, heart rate and blood pressure in some susceptible individuals, Goldberger said.
"Carefully controlled studies show that caffeine doses as low as about 10 milligrams can produce reliable subjective and behavioral effects in sensitive individuals," said Roland Griffiths, Ph.D., a professor of behavioral biology and neuroscience at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. "More than 30 percent can discriminate the subjective effects of 18 milligrams or less. The present study shows that many decaffeinated coffee drinks deliver caffeine at doses above these levels.
"The important point is that decaffeinated is not the same as caffeine-free," Griffiths added. "People who are trying to eliminate caffeine from their diet should be aware that popular espresso drinks such as lattes (which contain two shots of espresso) can deliver as much caffeine as a can of Coca-Cola - about 31 milligrams."
link to the full report on the research: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/20 ... 185602.htm
As for whether or not it will affect you - well, all these studies show that caffeine is associated with a higher risk of miscarriage, NOT a definite outcome. The study this week shows that if you don't consume caffeine at all, you have a 12% risk of miscarriage. Up to 200mg, you have a 15% risk. >200mg, you have a 25% risk.
That means that 3 out of 4 women who drink normal tea, several lattes, 6 cans of cola and eat chocolate every day will still have a healthy pregnancy.
It also means that if you have one small normal latte, a couple of decaff lattes, or a couple of cups of tea a day, every day, you will see your risk increase by only 3%. I bet your risk increases by more than that after a stressful day in the office, or an argument with your husband/partner!
Personally, I would avoid caffeine on a daily basis, but that wouldn't stop me having the odd hot chocolate/green tea/decaff latte if I wanted. As with all things, it's a question of moderation.
What I'd be REALLY interested in seeing is research into caffeine and conception - a couple of friends of mine who are doctors are sure that caffeine somehow reduces female fertility, but they don't have the facts to back it up. My doctor also told me to avoid caffeine whilst TTC, whereas he told me to reduce alcohol consumption.
Really refreshing and good for you!
