Addicted to Decaf?

A little edgy this morning? Might have nothing to do with the meeting you're late for, and everything to do with the fact that you skipped your decaf.

Yes, decaf. That supposedly non-octane drink can contain enough caffeine to boost your mood, wake you up, help you concentrate -- and make you cranky without it. Three 8-ounce servings (about two mugs full) can contain as much as 21 milligrams (mg). That's enough to get you hooked. (But it's a lot less than one of us YOU Docs -- Dr. Mike -- has in his six to eight cups of regular a day!)

As the caffeine-sensitive know, few decaf brews are 100% caffeine-free. Many have up to 7 mg of caffeine in 8 ounces, and an ounce of decaf espresso can wield up to 16 mg. That's not a lot, compared to what's in the usual eye-openers: 90–135 mg in 8 ounces of real coffee; 35–50 mg in 1 ounce of espresso; 40–60 mg in a can of cola; 15–50 mg in 8 ounces of tea. But caffeine is such a powerful stimulant that even small amounts can get many people hopping.

Caffeine is neither all good nor all bad. You may want to avoid it if you have abnormal heart beats, migraines, caffeine-triggered stomach upset, an anxiety disorder, or sleeping problems that are worsened by caffeine (Dr. Mike's sleep problems are made better). But its addictive power means that stopping a five-cups-a-day habit cold turkey -- even if it's decaf -- may make you sleepy, nauseous, irritable, and headachy for a few days (definitely not the spouse of the year). On the up side, coffee (generally caffeinated) cuts the risk of Alzheimer's and Parkinson's by 25% to 45% and reduces the risk of liver cancer by upwards of 40%. So if it's not bothering you otherwise, don't leave home without your decaf . . . or the high-test stuff. Your choice.