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Michael Roizen and Mehmet Oz, considered by many to be "America's favorite physicians," work together to bring their tips for a healthy ...
Read more about By Michael Roizen, M.D., and Mehmet Oz, M.D..
Addicted To Decaf?
By Michael Roizen, M.D., and Mehmet Oz, M.D.
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. 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 percent 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 with 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 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 it makes worse. (Dr. Mike's are made better with caffeine.) 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 percent to 45 percent and the risk of liver cancer by upward of 40 percent. So if it's not bothering you otherwise, don't leave home without your decaf ... or the high-test stuff. Your choice.
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The YOU Docs -- Mike Roizen and Mehmet Oz -- are authors of the best-selling "YOU: The Owner's Manual" and "YOU: On a Diet." To submit questions and find ways to grow younger and healthier, go to www.RealAge.com, the docs' online home. (c) 2008 Michael Roizen, M.D. and Mehmet Oz, M.D. Distributed by King Features Syndicate, Inc.
This news arrived on: 06/02/2008
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