Guest guest Posted June 5, 2008 Report Share Posted June 5, 2008 Friends, We are having this same discussion here in our kombucha-woods. > When we drink > tea (black or green) late at night, it will keep us awake for several > hours. Kombucha, on the other hand, has no effect on our sleep. It > does not cause us the other normal caffeine responses, like > jitteriness, hyperness, etc > I too have noticed the same thing. > that night. However with the Kombucha, I can drink it anytime, including > just before bed, with no problems. Some folks are drinking my k-tea who swear they can not and will not touch caffeine. " make me crazy " " makes me sleepy " " gives me heart palpitations " . So what really is happening to the stuff. I have read here that some folks use de-cafe tea, but when we did that we got little or no fermentation (we are at 8 days with that batch). I have been looking all around for some information on this but I can find none. I contacted GT Dave and asked them and they just said that the caffeine was " used up " in the process by the scoby. What gives? More over has this already been talked out and there is some simple answer out there we are missing. OH wise one(s) enlighten us please . Peace and Kombucha, Jen Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 5, 2008 Report Share Posted June 5, 2008 Hi, I too am very sensitive to caffeine, it will make me wide awake for about 8 hours after drinking it. However, I have no problems with kombucha. When I drink it during the daytime, it gives me extra energy, but if I drink some before bedtime, I go right to sleep, quite something for this old insomniac!!! From what I have read, the caffeine in kombucha is almost completely used up in the brewing process, however, if someone is still sensitive to the minute amount still in the tea after brewing, you can take a pan of boiling water, put the teabags in that water for about 1/2 to 1 minute, and most of the caffeine will be removed, as the caffeine is what comes out of the teabag at the onset of putting it in boiling water. Once you have done this, you can then put the teabags into the measured boiling water for your sweet tea mix, and proceed as usual. At the end of the brewing process, you will have almost 100% decaffeinated k-tea. The store bought decaffeinated teas are not recommended because the majority of companies use harsh chemicals to strip the caffeine out of the tea, which perhaps explains the problem with brewing k-tea with store bought decaffeinated teabags. Hope this was somewhat helpful. Jeani > > Friends, > We are having this same discussion here in our kombucha-woods. > > > When we drink > > tea (black or green) late at night, it will keep us awake for several > > hours. Kombucha, on the other hand, has no effect on our sleep. It > > does not cause us the other normal caffeine responses, like > > jitteriness, hyperness, etc > > > I too have noticed the same thing. > > that night. However with the Kombucha, I can drink it anytime, including > > just before bed, with no problems. > > Some folks are drinking my k-tea who swear they can not and will not touch caffeine. > " make me crazy " " makes me sleepy " " gives me heart palpitations " . So what really is happening > to the stuff. I have read here that some folks use de-cafe tea, but when we did that we got little or no > fermentation (we are at 8 days with that batch). I have been looking all around for some > information on this but I can find none. > I contacted GT Dave and asked them and they just said that the caffeine was " used up " in the > process by the scoby. What gives? More over has this already been talked out and there is > some simple answer out there we are missing. > OH wise one(s) enlighten us please . > > Peace and Kombucha, > Jen > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 6, 2008 Report Share Posted June 6, 2008 See Olmstead's post. 3 hours or so from now. Subject line reads:- Upon caffeine and green tea jenkran@... wrote: > Friends, > We are having this same discussion here in our kombucha-woods. > > >> When we drink >> tea (black or green) late at night, it will keep us awake for several >> hours. Kombucha, on the other hand, has no effect on our sleep. It >> does not cause us the other normal caffeine responses, like >> jitteriness, hyperness, etc >> > > >> I too have noticed the same thing. >> that night. However with the Kombucha, I can drink it anytime, including >> just before bed, with no problems. >> > > Some folks are drinking my k-tea who swear they can not and will not touch caffeine. > " make me crazy " " makes me sleepy " " gives me heart palpitations " . So what really is happening > to the stuff. I have read here that some folks use de-cafe tea, but when we did that we got little or no > fermentation (we are at 8 days with that batch). I have been looking all around for some > information on this but I can find none. > I contacted GT Dave and asked them and they just said that the caffeine was " used up " in the > process by the scoby. What gives? More over has this already been talked out and there is > some simple answer out there we are missing. > OH wise one(s) enlighten us please . > > Peace and Kombucha, > Jen > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 30, 2009 Report Share Posted March 30, 2009 > > http://www.jonbarron.org/baseline-health-program/2009-03-30.php > Great article, Bev. Thanks for sharing it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 31, 2009 Report Share Posted March 31, 2009 The page is gone I get a 404 error every time I try to go there. I even did a search for Caffeine on the site and it very happily gives this link, but when I click on it the blasted 404 error comes up. ??? zoe > http://www.jonbarron.org/baseline-health-program/2009-03-30.php > Peace, Love and Harmony, > Bev >  > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted April 1, 2009 Report Share Posted April 1, 2009 The page still works for me.. but here is the article for you. Caffeine: Health Benefits, Health Risks Date: 3/30/2009 Posted By: Jon Barron [image: Click here to subscribe to Jon Barron's FREE newsletter!]<http://www.jonbarron.org/newsletters/sign_up.php> Caffeine -- it's the world's most popular drug. People drink it with alcohol to ramp up the effect. They drink it after alcohol to sober up. They take it to get rid of headaches, cure cancer, and prevent Parkinson's. Then again, the state of California is looking to put warning labels on any product that contains added caffeine. So what gives -- is caffeine saint or sinner, miracle drug or prenatal nightmare? In truth, it's all of the above. The devil, as usual when it comes to natural substances, lies in the details. And that's what we're going to explore in this newsletter, the truth behind caffeine. The world's most popular drug Pure caffeine is a bitter-tasting white powder that looks a lot like cornstarch. It is moderately soluble in water at body temperature and readily soluble in boiling water. It was first isolated from coffee in 1820, after which it was quickly recognized that the mood-and-behavior-altering properties of both coffee and tea depended upon caffeine. Whether it's in the form of coffee, tea, chocolate, kola nut chewables, guarana, or yerba matte, hundreds of millions of people around the world start their days (including 90% of Americans) -- each and every day -- with a jolt of caffeine or use a jolt during the day to keep them " going. " And yet, almost no one who consumes it knows much about it. As a point of clarification, not all forms of caffeine are the same. Depending on what other alkaloids and antioxidants come with it or how it's bound with fiber, the " caffeine experience " can be quite different from beverage to beverage. Each caffeine complex actually has a different name depending on its source such as guaranine as found in guarana, mateine as found in mate, and theine as found in tea, Another point of distinction is that not all caffeine is actually caffeine. Chocolate, for example, contains theobromine, a very close relative of caffeine -- but only 1/10 as stimulating. [image: Negative Effects Caffeine] Although caffeine is not addictive in the same sense that many hard drugs can be considered addictive, it definitely affects the brain and body and stimulates them in a manner similar to the amphetamines such as cocaine. They all work by blocking adenosine's ability to slow nerve cell activity<http://ajpregu.physiology.org/cgi/content/full/284/2/R399>in preparation for sleep, and instead increase the speed of nerve cell activity and of the neuron firing in the brain. (The caffeine molecule is structurally similar to adenosine, and binds to adenosine receptors on the surface of cells without activating them -- an " antagonist " mechanism of action.) And if this were not enough by itself to keep you awake, the increased neuron firing in the brain causes the pituitary glands to release hormones that tell the adrenal glands to produce adrenaline, which gives your body a boost, so it can remain active and alert. Another effect of blocking adenosine is that it causes blood vessels in the brain to constrict, which also serves to prevent the brain and body from sleeping. (As a side note, it's probably worth mentioning that the ability of caffeine to close blood vessels in the brain is why many pain relievers contain caffeine<http://www.webmd.com/migraines-headaches/guide/triggers-caffeine>. If you have a vascular headache, the caffeine in Anacin, for example, will shut down the blood vessels, thus easing the pain.) And finally, both caffeine and cocaine increase dopamine production in the brain, so you experience a temporary " high. " Dopamine is a neurotransmitter that activates " pleasure centers " in the brain, and quite simply makes you feel " good. " Naturally, the pleasurable effect produced by dopamine manipulation plays a major role in caffeine addiction. And speaking of addiction, as I mentioned in the last paragraph, caffeine is not an addictive drug in the same sense as cocaine and/or heroin. Nevertheless, because of caffeine's role as an adenosine antagonist, anyone who consumes as little as 300 mg of caffeine a day (the equivalent of just 3 cups of drip coffee) will suffer withdrawal symptoms if they abruptly cut off their caffeine supply. The problem is that the bodies of individuals who regularly consume caffeine adapt to the continual presence of the drug<http://www.jci.org/articles/view/112280>by substantially increasing the number of adenosine receptors in the central nervous system in an attempt to compensate. This is known as the " tolerance effect. " This makes the body much more sensitive to adenosine -- and consequently less sensitive to caffeine. In effect, this forces you to consume more and more caffeine over time to get the same stimulatory effect. On the other hand, any reduction in caffeine intake will effectively increase the normal physiological effects of adenosine because of the increased number of receptor sites, resulting in unwelcome withdrawal symptoms including fatigue, depression, irritability, tremors, jumpiness, not to mention deprivation of deep sleep<http://www.jonbarron.org/heart-health-program/12-03-2007.php>, and, of course, headaches, as the blood vessels in the brain begin to once again dilate. Caffeine facts [image: Problems Energy Drinks]Thanks to the popularity of energy drinks, caffeine is now omnipresent, but its level of concentration can vary widely. A piece of chocolate may contain as little as 5mg, whereas some energy drinks may contain as much as 160 mg. And for that matter, some medications and diet pills can run as high as 200 mg of caffeine. Buzz city!!! One of the major problems with caffeine is that it can severely impact sleep patterns. Yes, if you have a morning cup of coffee, 75% of it will clear your body by the time you go to bed. But if you have a couple of cups of drip coffee in the morning, that means you will still be going to sleep with some 50 mg still percolating in your veins -- more than enough to disrupt the depth and quality of your sleep. And if you drink coffee throughout the day, or as an afternoon pick-me-up, the level in your blood at bedtime will climb dramatically. So while, yes, you may yet fall asleep, it is likely the quality of that sleep will not be up to par<http://www.jonbarron.org/heart-health-program/12-03-2007.php> .. Another problem is that caffeine is a diuretic and can dehydrate you. Some experts claim that the fluid you consume in drinking coffee or energy drinks more than compensates for the fluid you lose through extra urination, but the facts don't bear that out. Claims to the contrary are based on erroneous studies on dehydration and misleading sound bites<http://www.jonbarron.org/baseline-health-program/04-14-2008.php> .. Caffeine and alcohol don't mix<http://media.www.quchronicle.com/media/storage/paper294/news/2005/04/27/Life\ styles/Studies.Show.That.Combining.Caffeine.And.Alcohol.Can.Have.Harmful.Effects\ -939144.shtml>-- either while drinking, or for sobering up after drinking. The problem is that caffeine is a stimulant, whereas alcohol is a depressant -- complete opposites. That means that caffeine doesn't negate the effects of alcohol; it only makes you " think " it does. Consuming caffeine creates the impression that you're getting sharper and more sober. But the truth is your reaction time and judgment are still impaired. Mixing alcohol and caffeine make you more likely to have accidents -- either in your car or while operating heavy machinery. There is also the problem that there are at least 32 epidemiological studies of caffeine<http://www.oehha.ca.gov/prop65/CRNR_notices/state_listing/pdf/dart09070\ 7_5.pdf>that have found an increased risk of adverse developmental or reproductive outcomes. To put that in layman's terms, studies have linked caffeine to both lowered birth weight and a significant increase in birth defects<http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/01/080121080402.htm> .. And caffeine is a growing problem for kids. The consumption of soft drinks by children has literally doubled in the past 35 years, with soda replacing milk. A 2003 study of Columbus, Ohio middle schoolers found some taking in an astounding 800 milligrams of caffeine a day<http://health.usnews.com/usnews/health/articles/070415/23caffeine.htm>-- more than twice the recommended maximum for adults of 300 milligrams. And that was in 2003, before the energy drink craze hit full bore. With the advent of energy drinks in the last five years, those numbers have only grown. So how much caffeine is too much? According to the Mayo Clinic<http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/caffeine/NU00600>, for most adults, moderate doses of caffeine -- 200 to 300 milligrams (mg), or about two to four cups of brewed coffee a day -- aren't harmful. But heavy use -- more than 500 to 600 mg a day, or about four to seven cups of coffee -- can cause a whole host of problems, including: [image: Problems Caffeine] - Insomnia - Nervousness - Restlessness - Irritability - Nausea or other gastrointestinal problems - Fast or irregular heartbeat - Muscle tremors - Headaches - Anxiety Caffeine and the law There's a popular song from the last 40 years that goes, " I fought the law, and the law won. " When it comes to caffeine and caffeinated drinks, that may turn out to be remarkably prescient. A couple of years ago, the State of California announced that state environmental health officials were considering whether or not the caffeine found in soda and energy drinks was harmful to your health, especially for pregnant women. In addition, the California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment is considering placing warning labels on caffeine enhanced drinks if California Health Officials actually conclude that caffeine is a harmful substance. And if that were not enough, the State of Utah announced earlier this month that they are considering taxing caffeine<http://www.nbclosangeles.com/around_town/dining/Lawmaker-Jolts-Utah-Wit\ h-Caffeine-Tax-Proposal.html>as a new stream of revenue for the state. Make no mistake -- whether either of these initiatives ever goes live or not is irrelevant. The bottom line is that caffeine is now in legislative crosshairs around the world. Europe already requires a warning label on high caffeine energy drinks, and France actually has banned Red Bull<http://www.beveragedaily.com/Industry-Markets/Drinks-with-caffeine-need-war\ ning-labels-study> .. Caffeine -- the miracle drug? So much for the negatives. Caffeine also has a bright side. At least six studies have shown that people who drink coffee on a regular basis are up to 80% less likely to develop Parkinson's<http://www.bmj.com/cgi/content/extract/320/7248/1492/a?maxtoshow= & HI\ TS=10 & hits=10 & RESULTFORMAT= & fulltext=coffee+parkinson & searchid=1 & FIRSTINDEX=0 & re\ sourcetype=HWCIT>, with three studies showing the more they drink, the lower the risk. Other research has shown that drinking coffee can reduce the risk of colon and liver cancer <http://www.medpagetoday.com/Gastroenterology/ColonCancer/518>by some 25%, slash the risk of skin cancer <http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,500924,00.html>by some 40%, drop the risk of liver cirrhosis<http://www.webmd.com/mental-health/alcohol-abuse/news/20060612/coffee-\ might-curb-alcoholic-cirrhosis>by 22%, and lower the risk of gallstones<http://grande.nal.usda.gov/ibids/index.php?mode2=detail & origin=ibids_\ references & therow=614392>by nearly half. Coffee might even offset some of the damage caused by other vices. Some research indicates that people who smoke and are heavy drinkers have less heart disease<http://www.jonbarron.org/heart-health-program/heart_health_program.php>a\ nd liver damage when they regularly consume large amounts of coffee compared to those who don't. There's also some evidence that coffee may help manage asthma<http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11687099>and even control attacks when medication is unavailable, stop a headache, boost mood, and even prevent cavities<http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2002/03/020307074142.htm> .. And of course, caffeine is widely used for its stimulating and alertness properties, as well as its ability to enhance athletic performance. Note: not all of the benefits associated with drinking coffee or tea can necessarily be attributed to caffeine. In many cases, they might be specific to the antioxidants<http://www.jonbarron.org/anti-aging-program/03-01-2004.php>found in those beverages (see below). So, caffeine yes -- caffeine no? As I mentioned at the top of the newsletter, when it comes to caffeine, the devil is in the details. With that in mind, let me offer my recommendations. - Natural caffeine is preferable to " added " caffeine. Natural caffeine comes packaged with a number of powerful antioxidants such as: - *Chocolate*: flavonoids, procyanidins, epicatechin, cocoa phenols. - *Tea*: epigallocatechin, epicatechin gallate, and epicatechin. Not to mention theanine<http://www.amazing-green-tea.com/theanine-health-benefits.html>, which is not an antioxidant, but rather, a profoundly beneficial amino acid. - *Coffee*: chlorogenic acid, caffeic acid<http://www.cosic.org/coffee-and-health/antioxidants>, and melanoidins <http://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/jf025686o>. - The Mayo Clinic says under 300 mg a day is fine. I set the figure much lower -- at about 100 mg a day. That still allows for 3 cups of green tea a day. The exception to this guideline is that if you take your caffeine bound to fiber, as in guarana (not guarana extract), the caffeine releases over time rather than in powerful bursts, which allows you to consume more without the negative side effects. - Don't use caffeine as part of a daily ritual such as " every morning " to start the day. Use it selectively, if possible, to get a boost only when needed. And take at least two days off each week -- totally caffeine free -- to allow all caffeine to clear from your body on a weekly basis. - And as much as possible avoid consuming caffeine while pregnant. Incidentally, one of the reasons for this newsletter is that this past month has been Caffeine Awareness Month<http://www.gazette.net/stories/03192009/laurnew111612_32485.shtml>. And speaking of caffeine awareness, check out the caffeine calculator<http://www.caffeineawareness.org/calcu.php>at CaffeineAwareness.org, which will calculate how much caffeine you personally are consuming each day. On Tue, Mar 31, 2009 at 12:47 PM, zoe w <mtnwalker2b@...> wrote: > The page is gone I get a 404 error every time I try to go there. I even > did a search for Caffeine on the site and it very happily gives this link, > but when I click on it the blasted 404 error comes up. ??? > > zoe > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted May 20, 2009 Report Share Posted May 20, 2009 So far as I recall Gudrun, Green tea, white tea and black tea are all made from Camelia sinensis (Posh for common or garden Tea plant). Equally, I'm not aware that caffeine *is* a requirement for Kombucha. No doubt ye Gurus will keep you right, but methinks that there's, probably, no reason not to use any " de-caff " tea ( Not to be confused with " Caffeine -free " such as Rooibos, which ain't a " proper tea " ) tho' I often bung in 1/3 Rooi :2/3 tea seems to make a handsome SCOBY. HTH . (UK) ________________________________ From: gudrun45 <gudrun.schindler@...> kombucha tea Sent: Wednesday, 20 May, 2009 17:15:51 Subject: caffeine I understand that one has to use regular tea to make Kombucha. However, Gunther states on his website that herbal tea can be used. Herbal tea generally does not have caffeine. So would it be okay to use teas from Celestial Seasonings, for example or decaffeinated green tea? Thanks, Gudrun ------------------------------------ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted May 21, 2009 Report Share Posted May 21, 2009 I was looking for info on caffeine in kombucha recently, and one website -- can't find it again -- said that the content in kombucha is about as low as decaf coffee. However, I'm not sure if that was THEIR kombucha or KT i general. I also found this: <<Getting Rid of Caffeine All teas, black green and white, contain caffeine. If you are concerned about the amount of caffeine in your tea or in your kombucha you can get rid of much of the it by pre-steeping the tea. Caffeine is highly soluble, so usually 80% of the tea's caffeine content is released from the leaf within the first 20 to 30 seconds of steeping. You can have virtually caffeine-free tea, without sacrificing much flavour, by discarding the water after the first 30 to 60 seconds of steeping and adding fresh hot water to the now-decaffeinated leaf. This will not affect the flavonoid content of the tea. Flavonoids develop over a period of minutes. Steeping the tea for five minutes or more will allow the flavonoids to develop. http://www.seedsofhealth.co.uk/fermenting/kombucha_teas.shtml>> I would imagine that if you're concerned about the strength of the tea, you could use an extra bag or two to make up for what you chuck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 16, 2010 Report Share Posted March 16, 2010 Hi, Kathleen...cannot even drink green tea after 4 oclock,i toss and turn, but KT i can sleep on...Jahjet > > > > > > > Caffeine > Posted by: " Teresita " teretorre@... teretorre > Mon Mar 15, 2010 1:36 am (PDT) > > > Norman, I posted my caffeine test results a few weeks ago. Do a search on the messages site. > > Basically the results are this. If your original tea has caffeine in > it, then your KT will have the same amount. The scoby does nothing to > caffeine in the tea. > > Teresita > I am very sensitive to caffeine and would never be able to go to sleep and stay asleep if I drink caffeine in the late afternoon or evening, not even a cup of black tea or quality high cocoa content chocolate. But I can drink KT before bed and sleep uninterrupted all night. This makes me think that the caffeine test strips may not be accurate. In my earlier research on KT before I started drinking it I found studies that the caffeine had been consumed and converted by the Scoby leaving little caffeine in the finished KT. Can anyone add to this subject of caffeine and KT? > > Kathleen > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 16, 2010 Report Share Posted March 16, 2010 Hi, Kathleen...cannot even drink green tea after 4 oclock,i toss and turn, but KT i can sleep on...Jahjet > > > > > > > Caffeine > Posted by: " Teresita " teretorre@... teretorre > Mon Mar 15, 2010 1:36 am (PDT) > > > Norman, I posted my caffeine test results a few weeks ago. Do a search on the messages site. > > Basically the results are this. If your original tea has caffeine in > it, then your KT will have the same amount. The scoby does nothing to > caffeine in the tea. > > Teresita > I am very sensitive to caffeine and would never be able to go to sleep and stay asleep if I drink caffeine in the late afternoon or evening, not even a cup of black tea or quality high cocoa content chocolate. But I can drink KT before bed and sleep uninterrupted all night. This makes me think that the caffeine test strips may not be accurate. In my earlier research on KT before I started drinking it I found studies that the caffeine had been consumed and converted by the Scoby leaving little caffeine in the finished KT. Can anyone add to this subject of caffeine and KT? > > Kathleen > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted December 4, 2010 Report Share Posted December 4, 2010 This is an article about how caffeine and cortisol interact, in very simple and easily understood terms not a medical paper http://www.cheeseslave.com/2010/12/03/30-reasons-to-quit-coffee/?utm_source=feed\ burner & utm_medium=email & utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Cheeseslave+%28CHEESESLAVE%29 & utm_c\ ontent=%21+Mail love janet Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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