Coffee Substitutes

**Mr-Scruffy** · 08-15-2007, 12:09 PM

I had to cut back on my coffee consumption for medical reasons.

I have been using Green Tea for my morning jolt, and Roastarama as a coffee substitute. It tastes almost as good as instant coffee although it has a different taste.

I have read about bambu, pero, cafix, postum, and roma.

What do you folks recommend?

**DaveF** · 08-15-2007, 01:22 PM

I had to cut out coffee as well, so I switched to black tea. Still miss coffee though.

**liege** · 08-15-2007, 01:32 PM

Did you cut back on coffee because of the caffeine or the acid?

**DaveF** · 08-16-2007, 07:26 AM

Originally Posted by liege

Did you cut back on coffee because of the caffeine or the acid?

Not sure if you were asking me or the OP but I cut back for both reasons: the acid messed with my stomach, and the caffeine gave me heart palpitations. Oddly, I can drink as much black tea as I want (which has a fair amount of caffeine itself) and my heart doesn't flutter at all, but one cuppa joe and I feel like someone is in there squeezing my heart with his fist. Strange...

**Mr-Scruffy** · 08-16-2007, 11:18 AM

I had to cut back because it was very acidic. It blocks the homeopathic medicine that I am taking. It is a weird property of the coffee acid.

The acidity also keeps the body in a disease state. It seems that cancer, viruses, parasites, and inflammation all like acidity.

**ScottS** · 08-16-2007, 11:38 AM

It can't be anywhere near as acid as the natural environment in your stomach.

**RichGem** · 08-16-2007, 12:21 PM

I too have dropped the coffee in the morning due to stomach issues. I've switched, at least for now to Yerba Mate... still getting my morning jolt of caffeine, but it's not as rough on an empty stomach as coffee was getting to be. Also, it's reported to be loaded with anti-oxidants and vitamins.

**SP Log Dog** · 10-27-2008, 02:46 AM

I was watching "Good Eats", and one reason tea may not give you problems is that it has some polyphenols that increase the time it takes to absorb or process caffiene.

**ECOSSE** · 10-27-2008, 05:04 AM

Originally Posted by RichGem

I too have dropped the coffee in the morning due to stomach issues. I've switched, at least for now to Yerba Mate... still getting my morning jolt of caffeine, but it's not as rough on an empty stomach as coffee was getting to be. Also, it's reported to be loaded with anti-oxidants and vitamins.

+!

I switched to Yerba, then now I drink the unsmoked Yerba as I get more for the money.

**Mr Mockett** · 10-27-2008, 06:34 AM

I'm not a huge fan of Yerba, but I've heard that some people use roasted chicory as a coffee substitute.

**sehrgut** · 10-27-2008, 11:14 AM

Originally Posted by SP Log Dog

I was watching "Good Eats", and one reason tea may not give you problems is that it has some polyphenols that increase the time it takes to absorb or process caffiene.

+1. This is pretty much the accepted explanation. Caffeine is slightly basic, and large, complex organic acids can form salt-like complexes with organic bases like caffeine.

Originally Posted by Mr-Scruffy

The acidity also keeps the body in a disease state. It seems that cancer, viruses, parasites, and inflammation all like acidity.

Originally Posted by ScottS

It can't be anywhere near as acid as the natural environment in your stomach.

That's entirely true, ScottS. Mr Scruffy, whatever you've been told about "becoming acidic" and "pH therapy" is entirely bunk, and can be safely discarded. Your body fluids are maintained at very precise pH levels by the body, because even minor changes are deadly. pH-therapy charlatans routinely diagnose people with body pHs of 6.0 and below. The only way your blood could get that acidic is if you were dead and had been for some time.

I've actually researched and explained this topic before, and you can read the explanation (prepared for another discussion group) at blinkstwice.com.

Edit: I'm not even going to touch the homeopathy stuff, but "it works because it's actually not really there in any detectable quantity" just doesn't float my boat . . .

**ouch** · 10-27-2008, 05:47 PM

Originally Posted by sehrgut

I'm not even going to touch the homeopathy stuff, but "it works because it's actually not really there in any detectable quantity" just doesn't float my boat . . .

I have a nutty friend (one of many) who believes in that gibberish. I tell her she has my blessing to buy as many homeopathic products as she wants, but only if pays with money that has been similarly diluted. Not surprisingly, the charlatans complain if you attempt to pay with only the "essence" of cash.

**rkowalick** · 10-28-2008, 01:07 PM

While Homeopathic medicine (usually) isn't legimate pharmacologically, there have been studies done on accupuncture vs. legit pain meds for treating chronic back pain. The study found that accupuncture worked quite well, better, in fact, than the legit pain meds, but it had nothing to do with whether the accupuncture was done properly or not. The power of suggestion is a very strong force, and if someone believes something will help them, do not doubt its efficacy.

**chickpea** · 10-28-2008, 02:09 PM

Originally Posted by Mr-Scruffy

I had to cut back on my coffee consumption for medical reasons.

What do you folks recommend?

Crystal meth. It just works.

**sehrgut** · 10-28-2008, 02:16 PM

Originally Posted by chickpea

Crystal meth. It just works.

I recall hearing that the USAF at one time used methamphetamine in the "go pills" you see pilots taking on older military movies before long flights. Not sure the truth of those rumours, though, as I've been unable to run down true documentation.

**DrumDawg** · 10-28-2008, 07:59 PM

i have switched to decaf. which makes it difficult to find great tasting coffee; cuz most treat decaf like chewing gum stuck to the bottom of your shoe. but the absence of caffiene is much better to my body.