Caffeine-free coffee tree is discovered

[CShine]

A naturally caffeine-free coffee plant has been found growing wild in Ethiopia, heralding the prospect of a cup of freshly-ground arabica that will not keep you awake.Scientists in Brazil have discovered three arabica coffee plants that do not produce caffeine in their leaves or beans among a batch of 6,000 wild specimens originally collected in the late 1980s. The scientists believe the wild plants could be cultivated to produce their own caffeine-free beans, or could be cross-bred with other varieties of arabica coffee to introduce the natural caffeine-free trait into commercial crops.

About 10 per cent of the coffee consumed in the world is processed to remove caffeine, a natural chemical linked with heart palpitations, raised blood pressure, anxiety, tremors, gastrointestinal upsets and insomnia. But the decaffeination process also removes organic compounds that can affect coffee's taste and aroma.

The wild plants that lack caffeine were found by a team led by Paulo Mazzafera, professor of plant physiology in Brazil, whose study is published in the journal Nature. "We have discovered a naturally decaffeinated Coffea arabica plant from Ethiopia, a species normally recognised for the high quality of its beans," he said.

It is not known why coffee plants normally produce caffeine, which is also produced in the leaves of unrelated plant species such as tea and cocoa.

"We can find it in more than 60 species of plants in nature. We don't know why it's there, it does not seem to be a simple waste product of plant metabolism, nor does it protect against insect pests," Professor Massafera said.

http://news.independent.co.uk/world/science_technology/story.jsp?story=534610

[trag]

1. I wonder what happens when you smoke it! n/t

[aquart]

2. And what would be the purpose of this worthless thing?

[mulethree]

3. better tasting non-caffinated (as opposed to de-caffinated)

[tridim]

8. And it should be cheaper too

Since decaf currently has to be made with super-premium beans to get any flavor whatsoever in the final product. Of course the price won't go down, but the profits will most certainly increase for coffee dealers.

...and yes, decaf coffee is pointless IMO.

[snooper2]

5. Nothing..

It would be just as annoying as when people start a new pot of de-caf in the break room...

[physioex]

4. I don't understand this..

What is the point of caffeine free coffee?? And what is the point of alcohol free beer? Fat free ice cream? If you want to commit the sin, shouldn't you pay the price??

[charlyvi]

10. My pet peeve is....

TURKEY bacon. I realize some people must like this faux food, but if I am going to eat bacan, I WANT BACON AS GOD MEANT BACON TO BE.....sorry, I'll take my medication now.

[physioex]

21. Even worse, ground turkey made to look like ground beef...

Using tofu as a meat substitue.... :puke:

[charlyvi]

27. OH MY GOD

That's worse sounding than turkey bacon. Yuck!

[TommyO]

15. The point is...

that some of us practically grew up drinking coffee and have had to switch to decaf for one reason or another. A naturally caffeine free coffee will allow us to have a better cup of coffee that hasn't had all of it's flavor processed out of it.

Yippee!

[NewYorkerfromMass]

30. Thank You! Yes!

I've been drinking it since I was 15 and I am practically addicted.
This is great news.

[Mechatanketra]

16. 'Commit a sin'?

Wow. I know the religious nuts have a lot of peculiar hang-ups, but I didn't realize eating sweets was gonna send me to Hell, too.

[physioex]

26. Hmmm....

Isn't gluttony a sin? :evilgrin:

[Hand]

44. Drat. So it is....

Guess it's hell for me when I croak. Might as well party hardy in the interim.

:beer:

[kysrsoze]

33. If it weren't for the caffeine jolt, I'd rarely drink coffee

Granted, I love the stuff (especially some good Costa Rican or Jamaican coffee) but without caffeine, I'd just buy a Coke or a bottle of O.J. Nothing wakes you up like a nice big coffee - can't function at work w/o it sometimes.

[physioex]

34. Amen Bro...EOM

[shanti]

37. gotta have my morning coke with lots of ice

the real thing, classic coke, no diet!;-)

[shanti]

36. they don't want you to enjoy anything

get it?

[Northwind]

6. It might surprise you to learn this

But a large number of people drink coffee because they enjoy and appreciate the taste. not merely for a buzz, just as some people drink beer, wine, or various liquors not only to get drunk.

Do not assume others have the same chemical dependancies as you.

[aquart]

9. Enjoy the taste. Yes, of course. Enjoy the taste.

Good one.

[KittyWampus]

18. More Than Taste Is THE SMELL! I LOVE The Smell Of Coffee

can no longer handle caffeine but even more than the flavor of coffee is the SMELL.

[Northwind]

23. Laugh it up

But do not blame me that you do not have the sophistication to appreciate the flavor of coffee. I am a major coffee afficiando, and I drink decaf at night, because I like the taste, even though the taste of decaf is inferior because of the decaffeination process. It would be wonderful to have non-caffeine coffee that tastes just as good as regular.

[shanti]

38. LOL

n/t

[physioex]

24. Right...

And some people read Playboy for the articles....

[Northwind]

25. See above

Phillistine

[physioex]

29. LOL..Live and let live...Whatever makes you happy...

:evilgrin:

[Zhade]

35. Hmmm.

Well, I never drink either type of coffee, but I think Will Durst would take issue with you...

"It's coffee! It's not a toy, it's a tool! It's hot bitter dirty water with a buzz!"

:)

[MrMonk]

7. An abomination, created by the devil to dilute our precious body fluids.

It's in the Bible. Look it up!

[daleo]

11. I wonder if Mormons will be allowed this

I understand coffee is a no-no.

[Arcturus]

40. Probably not

I am a Mormon. I don't forsee this changing anything - we don't drink any form of coffee, including decaf.

[daleo]

41. Thanks for the reply

You are not missing much, as far as the decaf goes.:)

[WilliamPitt]

12. Coffee without caffeine

is like a kiss without a squeeze.

:)

[Malva Zebrina]

13. I love coffee

and especially love it in the morning with all of it's caffeine.

I enjoy a cuppa or two in the afternoon also.

I like the extra dark brews.

[Northwind]

28. Did you know

That darker roasted coffee, while more intense in flavor, is considerably lower in caffeine? The roasting process burns caffeine away, so darker roasts have less caffeine. I myself drink double french or italian roast. So dark light cannot escape its surface. :D

[struggle4progress]

14. Good! And the devil take methylene chloride! eom

[Lisa]

17. so isn't it a good thing that they didn't clearcut Ethiopia!

Still some valuable wild DNA out there ... I hope that the profits from this plant will benefit the country. They could certainly use the revenue.

[Kellanved]

19. no patents for plants found in a country

Just for GM plants. So much for "GM will rescue the 3rd world".

Completely unrelated: the price for Coke, dew, caffeine pills might rise, almost all caffeine is won from decaf-coffee production.

[Lisa]

31. so no luck with the Biodiversity Convention?

I'd heard about the case where Norway isn't entitled to receive royalties from a drug produced from a fungus discovered there (cyclosporin?) because it pre-dates the Convention. It looks like Ethiopia has already ratified the treaty, though. Haven't they got any grounds (if you pardon the pun)?


http://www.biodiv.org/convention/articles.asp

[foo_bar]

20. buzz > caffeine

Coffee's all about theophylline and misc alkaloids. Caffeine is only one axis of the experience, as Timothy Leary might say.

[WhiteTara]

22. But will this help the Ethiopians?

Sounds wonderful for coffee drinkers, I can only hope the people of Ethiopia will benefit monetarily.

[nonbelief]

32. High-free cocaine discovered!

You can snort it for hours without any affect.

[Zomby Woof]

39. an OUTRAGE

Proof that we are fucking up mother nature too much if she allows decaffeinated coffee to exist!!! :nuke:

Coffee MUST have caffeine. I am a fascist about this.

[NewYorkerfromMass]

43. No No No

Please, there are divergent opinions on this. I am completely with Northwind.
I'd like more input here.

[Nihil]

42. Hey, don't fret dear caffeine-junkies!

> Scientists in Brazil have discovered three arabica coffee plants that
> do not produce caffeine in their leaves or beans among a batch of
> 6,000 wild specimens originally collected in the late 1980s.

C'mon guys, the chance of those three plants (0.05% of their sample)
surviving the droughts, wars, clear-cutting and other crap in Ethiopia
over the last 20 years or so is pretty small ... don't fret, just have
another cup of the real stuff.

("The Good Lord provideth, the Good Lord taketh away")

:evilgrin: