Do you have trouble tolerating Robusta? - Page 2

#11: Post by **cskorton** » May 1st, 2021, 8:08 pm

When I first started drinking coffee, I was quite intolerant of the caffeine. My tolerance has since been built up but I still feel like I have a sensitivity to it.

I primarily drink Italian blends, and the high robusta Saka blends I have definitely have a more adverse affect, as did the caffe lusso Roma blend. The Roma blend was worse than the Saka in that regard.

The worst feeling for me is the general moodiness and poor mental state I'm in, until I crash, get really bad, then I'm ok around 7 to 8 hours after drinking it.

With one double shot, I'm ok. Also, making sure I eat breakfast before really helps me too. Anything more than 1 or 2 is a no go.

I mentioned this in another thread, but this feeling is like the different drunks you get on beer vs. wine vs. liquor. In that regard, these high robusta blends are like tequila

I'm quite sensitive to alcohol too.

#12: Post by **coffeechan** » May 1st, 2021, 9:08 pm

cskorton wrote:When I first started drinking coffee, I was quite intolerant of the caffeine. My tolerance has since been built up but I still feel like I have a sensitivity to it.

I primarily drink Italian blends, and the high robusta Saka blends I have definitely have a more adverse affect, as did the caffe lusso Roma blend. The Roma blend was worse than the Saka in that regard.

The worst feeling for me is the general moodiness and poor mental state I'm in, until I crash, get really bad, then I'm ok around 7 to 8 hours after drinking it.

With one double shot, I'm ok. Also, making sure I eat breakfast before really helps me too. Anything more than 1 or 2 is a no go.

I mentioned this in another thread, but this feeling is like the different drunks you get on beer vs. wine vs. liquor. In that regard, these high robusta blends are like tequila I'm quite sensitive to alcohol too.

Do you take a good multi-vitamin or replenish electrolytes? Long term coffee/alcohol drinking can lead to nutrient depletion. I was in very much the same spot a few years ago with the moody states, crashes, etc. It ended up with me flaming out pretty badly from daily consumption of 1-2 16oz coffees a day + 1-2 shots of espresso plus the stress of my job at the time. I stopped coffee for 2-3 years, and recently came back to it after fixing some other areas like diet, sleep, and exercise. Now,I try not to push beyond 2 doubles a day and I avoid coffee preparation methods that really jack up the caffeine like drip/batch brew. Drip coffee can push me to an uncomfortable caffeination level.

Tomorrow its back to 100% Arabica coffee, I'll pay extra attention to how it affects me. After that I still have another 8oz or so Cartapani to finish.

May 1st, 2021, 9:18 pm

I've never been a big multivitamin guy because the clinical evidence on those has been mixed at best, I am relatively young, live a healthy lifestyle including daily exercise and closely monitored diet 5 days a week. I think it's more genetic sensitivity, personally. If I only have one or two, symptoms are relatively mild, but uncomfortable and noticeable.

May 2nd, 2021, 4:43 am

It looks like those answering this thread so far do experience Robusta differently. Many of you are attributing this to the extra caffeine, but some, including me, find that drinking enough Arabica coffee to achieve similar caffeine intake still experience these coffees' physical affects differently. I've found more than one article online that notes additional stimulants in coffee to caffeine. Here's an excerpt from one article on Robusta found here.

https://tcdfecologic.wixsite.com/thefoo ... sta-coffee

"The seed contains caffeine, a widely used stimulant that is also used in proprietary painkillers to potentiate the effect of aspirin and paracetamol.

It also contains the stimulants theobromine and theophylline, as well as chlorogenic acid, which is stimulant and diuretic as well as a known allergen."

Another article studied the effects of Robusta versus Arabica on sleepiness, attention, general cognitive ability and memory. In comparison Arabica significantly improved reaction time and correct responses. The authors theorized that Arabica could better increase the memory and efficiency of the attentional system and thought this may be due to its comparatively higher concentration of chlorogenic acids. (Alharba, W.D.M., Azmat, A., Ahmed, M. "Comparative effect of coffee robusta and coffee arabica (Qahwa) on memory and attention. Metabolic brain disease, Vol. 33, No. 4, 2018, Springer) Here is the link: https://www.researchgate.net/publicatio ... f/download

I have not yet found an article that explores which individuals react differently to Robusta versus Arabica. But my subjective experience that the effects are different is similar to others' experiences. My guess that the differences may be due to something other than increased caffeine seems to be supported by preliminary research, at least. I have not done a thorough literature review and am posting this in case someone reading this thread is more knowledgeable and can comment.

#15: Post by **chanty 77** » May 2nd, 2021, 1:53 pm

Is robusta noted on a blend ? I ask because I am super sensitive to caffeination. My body can handle my 4 shot cappuccino--but if I have more caffeine than that--it affects me horribly (shaking, heart rate speeding up and skipping beats, moody, etc.) Thanks.

May 2nd, 2021, 2:01 pm

Sometimes it is, sometimes it isn't. If the blend doesn't list Robusta versus Arabica, you can contact the roaster. Please notice by my first and second posts that I am saying that the difference may not just be the added caffeine.

#17: Post by **slipchuck** » May 2nd, 2021, 3:10 pm

"Lavazza Qualita Rossa, which has 70% Robusta"
I didn't know that
It actually tastes pretty good in a cap.
I don't get an side effect whatsoever

Randy

#18: Post by **jpender** » May 2nd, 2021, 4:02 pm

slipchuck wrote:"Lavazza Qualita Rossa, which has 70% Robusta"

What is the source? I searched and found one site that said 60% Robusta and another that said 30% Robusta.

It's also possible that whatever it is in Robusta that some perceive as a different type of stimulant could vary in concentration depending on the particular source of Robusta and also the degree of roast, just like with caffeine.

#19: Post by **coffeechan** » May 2nd, 2021, 4:14 pm

chanty 77 wrote:Is robusta noted on a blend ? I ask because I am super sensitive to caffeination. My body can handle my 4 shot cappuccino--but if I have more caffeine than that--it affects me horribly (shaking, heart rate speeding up and skipping beats, moody, etc.) Thanks.

It can vary widely from brand to brand if they'll advertise exact Arabica and Robusta percentages. I'm not sure what the quality of the Robusta is, but it's sourced from either Asia or Africa. 100% Arabica logically is priced higher from every distributor of Italian coffees I've seen, with a 20-30% Robusta blend coming in as 2nd most expensive. Distributors sometimes give a barebones description and just state its a Arabica and Robusta blend or all Arabica, then sometimes its a matter of cross referencing the official brand's website to see if they'll state the makeup of the blend.

Bit jittery from 3 shots of all 100% Arabica compared to a blend.

May 2nd, 2021, 6:51 pm

I cited 70% Robusta for the Lavazza Qualita Rossa based on an online ad. It's a long time since I threw away my bag of that coffee, so I don't know what the percentage was then.