Caffeine antagonim
AssigneeGeneral Foods Corporation
InventorsBenjamin Raphael Zeitlin, Alan Bryan Pritchard, Harold S. Levenson
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Disclosed are a method and composition for controlling the sleep disturbing characteristics of caffeine-containing beverages which avoid the need for removing the caffeine. This is accomplished by including nicotinic acid or a soluble salt thereof in the beverage in an amount which is greater than that naturally present and which is effective to antagonize the sleep disturbing characteristics of the caffeine in the beverage.
Claims14
A composition for preparing a coffee beverage comprising (a) coffee containing caffeine, said coffee being selected from the group consisting of roasted and ground coffee and soluble coffee solids from roasted coffee, and (b) nicotinic acid or a soluble salt thereof, the amount of nicotinic acid or soluble salt thereof being sufficient to provide from about 6 mg to about 50 mg per cup of coffee beverage prepared from said coffee, wherein a cup of coffee beverage comprises an aqueous solution containing from about 1.5 to 2.0 grams of soluble coffee solids, and the amount of nicotinic acid or soluble salt thereof present in the coffee beverage is effective to at least partially antagonize the sleep disturbing characterictics of the caffeine present in the coffee.
A method for controlling the sleep disturbing characteristics of caffeine-containing coffee, said coffee being selected from the group consisting of roasted and ground coffee and soluble coffee solids from roasted coffee, which method comprises incorporating into the coffee nicotinic acid or a soluble salt thereof at a level sufficient to supply from about 6 mg to about 50 mg per cup of coffee beverage prepared from said coffee, wherein a cup of coffee comprises an aqueous solution containing from about 1.5 to 2.0 grams of soluble coffee solids, and the amount of nicotinic acid of soluble salt thereof present in the coffee beverage is effective to at least partially antagonize the sleep disturbing characteristics of the caffeine present in the coffee.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.