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Scientist Develops Caffeinated Baked Goods

Posted by Zonk on from the we-truly-live-in-an-age-of-wonders dept.

Zephyros writes "The AP is reporting on a scientist who has found a way to get caffeine into donuts, bagels, and other baked goods without the bitter flavor. Each piece has as much caffeine as two cups of coffee. No word on when or where they will be available, but for those of us that just don't get the same kick from the morning cuppa that we used to, this may be another tasty delivery vector to look forward to for that jump-start."

23 of 195 comments (clear)

  1. Why am I not surprised... by Hobbs0 · · Score: 3, Funny

    ...that this was an American scientist?

    1. Re:Why am I not surprised... by kfg · · Score: 5, Funny

      But wait! Don't order yet.

      He's already at work inventing the decafinated version.

      KFG

  2. Insubstantial Article by x_MeRLiN_x · · Score: 4, Interesting
    Whole article:

    DURHAM. N.C. (AP) -- That cup of coffee just not getting it done anymore? How about a Buzz Donut or a Buzzed Bagel? That's what Doctor Robert Bohannon, a Durham, North Carolina, molecular scientist, has come up with. Bohannon says he's developed a way to add caffeine to baked goods, without the bitter taste of caffeine. Each piece of pastry is the equivalent of about two cups of coffee.

    While the product is not on the market yet, Bohannon has approached some heavyweight companies, including Krispy Kreme, Dunkin' Donuts and Starbucks about carrying it. Not much of an article.. No substantial information regarding caffeine content. I was looking forward to comparing this to Sky Rockets and Bawlz. :(
  3. One thing is for sure... by Tablizer · · Score: 5, Funny

    cops will be mega-hyper

    --
    Table-ized A.I.
    1. Re:One thing is for sure... by TubeSteak · · Score: 4, Interesting

      Army tests show that 200mg every 2 hours (for up to 8 hours) is the optimal amount to keep soldiers alert.

      http://www.armytimes.com/offduty/health/ONLINE.HEA LTH.CAFFEINEGUM/

      So well metered amounts of caffeinated products really would be a boon to police doing the graveyard shift.

      --
      [Fuck Beta]
      o0t!
  4. Great... by Tadrith · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Given how many products are suddenly having caffeine added to them, I wonder how long it will take before somebody does something really stupid with all of these products, and deliberately or inadvertently manages to harm themself or someone else. It doesn't take all THAT much caffeine to cause some pretty nasty side effects, especially if you don't drink it all that often.

    1. Re:Great... by Tablizer · · Score: 5, Funny

      how long it will take before somebody does something really stupid with all of these products, and deliberately or inadvertently manages to harm themself or someone else. It doesn't take all THAT much caffeine to cause some pretty nasty side effects, especially if you don't drink it all that often.

      S-s-s-stop b'b'b'b'being s's's'so PPPPPParan n n noid!!!

      --
      Table-ized A.I.
    2. Re:Great... by Cadallin · · Score: 4, Informative

      Estimating from the LD50 of Caffeine in Rats, that would be pretty freaking hard. Assuming no major underlying cardiac conditions, it would take around 10g of pure Caffeine to kill the average person. Double that for the average Slashdotter (who is both noticably more massive than average, AND likely to be quite Caffeine resistant, rather like trying to kill a Heroine addict with other, lesser depressants with similar Modes of Action). As for how much it takes to makes the average person start tripping balls and THINK they're dying, well that IS a lot lower.

    3. Re:Great... by irc.goatse.cx+troll · · Score: 4, Informative

      I took around 2 grams of caffiene once (important lesson: when dealing with chemicals, don't just eye stuff, buy what you need to accurately measure).

      Horribly unpleasent night, pretty shitty day after, and a general aversion to caffiene for a while..but really, the dangers of caffiene OD is really overstated. I'd certainly not recommend anyone OD, and it can be fatal if you REALLY overdo it, but to get to that point you will likely start experiencing seriously unpleasent side effects long before you get near fatal dosages.

      Unless you're taking the caffiene raw like I was, it isn't easy to even drink/eat enough caffinated products to get anywhere near the DangerZone(tm). YMMV of course.

      --
      Pain lasts, kid. Its how you know you're alive. Sometimes I think this growing up thing is just pain management-TheMaxx
    4. Re:Great... by Kattspya · · Score: 3, Interesting

      Not really. You would need about ten of these donuts (if each donut contains 200mg of caffeine) to experience some nasty side effects. When I was young I popped twenty or so 100mg caffeine pills in about an hour. I was jittery and sweaty for about five hours then I got a severe stomach ache, diarrhea and fell asleep at about seven PM.

      You would have to try really really hard to do yourself in with this.

    5. Re:Great... by dgatwood · · Score: 4, Informative

      According to http://www.erowid.org/chemicals/caffeine/caffeine_ dose.shtml, the lethal oral dose ranges from 3-20g, depending on age, weight, rate of digestion, tolerance., etc. A 2g dose would probably not be fatal in most cases, but it's way too close for comfort. Indeed, there are reported cases of adults requiring hospitalization due to heart misbehavior triggered by as little as 2g, according to Wikipedia (citations given).

      --

      Check out my sci-fi/humor trilogy at PatriotsBooks.

  5. Next Up by umbrellasd · · Score: 4, Funny

    Chocolate Chip Meth Cookies

  6. Re:I'm still waiting by Tablizer · · Score: 5, Funny

    Caffeinated Bacon

    Caffeinated extra sweet salted Bacon with MSG: The Ultimate American food. It grows hair on your chest, even while you are dead.

    --
    Table-ized A.I.
  7. Why is this news... by abshnasko · · Score: 5, Funny

    ...people have been doing this with Marijuana for years.

  8. Taste and smell of coffee by b0s0z0ku · · Score: 3, Insightful
    I for one like the way coffee tastes and smells. The bitter taste (I drink coffee w/o cream or sugar) is part of the thing that wakes me up in the morning!


    -b.

  9. Why is caffeine not a drug in America? by LearnToSpell · · Score: 4, Insightful

    It's a stimulant, right? Sometimes the war on drugs just makes me shake my head. We flip out about baseball players taking greenies, and then say "well, they can just drink coffee or Coke instead!" Truly bizarre.

    --
    Haida Manga
    1. Re:Why is caffeine not a drug in America? by ciggieposeur · · Score: 4, Interesting

      I gradually came off caffeine last year after having had sodas, coffee, espresso, and tea off and on for 14 years. Two days after switching from small caffeinated sodas to small decaf sodas, the caffeine withdrawal headache began.

      The headache was 5 days long and required 800 mg ibuprofen (4 Advil) + 440 mg naproxen sodium (2 Aleve) every 3-6 hours to relieve the pain. I could not sleep without painkillers, I could not think or go into work without painkillers. On the last day I actually went to a doctor seeking a better painkiller because I was down to 3-hour cycles on the Advil+Aleve and was worried about screwing my kidneys and liver. Fortunately that day the pain finally eased off and over the next three days the "memory" of the headache faded. However, I still felt sluggish and "off" for about eight weeks.

      I discovered some interesting things during this time. First, some argue that no good studies about caffeine addiction have been produced in the Western world because over 90% of the population is regularly exposed to caffeine and a fully-caffeine-free control group cannot be assembled. Second, caffeine crosses through the placenta easily so most newborns are already exposed. Finally, one class of migraine headaches might be entirely explained as caffeine withdrawal, especially since caffeine is a major component of migraine treatment. I won't go so far as to say that all things non-"natural" are evil, but caffeine is definitely an insidious influence in American society. We don't need it like electricity, it provides zero value if taken daily, yet if most people went a few days without it they would be surprised at the intensity of the withdrawal effects.

      Since getting off caffeine, I have noticed that I sleep much deeper and in general learn and retain information better, but my thinking speed is sometimes noticeably slower. I've had caffeine a few times to speed up when I need it, but I also taste the caffeine now clearly in sodas.

      For me, I have to be careful with caffeine. I do NOT want that five-day migraine again, and the benefits are only rarely needed. My brother had a similar experience getting off, and my mother still cannot get off caffeine after using it for close to thirty years.

  10. Coffee Cake by EricJ2190 · · Score: 5, Funny

    This gives coffee cake a whole new meaning.

  11. That's just what we need! by ArcherB · · Score: 4, Funny

    Wired fat people! Will they shake, or jiggle?

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  12. Wired Milk! by resistant · · Score: 4, Funny

    I'm telling you true, what I really want is caffeinated milk, that's what to do. Man, I love skim milk, and if it were wired, I'd be racing around just like a cow siren yelling, "MoooOOOoooOOOoooOOOoooOOOoooOOO!!!"

    --
    A truly excellent pizza parlor is a delight unto the heavens. Treasure the sauce and the toppings!
  13. Thanks...just what I needed.... by queenb**ch · · Score: 3, Interesting

    It's just something else to keep me awake and make my butt bigger....

    Now, if they can do it in a calorie-free version, I'll be impressed.

    --
    HDGary secures my bank :/
  14. Re:I'm still waiting by Reverend528 · · Score: 4, Funny

    Well, once they perfect the caffeinated bacon, it'll only be a matter of time until we'll have baconated grapefruit.

    --
    Badass Resumes
  15. Re:I'm still waiting by Dirtside · · Score: 3, Funny

    I'm still waiting for Viscount Chocula and Admiral Crunch.

    --
    "Destroy science and religion. Science would re-emerge exactly the same; but not religion." - Penn Jillette, paraphrased