Discover some mind-boggling benefits of decaf coffee and tea and know why nutritionists suggest them.
For most of us, our mornings are not complete without a delightful cup of coffee or when we are drowning in piles of work and need to pull an all-nighter, suddenly coffee becomes our best friend.
What you didn’t know is that you are gradually damaging your health by consuming high or even moderate amounts of coffee. Though coffee has many intriguing benefits, it also has downsides too. It had many dangerous side effects, some of which can be of potential health hazards.
Side Effects of Normal Coffee.
While coffee may be a solution to all your problems, it comes bearing new complications. Consuming excess amounts of coffee can lead to insomnia which you may not realize if you miscalculate the amount you are consuming.
Not only that, coffee also increases anxiety as it is described as a substance that increases vigilance. In return, it blocks the effects of a chemical (the hormone released by the brain) called adrenaline which is in charge of making you feel tired.
Tiredness and Change in Character.
Normal coffee also induced fatigue, higher heart rate, higher blood pressure, digestive abnormalities, muscle breakdown, and addiction. If you fantasize about black coffee, you might be turning into a psychopath without even knowing.
You might find yourself being too cranky all of a sudden or even too flimsy. All of this just from drinking large quantities of coffee and in some cases people even get triggered by consuming even very little amounts.
What is Decaffeinated Coffee?
Coffee made using beans that have been soaked in organic chemical solvents, and the caffeine extracted from the beans (before grinding and processing) are known as decaffeinated coffee.
It is a milder version of normal coffee and contains only 3% of the caffeine. So if you don’t like the taste of regular coffee or suffer from acidity, you may want to consider shifting to decaf. Here are a few best decaf coffee brands recommended by Ella from Dash of butter.
What is Decaf Tea?
Any tea that goes through the process of decaffeination (removal of caffeine) is called decaf tea. The most common ones would be green tea, black tea, and oolong tea. There are varieties made from natural leaves that are caffeine-free such as jasmine.
One may argue that they are not 100% free of caffeine; it is good to know that decaf tea only has about 1-8 milligrams of caffeine in it compared to 30-60 milligrams in regular black tea.
How is Decaf Made?
Both decaf tea and coffee are made using the same process (which involves chemicals). While most of the processes that used toxic chemicals were banned, some of them still use certain solvents that may be harmful. Let’s break them down into a general overview.
Carbon Dioxide
The small caffeine molecules are engrossed by pressurized liquid carbon dioxide. This preserves the large molecules associated with the taste. This is the safest method currently being used for decaffeination.
Ethyl Acetate
Ethyl acetate is a naturally occurring solution in many fruit and tea leaves. The coffee beans and tea leaves are soaked in this solution to remove the caffeine. However this interferes with the taste and as claimed by many, it might leave a chemical smell/aftertaste.
Methylene Chloride
When soaked in methylene chloride, it binds to caffeine molecules which can be removed after the solution is strained. This process however is not safe as methylene chloride should not be consumed.
Soaking tea leaves or coffee beans into this solution leaves traces of the compound behind. Though it is widely used, whether or not it should be continued is a debatable topic.
Water Processing
Coffee beans and tea leaves are soaked in hot water which extracts caffeine, flavor, and almost everything. A carbon filter is used through which the solution is passed. This traps the caffeine molecules.
The beans and leaves are re-soaked in the filtered water which allows them to absorb the flavors and other enhancers that were removed. This method is more common with coffee beans.
Nutritionists Suggest Decaf Coffee and Tea.
Coffee is like the devil you need to defeat using decaf instant coffee and tea. Nutritionists suggest having decaf (short for decaffeinated) because it mimics the aroma and flavor of coffee minus all its harmful side effects.
One may argue that these side effects are due to caffeine which is present in decaf too. However, the amount present in decaf is negligible
Decreased Health Risks With Decaf Coffee.
While you may assume you know everything there is about coffee while ignoring all the health risks. Decaf on the other hand has some amazing benefits.
It decreases the risks of having rectal cancer and shields the neurons in the brain, preventing diseases like Parkinson’s disease. It can also reduce transience as it helps with depression and inflammation.
Hence you might want to consider drinking decaf.
Benefits of Decaf Tea.
On the other hand, decaf tea is also an excellent replacement. Not only does it remove the toxicity from coffee, but it also preserves antioxidants that aid inflammation and repair damaged cells associated with disease and aging.
Caffeine-free teas are mostly herbal teas that are popular for their calming effects and are used to induce sleep, such as chamomile tea. You can consume a large quantity of tea without worrying about having insomnia
Some Disadvantages of Decaf.
Many claim that decaf is an abomination to the name of coffee. Why is it so?
The process of decaffeination removes most of the taste from the beans and leaves. Decaf contradicts the whole purpose of drinking coffee in the first place (which is to be able to work faster and stay awake).
Decaf may also contain chemical compounds that might give rise to allergic reactions in some people. Yet if you think about it, you won’t have restlessness and apprehension, you will sleep better and thus be more productive the next day!
You Should Make a Wise Decision Today!
Though coffee may have a longer list of benefits, if you are someone who consumes coffee regularly, then you already know how exhausted and sleepless you are.
You may also have tweaked your personality without realizing and this can be either good or bad. You may have developed so many intrinsic complications associated with coffee without developing the symptoms.
So why take the risk when you can enjoy the delicate taste of coffee subtracting its risky side effects?
