When we discuss health arenas, coffee replacements are popular topics on the internet and everywhere else, and what better than decaffeinated coffee to top the list. If you’re wondering why this is so popular on our list, it is mainly the insomniacs who prefer the lack of caffeine content in this variety. Drinking decaf coffee regularly puts all our sleep-related ailments on the back burner. Dentists highly recommend the low caffeine levels in decaf coffee. This also means fewer dental-related issues compared to contemporary coffee varieties. What’s more, this particular coffee blend is considered even for pregnant and expecting mothers who have a craving for coffee intake. But that’s not everything about decaf coffee, we are yet to disclose and warn our readers about its potentially dangerous side effects.
Today’s caffeine market holds a large share of proudly pro-decaf coffee customers. In such a scenario, it becomes all the more important to discuss at length about its dangerous side effects and the risk it could throw at our health and well-being. This comes in particular after discussions with dieticians and doctors who have offered a detailed analysis of assortments regarding the ill effects of decaf coffee consumption. Check out the section below to know more:
- Without our knowledge, we could be taking in a lot of harmful chemicals
Coffee is synonymous with caffeine content, and removing the most important ingredient only means that a host of unnatural processes are involved all along. A famous scientist notes the removal of caffeine by soaking coffee beans in harmful chemical solvents. These chemical solvents are also the ones that are used in paint thinners and nail polish removers. It’s noteworthy to acknowledge that the FDA has approved the presence of such chemicals in the decaffeinated process, but they definitely have a lot of impact on our health in the long run.
- Chemicals and health issues go hand in hand with decaf coffee
Harmful chemicals like methylene chloride are not mild in our system. Even a slight inhalation could affect our nose, throat, and nervous system in multiple ways. The central nervous system is known to slow down and react adversely to these chemicals. Frightening enough, methylene chloride is a mutagen and a carcinogen for the human body. The whole process of decaffeination is highly problematic. Some researchers have indicated the onset of rheumatoid arthritis as a side effect of long-term whole bean decaf coffee consumption. It is also proven to increase the presence of fatty acids that can badly affect human metabolic syndrome and increase heart-related diseases. They also pose a high cancer risk among healthy individuals.
- Increased cholesterol levels
The decaffeination process and the chemicals involved are just the beginning of a long list of side effects of decaf coffee. The story actually begins with the coffee bean selection step itself. Decaf coffee is prepared from coffee beans with a relatively higher fat content than regular Arabica beans. These increase cholesterol levels drastically and affect the long-term functioning of our hearts. Robusta, a very commonly used decaf coffee bean, has abnormally high levels of diptenes, essential fats that stimulate fatty acid production.
- Regular coffee benefits go missing
If you’ve heard about the deteriorating effects of ultra-processed food items, then decaf coffee is a must-add to this list. To a very large extent, coffee is a natural product, whereas decaffeinated coffee is a contrasting by-product. Coffee assures you a natural food intake, but decaf coffee by definition, is as unnatural as one can think of. Regular coffee boasts of great health benefits, unlike decaf coffee, which has all these good features missing. Regular coffee promotes good health defenses mainly through natural bioactive chemicals, but in decaffeination, all these are recognizably lost. Chlorogenic acid activates your immunity and slows down the cellular ageing process. Decaf coffee beans, on the other hand, do not offer cardioprotective effects that are evident in caffeinated coffee beverages.
- Health drawbacks prevail everywhere
Decaf coffee still has a lot of caffeinated traces in it, about 5%, but it mostly goes unregulated in the process. To top it all, we must remember it as decaffeinated coffee, not no-caffeinated coffee. To make it simple, decaf coffee is not the suggested alternative for coffee lovers looking to quit caffeine totally. Decaf coffee holds some good attributes like less acidic composition, but on the contrary, it could increase serum gastrin concentrations which again are known to create acidity in our body.
Health effects of caffeinated coffee and decaffeinated coffee are very consistent with each other. So if you’re looking for alternatives, then leaving caffeinated coffee for regular intakes of decaf won’t yield the expected desirable results. Also, you can opt for Waialua Coffee Single Origin which is one of the best coffee for consumption.
Discussion about this post