The Benefits of decaffeinated coffee Are numerous: it prevents aging and rheuman, improves blood circulation, helps treat anxiety, reduces the risk of gout, regulates cholesterol, prevents cancer and others I will explain later.
He coffee Is one of the most popular drinks in the world. It is made from the roasted and ground seeds of the coffee plant. The main coffee plantations are found in tropical countries like Brazil, a nation that concentrates almost a third of world production.
During the year 2013 there were 8.7 million tons of coffee, which means that every day 2.250 million cups of coffee are consumed. It is estimated that coffee annually moves about 175,000 million dollars.
Coffee is characterized by being a stimulant drink due to its high doses of caffeine, about 40 grams per 100 grams of infusion. This brings many benefits, but also many side effects that can be avoided by taking decaffeinated coffee.
How to get decaffeinated coffee?
In 1820, the famous poet and playwright Johann Goethe , Upset by the insomnia that produced the coffee, proposed to his chemical friend Friedrich Ferdinand Runge (1795-1867) to analyze the components of coffee. Runge accepted the proposal and shortly after discovered the caffeine, the stimulant that provoked the sleepless nights of his friend.
Later, in the early twentieth century, Ludwig Roselius, a German coffee merchant, found a way to eliminate caffeine from the seed. The mechanism was to soak the coffee beans, treat them with steam and moisten them again. This final moisture was the one that eliminated caffeine.
Soon it was commercialized and the techniques of decaffeination have been evolving and perfecting, until getting that it does not affect just the aroma and flavor of the coffee. Some of the most common techniques are:
Water treatment
Technique that supposes approximately 22% of the global decaffeination. The coffee beans are moistened with water mixed with extracts of green coffee to which the caffeine has been reduced. It can also be washed with water only. Caffeine is concentrated in the solvent and the grains are decaffeinated. Later they are dried with hot air.
Its main advantage is that it is a natural process free from manipulation and risk to the environment. On the other hand, solvent extraction is the most expensive and slower process of decaffeination methods.
Process of methylene chloride
It is the most used method, bordering 50% of the world production. It is a type of technique that uses methylene chloride as a chemical solvent. The green grains are moistened in water so that their surface becomes porous. They are then allowed to soak in methylene chloride until the caffeine dissolves. Finally, the solvent is removed using an evaporator, the beans are washed to avoid any cracks and dried with hot water. Methylene chloride is reusable.
It stands out for its good performance at the time of extraction and, despite being a solvent, its environmental impact is practically zero. Despite being ratified by the Montreal Protocol, some experts question the safety of the methylene chloride solvent and also believe that it is a method that requires technical conditions that require a lot of control to avoid emissions into the atmosphere .
Treatment with carbon dioxide
We use carbon dioxide to make it circulate between the coffee beans, making pressure. With this pressure, C02 acquires a density similar to that of the fluid and the diffusion capacity of a gas allowing to penetrate in the grain and eliminating the caffeine. Then, through a charcoal filter, CO2 (excluding caffeine) is absorbed to return to the circuit and the drums of decaffeinated grains. Finally they are allowed to dry in hot air.
Its main advantage is that it has great dissolution power and fluids are inert, leave no residue, are not flammable and also do not pose a threat to the ozone layer. However, it requires a strong initial investment in machinery and its subsequent maintenance.
Natural decaffeinated coffee
In 2004, researchers from the State University of Campinas (Brazil), discovered naturally decaffeinated coffee. It is an Arabica seed that arises from a mutation, growing wild in Ethiopia. This variety was named 'AC', in honor of Brazilian geneticist Alcides Carvalho, a pioneer of techniques to protect and develop pest-resistant coffee plants. Although the idea of the researchers was that it was in the market from 2008, to date only can be obtained in specialized roasters.
Today, decaffeinated coffee contains between 0.1% and 0.3% caffeine, while natural coffee contains between 0.8% and 2.8% depending on its origin and variety.
Main nutrients of decaffeinated coffee
Decaffeinated coffee has many healthy nutrients for our body. We can stand out:
- Vitamin B2 (or Riboflavin). Used for vertical cancer, Headaches or Migraines . It is also effective against acne, muscle cramps or burning in the feet.
- Vitamin B3 (or Niacin). It eliminates the toxic substances of our body helping to the good functioning of the skin, digestive apparatus and nerves. Used to control low levels of good cholesterol and high levels of bad cholesterol.
- Potassium. Mineral responsible for maintaining normal body growth or controlling arterial activity.
- Iron. Essential mineral for the correct functioning of the blood system. Its main function is to renew the blood cells.
- Magnesium. Mineral in charge of preventing disorders like arterial hypertension , Heart disease and diabetes .
- Calcium. Fundamental to the development of bones and teeth, has functions of improvement in hypertension or contraction and muscle relaxation.
- Match. Second most abundant mineral in the human body, it has benefits for our memory, although its main function is the formation of bones and teeth.
Benefits of Decaffeinated Coffee
1- Preventing aging
Antioxidants or phytochemicals are nutrients found in certain foods like fruits or vegetables, but also in decaffeinated coffee. This compound is characterized by slowing down the aging of the body avoiding cell oxidation.
2- Improves blood circulation
Decaffeinated coffee is very rich in potassium , A component that maintains healthy pressure and regulates hypertension. It is very effective for cardiovascular problems.
3- Prevent conditions such as arthritis or rheumatism
Potassium, in addition to helping regulate blood circulation and improve hypertension, normalizes body fluids, preventing problems such as arthritis or rheumatic diseases.
4- Helps to treat anxiety problems
A study carried out by the Harvard School of Public Health And published in the magazine Circulation , Points out an inverse association between decaffeinated coffee intake and the risk of suicide, which would have antidepressant effects.
5- Great support for liver health
Based on a study developed by the National Cancer Institute of Bethesda (USA), the liver is also benefited by both decaffeinated coffee and normal coffee because liver enzyme levels fall.
6- Reduces the risk of gout
Gout is a form of arthritis caused by the accumulation of uric acid in the joints. Predominant in men, the Harvard Medical School Carried out research with men who consumed four or more cups of decaffeinated coffee with the result that they were much less likely to suffer from gout than those who did not drink decaffeinated coffee.
7- Prevent Mental Illnesses Like Alzheimer's
Decaffeinated coffee is composed of polyphenols, antioxidant substances that help increase the cognitive abilities of the brain and Improve memory . This helps to combat diseases such as dementia , Alzherimer , Parkinson And other similar pathologies.
8- Keeps the heart healthy
Caffeine is one of the main causes of cardiovascular health problems such as irregular palpitations, Stroke Or heart attacks. Decaffeinated coffee, having low levels of caffeine reduces the levels of mortality due to cardiovascular disease, as reflected in research carried out by the University of Brigham wave Harvard Medical School .
9- Prevent cancer
To suffer risks of suffering colon cancer , mom or prostate Is reduced by up to 50% thanks again to the antioxidants, as reflected by several scientific articles recently developed.
10- Effective against bad breath
In 2009, scientists from Tel Aviv University (TAU) in Israel demonstrated the inhibitory efficacy of coffee in the growth of bacteria that cause bad breath in our mouth.
11- Reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes
Drinking decaffeinated coffee reduces the risk of developing Type 2 diabetes According to a study by scientists at the University of Sydney, Australia. The reason for this benefit would be found in the high levels of antioxidants that comprise decaffeinated coffee and the production of chlorogenic acid, which minimizes the production of glucose in the liver, which regulates blood sugar levels .
In turn, keeping type 2 diabetes at bay means reducing the risk of kidney dysfunction or chronic inflammation.
12- Does it regulate cholesterol?
A point of greater disagreement among researchers. There are numerous studies that claim that decaffeinated coffee helps keep cholesterol at very healthy levels while others say its contribution is very negative, even assuming a risk for developing heart problems.
Side effects
With the benefits of decaffeinated coffee being known, it is always necessary to take a moment to side effects, to alert people that improper use can cause problems for our health and therefore achieve totally different results than desired.
Although there are studies that show that taking up to 5 cups of coffee per day should not negatively influence our body, experts suggest ideally is to take a cup, or even two in the case of decaffeinated coffee, to benefit from its properties.
- Contains less antioxidants than normal coffee due to the decaffeination process
- Both normal coffee and decaffeinated coffee can cause heartburn and heartburn.
- Although the levels of caffeine in this type of drink are very low, abusing it can lead to increases in blood pressure and a stimulation of the nervous system.
- It should not be forgotten that it is chemically manipulated and therefore will never be ecological.
Interesting facts about decaffeinated coffee
- Decaffeinated coffee represents 10% of world coffee consumption
- Stable US legislation that decaffeinated coffee has a caffeine limit of less than 97% of the content that green coffee initially has. At the same time, in the European Union the percentage of caffeine should not exceed 0.10%.
- Percentage of total consumption of decaffeinated coffee by country (2009):
- Spain - 17%
- United States - 16%
- United Kingdom - 13%
- Netherlands - 12%
- Belgium - 10%
- Luxembourg - 10%
- Austria - 9%
- Canada - 8%
- Germany 8%
- Australia - 7%
- Italy - 7%
Are you over drinking normal or decaffeinated coffee? Let us know why you choose one or the other!
Bibliography
- Huxley R (2009). Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus.
- "Association of Coffee Drinking with Total and Cause-Specific Mortality". New England Journal of Medicine 366 (20): 1891-1904. Doi:
10.1056 / NEJMoa1112010. PMC: 3439152. PMID 22591295. - Shino Oba, Chisato Nagata, Kozue Nakamura, Kaori Fujii, Toshiaki Kawachi, Naoyoshi Takatsuka, Hiroyuki Shimizu. Consumption of coffee, green tea, oolong tea, black tea, chocolate snacks and the caffeine content in relation to risk of diabetes in Japanese men and women. Br J Nutr. 2010 Feb; 103 (3): 453-9. Epub 2009 Oct 12. PMID: 19818197
- Jonkman N, (2015) Coronary Collateral Growth Induced by Physical Exercise: Results of the Impact of Intensive Exercise Training on Coronary Collateral Circulation in Patients with Stable Coronary Artery Disease. Published by Circulation