Coffee is one of the most popular drinks of our time. But not everyone can afford to use it in its traditional form, so manufacturers began to produce an alternative version - without caffeine content. Although at present, the dangers and benefits of decaffeinated coffee are highly controversial issues. Let's try to figure it out.
How to produce a product
Decaffeinated coffee beans, as well as instant coffee, are obtained using the decaffeination process - that is, the removal of this substance from coffee fruits. This procedure is carried out in different ways, but the most popular can be called "European". For this, coffee grains are dipped for some time in hot, but not boiling water, after which it is drained, and caffeine is removed in a special solution. Most often, methylene chloride or ethyl acetate is used as a solvent. Then the grains are poured with boiling water, rinsed and dried. In this case, the product may lose the share of useful properties, but the cost of this method is the lowest.
Even after a 12-fold processing of grains, it is still impossible to completely remove caffeine from them - the percentage of this substance in the final result will be from 1 to 3. The taste will differ from the traditional drink for the worse, because a small part of the solvent will remain in the grains. Sometimes, carbon dioxide- based compressed gas is used to remove caffeine from coffee fruits . But it is believed that the drink obtained in this way contains substances that are harmful to human health, therefore this method is used infrequently.
Caffeine-free trees
There is a brand of decaffeinated coffee that produces the product through the so-called natural decaffeination. These are the fruits of trees of special varieties - Coffeaarabica (Arabian coffee) and Coffeacharrieriana (Cameroonian coffee), which contain theobromine instead of caffeine due to gene mutations. They grow in Brazil, and were discovered in 2004. The drink, which is made from their fruits, received the same name - Coffeaarabica.
In the future, it is possible to cross such trees with others whose fruits contain caffeine to breed new types of coffee.
Swiss way
At the end of the twentieth century, the so-called "water" method was developed in Switzerland. The use of solvents in this case is not required. The method consists in the fact that coffee grains are dipped for a certain time in very warm water, which removes caffeine from them, as well as aromatic oils. Then the liquid is drained, and a tool is used that determines the uniqueness of this method - a charcoal filter. Water passes through it, as a result of which caffeine is neutralized, and aromatic oils remain.
Other coffee beans are dipped into the resulting liquid , after which caffeine is removed from them while preserving the oils. The output is a decaffeinated drink, but with a great taste and aroma. This method is higher in cost, but you can overpay for excellent taste.
Decaffeinated Brands
On the world market, ground coffee is decaffeinated, as well as instant drink. You can buy them in almost any grocery supermarket, but true connoisseurs of elite varieties should go to specialized departments. The most popular are "Grandos Express", "GrandosExstraMocco", as well as the famous brand of decaffeinated coffee - "Aromatiko". These products are available in countries such as Germany, Switzerland, the USA and Colombia.
Harmful decaffeinated coffee
It is believed that decaffeinated coffee beans are virtually harmless. But this is not entirely true - the product is decaffeinated by chemical means, therefore, in the end, the drink will be spared the harm of caffeine, but endowed with a “bouquet” of other substances that have a detrimental effect on the human body. Therefore, the true harm and benefits of decaffeinated coffee deserve special attention.
The danger of frequent use of the product may be as follows:
- Increased intraocular pressure, which increases the likelihood of developing glaucoma.
- An increase in the production of gastric juice, which leads to diseases of the gastrointestinal tract.
- Dehydration The drink is a natural diuretic, therefore, in order to protect yourself from diseases of the urinary tract, after drinking one cup of coffee, add one glass of water to your daily intake.
- Flushing calcium from the bones of the body. True, this problem is solvable. It is recommended to take vitamins and eat foods that contain this element, for example, cottage cheese, eggs, milk, cream, nuts.
- The growth of cancer cells. This point has not yet been proved by scientists, but there are several confirmations of this hypothesis.
- The development of addiction leads to increased fatigue, drowsiness, lethargy, apathy, and in severe cases - to depression.
Of course, if you drink 1-2 cups of coffee a day, the above items will not affect you, but excessive consumption of the drink will not lead to anything good. Therefore, in order to neutralize the harm, and the benefits of decaffeinated coffee were maximum for your body, it is advisable to observe the measure and not get carried away with this product.
The benefits of decaffeinated coffee
This drink can also have a positive effect on the body of an adult. The beneficial properties of coffee are as follows:
- Improving physical and mental performance.
- Increased stress tolerance.
- Reducing the risk of type II diabetes. This is due to the fact that when a drink is consumed, the brain begins to absorb glucose better.
- Reducing the likelihood of gout, in particular in men. But for this you need to drink 4-5 cups a day.
- Improving digestion. After drinking coffee after a meal, you will help your body absorb it better.
- Reduce the risk of prostate cancer by 20%. Moreover, this item is performed regardless of the caffeine content in the drink.
- Improving reproductive function in men. It is believed that the product is able to increase sperm activity.
- The beneficial properties of coffee for pregnant women deserve special attention.
The benefits of the drink for pregnant women
Expectant mothers should refuse a drink with caffeine. But decaffeinated coffee for pregnant women will even be useful. There are studies confirming that the use of this product reduces the likelihood of miscarriage. But, of course, one should not drink excessive amounts of coffee because of this - 2-3 cups a day will suffice.
Ultimately, whether or not to drink it is up to you. But it should be remembered that in large doses, any medicine will become poison, and vice versa. If you drink 1-2 cups of the drink per day, you can get a lot of positive emotions, while minimizing the harm. And the benefits of decaffeinated coffee will be very significant for your body.