If your cup of coffee makes you nervous, switching to decaf might seem like the perfect solution. But while decaffeinated coffee contains much less caffeine than regular coffee, it’s not necessarily a much healthier alternative. It turns out that your cup of decaf has a lot of potentially dangerous side effects that you probably haven’t even thought about.
Here, we were surprised to learn that it might be better to choose regular coffee over decaf, and we’ve done some digging to find out what side effects might be occurring in that cup of decaf.
Decaffeinated coffee: good or bad?
You could be exposing yourself to harmful chemicals
Coffee beans naturally contain caffeine, and removing it often requires the use of unhealthy chemicals. To remove caffeine from coffee beans, many companies use methylene chloride, a harsh chemical found in paint removers.
When methylene chloride enters your body, it can damage your heart and liver, and even affect your reproductive health.
It can raise your cholesterol levels
If you’re considering switching to decaf to keep your cholesterol levels in check, you may want to take a close look at the type of beans used in it. Research has shown that drinking decaffeinated coffee can significantly increase bad cholesterol levels, and the reason behind this is the selection of beans.
Most decaffeinated coffees are made from Robusta beans, which are high in fat and can raise cholesterol. If you’re determined to drink decaf coffee instead of regular coffee, look for brands that use arabica coffee beans.
You’re not getting all the health benefits of regular coffee
While drinking too much coffee poses many health risks, enjoying it in moderation actually offers some benefits, including younger-looking, acne-free skin.
Decaf, by contrast, is a highly processed beverage that loses most of its natural bioactive ingredients in decaf. One of them is chlorogenic acid that can boost the immune system and even delay skin aging.
It’s easier to drink too much
Many pregnant women prefer decaf coffee to reduce their caffeine intake, but just because decaf contains very little caffeine doesn’t necessarily mean it’s safe to drink a lot.
Medical experts believe it’s perfectly safe for pregnant women to drink one cup of coffee a day, but if you opt for decaf, make sure you don’t drink too much.
It’s easy to forget that decaf still contains some coffee, and while your liver can break it down, your baby’s body probably can’t. Although decaffeinated coffee contains much less caffeine than regular coffee, it is recommended that pregnant women drink no more than one cup a day.
can trigger arthritis
In addition to other potential health risks, switching to decaf can damage your bones. Research has shown that people who regularly drink 4 or more cups of decaffeinated coffee per day have a higher risk of rheumatoid arthritis compared to those who have never drank decaffeinated coffee.
Do you prefer decaf or regular coffee? How many cups of coffee do you usually drink a day?
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