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Is Decaf Healthier Than Regular Coffee?
Many people are cutting back on caffeine or switching to decaf for various reasons: improved sleep, stomach irritation or doctor advice to limit caffeine consumption are just some of the motivations. Unfortunately, switching may not save you from health risks associated with regular coffee – new concerns have surfaced about decaffeinating methods involving the chemical methylene chloride that binds with caffeine molecules in green coffee beans before roasting; alternative methods do not use this chemical but still produce coffee that’s just as healthy.
No matter the form you take your coffee in, both types can provide energy-boosting energy boosts to kick-start your day. Decaf and regular have both been shown to increase alertness, increase heart rate and blood pressure levels and raise glucose levels after meals; yet its’ unknown whether these positive results come from caffeine abstention or other changes occurring during decaffeination processes.
Although consuming up to 400 milligrams of caffeine a day is generally safe, excess consumption can lead to adverse side effects including insomnia, an increase in heart rate and blood pressure, jitteriness and headaches; overdoing it could even make people stop drinking coffee altogether! Ingesting too much caffeine could result in adverse side effects which include insomnia, raised heart rates and blood pressures as well as headaches; for this reason alone excessive caffeine consumption could result in people abandoning coffee entirely.
People with low tolerance or sensitivity to caffeine may find decaf a better option; but what if you’re uncertain if switching over would be feasible yet are concerned about its negative health impacts?
According to a 2010 study, decaf is just as healthy as regular coffee for consumption. Both contain similar levels of antioxidants and beneficial compounds, including vitamin B3 (trigonelline), which has been shown to reduce stress, reduce migraine symptoms, lower cortisol levels, improve memory retention, and prevent neurodegeneration. Decaf coffee differs significantly from its caffeinated counterpart in that it contains significantly less caffeine; studies have even demonstrated this can boost an individual’s antioxidant intake if they’re used to the taste of coffee with more flavor! Concerned about the effects of caffeine, those looking to mitigate any possible risks should select high quality decaf coffee that has been produced through either Swiss water processing or one of its alternatives such as ethyl acetate, hexane or liquid carbon dioxide extraction methods. These processing methods don’t use methylene chloride and will preserve more antioxidants than conventional decaf. This makes these methods particularly suitable for women breastfeeding or pregnant, or those whose medical conditions necessitate reduced caffeine intake.