Lately, decaf has also attracted many potential coffee drinkers throughout the world. Also, if you are trying to limit the caffeine intake, then a decaf coffee is a great substitute. The benefits are more or less similar to a traditional coffee, minus the caffeine.
The coffee beans have to undergo various harsh processes so that decaf could be prepared. If you haven’t started taking decaf, its best to understand the health benefits and risks so that you know the kind of deal that you are getting into.
In this post, we will study some important aspects of decaf making and its health benefits.
How Is Decaf Made?
There are two prime methods through which coffee is decaffeinated.
#1. Swiss Water Method
First of all, in the Swiss Water method, they don’t use any chemicals to extract the caffeine. There are two methods on which this process works: solubility and osmosis.
- Start by soaking the beans in boiling water to dissolve the caffeine.
- Rinse the water and pass it through the activated charcoal filter.
- In the end, the beans left in the bowl are caffeine-less. The water and green coffee extracts are separated into different tanks.
The accomplishment is that caffeine-free beans are used to prepare decaf whereas the water is reused for decaffeinating the next batch of coffee beans.
To ensure that the next batch of beans retain its flavor, the saturated water is used which leave the taste intact and extract the caffeine from the beans.
Therefore, there won’t be a tremendous loss of flavor from the next batch of beans. The coffee decaffeinated with this process is audited and assured to be 99% caffeine-free.
#2. Carbon Dioxide Method
The CO2 method is more common than any other for decaffeinating coffee. Instead of using the chemical solvents, CO2 is used for the separation process.
A stainless-steel container acts as an extraction vessel in which the coffee beans are soaked in hot water. A layer of CO2 is made at the top that is forced at pressures of 1000 pounds per square to extract the caffeine from the beans. In this process, no effect comes to the flavor of the coffee.
The caffeine-rich CO2 is transferred to a different pan known as an absorption chamber. After releasing the pressure, CO2 comes back to its gaseous state which can be reused.
The cost of this process is high, so it is used for decaffeinating commercial-grade coffees.
Benefits Of Decaf Coffee For Health
Just like the traditional coffee, decaf too has vast health benefits. It will come to you as a surprise that decaf can boost good health in various ways.
#1. Reduce The Risk of Diabetes
As a report generated by the American Diabetes Association, both kind of coffees, whether it is caffeinated or decaffeinated, they are suitable for reducing the risk of diabetes.
The compounds available in the coffee such as chlorogenic acid and lignans have amazing glucose metabolism effect that reduces the oxidative stress in the body.
Other than that, the decaf coffee and black coffee, both are rich in magnesium that mainly decreases the risk of diabetes while improving brain functioning and cardiovascular health.
#2. Boost Heart Health
For cardiovascular health, a function called Endothelial should work positively and adequately. This function is crucial to ensure good heart health, mainly because it aids in modulating blood flow vasoconstriction, and vasodilation.
This way, the blood that pumps in our body has the right amount of nutrients and rich in nutrients. The dysfunction of endothelial tissue increases the risk of heart disease.
Decaf is known to profoundly impact the functioning of the endothelial tissue and help in taking care of the heart’s health.
#3. Reduce The Risk of Inflammatory Arthritis
Arthritis is caused due to the accumulation of uric acid in the joints. While it can occur in male and female, it is more prominent among males.
There are amazing benefits of drinking decaf as it largely minimizes the risk of gout (arthritis) among men, as per a report shared by the University of British Columbia and Harvard Medical School.
Other than these health pros, decaf coffee also minimizes the risk of cancer and other diseases such as Parkinson. You are recommended not over to consume decaf because overconsumption can lead to fatal side-effects. One should not take decaf more than 4 cups a day.
Conclusion
There are various exciting processes that coffee beans have to undergo to be decaffeinated. Just like traditional coffee, decaf too has a handful of health benefits that makes it an excellent choice for the caffeine-quitters.
Incorporate decaf in your daily routine to cut down the caffeine intake and still enjoy the health benefits of a traditional coffee. Decaf will instantly become your best friend and prevent harmful diseases like diabetes, arthritis, cancer, and many others.