Regular or Decaffinated Coffee

For coffee brewers and drinkers, this medical article in Manila Bulletin will educate you on the health benefits of a regular or decaffinated coffee.

Q. Is decaffeinated healthier than regular coffee? -Iris L., Cebu City

A. Decaffeinated coffee refers to coffee that has at least 97% of its caffeine removed. There are several ways by which coffee is decaffeinated. Some of these methods utilize solvents such a formaldehyde, methylene chloride or ethyl acetate in extracting the caffeine from coffee beans.

The rationale behind decaffeinating coffee is to eliminate caffeine, the substance that is generally blamed for the unwelcome effects of coffee, which include increase heart rate and blood pressure—effects that are transient and do not cause permanent damage to the cardiovascular system, heartburn and hyperacidity, increase in stress level, staining of the teeth, increase in blood cholesterol levels, and increase in the risk for osteoporosis or brittle bone disease.

Unfortunately, studies indicate that the adverse effects of coffee enumerated above also occur in people who drink decaffeinated coffee. Perhaps this is because decaffeinated coffee still has some caffeine or because the adverse effects are not simply due to caffeine but to the other substances found in coffee and which are not removed by decaffeination. Incidentally, coffee contains about 400 chemicals that are responsible for its taste and aroma.

Furthermore, decaffeinated coffee has several drawbacks. Which ever process is used in decaffeination, some of the coffee’s flavor is lost. Coffee that has been decaffeinated by chemical method has superior taste over other decaffeinated coffee; but it leaves some chemical residue that can have negative health effects especially to those with allergies to the solvents used.

Likewise, decaffeinated coffee may dilute the possible health benefits of coffee. Coffee aside from being a tried and tested stimulant has some possible long-term health benefits. For one, it is a good source of antioxidants. In fact, a study conducted in Pennsylvania in 2006, which analyzed the antioxidant contents of more than 100 different food items, including vegetables, fruits, nuts, spices, oils and common beverages, showed that coffee is the number one source of dietary antioxidants of Americans.

Antioxidants, which also include some vitamins such as vitamin E (tocopherol), vitamin C (ascorbic acid), vitamin A (retinol and carotenoids), a variety of minerals like zinc, iron, copper, manganese and selenium, and thousands of phytochemicals (plant chemicals), are substances that protect the cells of the body from getting damaged by free radicals. Free radicals are highly reactive atoms or groups of atoms that are by-products of the normal metabolic activities of cells. If present in excess amounts, they injure cells and contribute to such disorders as cancer, heart disease and many conditions associated with aging.

Another possible health benefit of coffee which has been borne out by several scientific studies already is that it substantially lowers the risk of developing clinical type 2 diabetes mellitus. What’s more, the results of the study further suggest that the more coffee one drinks the better, thus, those who drink seven or more cups of coffee a day are 50 percent less likely to develop diabetes.

The results of still another recent study indicate that coffee reduces the chances of developing cirrhosis of the liver. The consumption of 1 cup of coffee a day reportedly reduces the chances of cirrhosis by 20%, and 4 cups a day reduces the chances by 80%. Caffeine has also been shown to have a pain-killing effect and some research has linked it to prevention of Parkinson’s disease. All the scientific studies attributing beneficial effects to coffee, however, are inconclusive. In the case of antioxidants, high levels in foods and beverages do not necessarily translate into high blood levels. As regards, the effect on diabetes mellitus (where the evidence is compelling) and cirrhosis, scientists do not even know yet which component of coffee is responsible for the observed positive effects of the beverage.

All told, is decaffeinated coffee more healthful than regular coffee? Evidence points to a NO answer

Source: “Coffee: Regular vs. Decaf”, Medical Notes by EDUARDO GONZALES, MD, January 4, 2010, http://www.mb.com.ph/articles/236884/coffee-regular-vs-decaf

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