The truth about decaf coffee is going to be hard to swallow.
You might be thinking that you've found the loophole to your coffee addiction.
That decaf is the best alternative to coffee.
No more jitteriness and sleepless nights caused by the infamous coffee, right?
Well, let me burst your bubble because the FDA is letting you drink a toxic substance that causes:
- headache
- drowsiness
- lightheadedness
- irritability
- coughing or wheezing
And these are only the side effects caused by mild exposure.
A longer one can temporarily slow down your central nervous system by reducing your ability to concentrate and affect your hand-eye coordination.
The substance responsible for all of this is called methylene chloride, and manufacturers use it in the process of decaffeination.
And that's not even the worst part.
The FDA (The Food and Drug Administration) approved the usage of methylene chloride as long as the final product contains no more than 0.001% of residual methylene chloride.
However, who can really say it's safe enough, considering that inhaling only 0.02% of methylene chloride can cause the conditions listed above?
Moreover, methylene chloride is not the only substance used in the decaffeination process.
Manufacturers also employ the aid of activated charcoal, supercritical carbon dioxide, and ethyl acetate.
Plus, since they also use water to remove caffeine, the resulted decaf beverage loses tons of water-soluble compounds that make coffee such a healthy brew.
The Silver Lining
Regular coffee has a vast array of health benefits and is well known to prevent several types of cancer like:
- prostate cancer
- skin cancer
- liver cancer
- leukemia
- endometrial cancer
- oral cancer
But since decaf coffee goes through so many processes, most of its healing properties are stripped away, leaving nothing more than a dark brew with only a hint of coffee.
Now, it's true that regular coffee is not for everybody.
And even drinking more than 400 mg of coffee per day can cause some nasty side effects like:
- sleeping problems
- headache
- nausea
- jitteriness
- increased heart rate
- stomach upset
- anxiousness
- dysphoria, or a feeling of unhappiness
But as long as you don't exaggerate with the dosage, you don't have to worry about that.
Of course, there are also those people who either are sensitive to caffeine or have certain medical conditions that don't allow them to drink coffee like:
- sleeping issues
- anxiety or stress
- cardiovascular diseases
- bladder problems
- digestive problems, such as stomach ulcers or acid reflux
Even people who are under antibiotic treatment or take antidepressants shouldn't consume caffeine since it can interact with the medication.
However, there's something you can try and not worry about any side effects – licorice root.