Decaffeinated coffee is not completely caffeine-free, but it contains significantly less of the substance than regular coffee. For example, the Mayo Clinic advises that 8 oz. of generic brewed coffee contain up to 200 mg of caffeine, while the decaf variety has no more than 12 mg. Caffeine has undesirable side effects for some people, ranging from insomnia to irritability, but the decaffeinated version has its own negative health effects.
High Cholesterol
Some types of decaffeinated coffee may raise your bad cholesterol level, according to a 2005 study at Fuqua Heart Center in Atlanta, Georgia, by Dr. Robert Superko. The research involved 187 regular coffee drinkers who were given either regular coffee, decaffeinate coffee or a non-coffee beverage. The decaf drinkers had elevated LDL cholesterol levels at the end of the eight-week study, while people in the other groups had no change. Although the reason for the effect is unknown, it may be because different beans are used for decaffeinated coffee. They contain more of a substance called diterpene that could be behind the higher LDL levels, according to Superko.
Sensitivity
Decaffeinated coffee is not completely caffeine-free, so it may affect the health of caffeine-sensitive people. Five to 10 cups of decaffeinated coffee contain as much caffeine as one to two cups of the regular version, according to Bruce Goldberger, Ph.D., a researcher at the University of Florida's William R. Maples Center for Forensic Medicine. Even low caffeine levels can trigger anxiety, increased heart rate, agitation and elevated blood pressure in people who are sensitive to the substance.
Miscarriage
Women who drink decaffeinated coffee during pregnancy increase their miscarriage risk if they consume enough of the beverage to get the amount of caffeine present in two cups of regular coffee. A two-year study by De-Kun Li, M.D., of the Kaiser Permanente Division of Research showed that caffeine intake of at least 200 mg per day doubled miscarriage risk. The study ran from 1996 to 1998 and was published in 2008.
Considerations
The process used to decaffeinate coffee beans previously involved potentially harmful solvents that increased cancer risk, but companies now use safe methods. You do not face any health hazards from the process if you buy coffee with a label stating it was decaffeinated naturally or through the Swiss water process, according to Columbia University Health Services. These methods use water and carbon or charcoal filters or compressed CO2 to remove most of the caffeine content from coffee beans without destroying the flavor.
References
- TheHeart.org; Decaf Coffee Raises LDL Cholesterol; Shelley Wood; November 2005
- MayoClinic.com; Caffeine Content for Coffee, Tea, Soda and More; October 2009
- Go Ask Alice; Is Decaffeinated Coffee Safe to Drink?; August 2002
- Science Daily; Decaffeinated Coffee is Not Caffeine-Free, Experts Say; October 2006
- Science Daily; Caffeine is Linked to Miscarriage Risk, New Study Shows; January 2008
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