Many Americans switch to decaffeinated coffee in efforts to reduce their caffeine intake, which is still the most consumed, unregulated psychoactive drug worldwide. Contrary to its name, decaf coffee is rarely caffeine-free, so if you drink lots of it every day, you will experience caffeine side effects. Further, decaf coffee has many of the same harmful chemicals of regular coffee and produces the same acidic effects in your body.
Negative Effects of Caffeine
According to "Nutritional Sciences," many studies show that decaffeinated coffee is not entirely caffeine-free, although most brands have at least 90 percent less compared with their caffeinated counterparts. Decaffeination is often done with chemicals that leach the caffeine out of coffee beans, although the process is never 100 percent efficient. As such, drinking large amounts of decaf coffee each day can lead to caffeine side effects. According to "Biochemical, Physiological and Molecular Aspects of Human Nutrition," caffeine affects your brain, cardiovascular system, sleep cycle, metabolism and a variety of glands and organs by disrupting neurotransmitters of the brain and adrenal hormones. Further, caffeine has addictive properties that lead to physical dependence and withdrawal symptoms, and it has a diuretic effect on your body, which can cause dehydration.
Side Effects of Acidity
Your blood and most of your tissues are alkaline, or basic, because they operate most efficiently in a nonacidic environment. Further, alkalinity deters the growth and proliferation of many pathogenic microorganisms such as bacteria, viruses, fungi and parasites, according to "Fungal Infection." Both decaf and regular coffee are highly acidic beverages, especially if you use lots of sugar or artificial sweetener. Chronic consumption of both types of coffee puts your body into an acidity crisis, which forces it to liberate alkalizing minerals from your bones to maintain the proper pH balance. Over-acidity is an important cause of osteoporosis, arthritis and calcification of blood vessels and tissues, according to "Human Biochemistry and Disease." Many commercial coffee manufacturers use Robusta beans to make their decaf blends, which is a highly acidic type of bean. As such, decaf coffee consumption is associated with heartburn, stomach ulcers and digestive problems.
Increase Risk of Diseases
In addition to the acidity side effects, both decaf and regular blends of coffee raise your risk for certain diseases, such as heart disease, atherosclerosis, high blood cholesterol, rheumatoid arthritis, glaucoma and possibly even cancer, according to "Nutrition and Public Health." Robusta beans contain a much higher content of diterpenes, which are fats that increase triglycerides in your bloodstream and elevate circulating liver enzymes. Chlorogenic acid is found in both caffeinated and decaf coffee and is believed to raise plasma levels of homocysteine, which damages blood vessels and eventually leads to atherosclerosis, or hardening of your arteries.
Decaffeination and Toxicity
The decaffeination process uses the solvent methylene chloride, which often leaves residues within the coffee beans. Methylene chloride is a known carcinogenic that is toxic to your lungs, nervous system, liver and mucous membranes, as cited in the "PDR Guide to Drug Interactions, Side Effects, and Indications." Repeated or prolonged exposure to methylene chloride can increase your risk of cancer. Even "natural" decaffeination methods use ethyl acetate, another solvent that can have serious health consequences in large amounts. Ethyl acetate is found in trace amounts in some fruit, which is why companies can claim their coffee is naturally decaffeinated.
References
- "Nutritional Sciences"; Michelle McGuire; 2007
- "Biochemical, Physiological and Molecular Aspects of Human Nutrition"; Martha Stipanuk; 2006
- "Fungal Infection: Diagnosis and Management, 3rd Edition"; Richardson and Warnock; 2003
- "Human Biochemistry and Disease"; Gerald Litwack; 2008
- "Nutrition and Public Health"; Sari Edelstein; 2006
- "PDR Guide to Drug Interactions, Side Effects, and Indications"; PDR Staff; 2009
