An invigorating coffee tree drink is perhaps the most popular on the planet. However, not everyone can safely use it. It would seem that a simple solution to the problem could be decaffeinated coffee. But the situation is not straightforward. Both true and decaffeinated drinks can be fraught with both benefit and danger.
Material Content:
Composition and calorie content of non-caffeinated coffee
Coffee beans include more than 2000 different components, and about 75% of all these substances are absolutely not absorbed by the body.
Of those that are useful, we can distinguish:
- coffee oil - 14%;
- aromatic substances (in particular caffeic acid) - 6.5%;
- components with astringent properties - 5.5%;
- mineral complex - 5%.
Due to the low digestibility, the calorie content of coffee fruits does not exceed 9 kcal per 100 g.
Scientists are still arguing about what is more in caffeine: good or harm. It is known that in grains its content reaches 1.5%. For such a potent substance, this is quite a lot.
In high doses, caffeine excites the nervous system and can provoke tachycardia. People with a predisposition to hypertension and with an unstable psyche should not often drink a drink from ordinary grains. How justified in this case is replacing the usual coffee with decaffeinated coffee?
How to make decaffeinated coffee
In fact, the caffeine release technology was invented by chance. In the 1900s, a merchant from Germany transported his cargo by sea. The ship with the goods fell into a storm.The grains got wet, and the owner considered them hopelessly spoiled.
But the enterprising businessman decided not to write off the losses, but to try to dry the goods and reuse it like regular coffee. He was deeply amazed to discover that the grains had not lost their taste. The only difference was the lack of an invigorating effect.
On this was laid the basic principle of extracting caffeine from grains. It turns out the alkaloid can simply be dissolved and extended. Naturally, you cannot delete all of it.
Even the most advanced technologies leave in grains up to 1-3% of caffeine from its original mass.
One of the most expensive methods of extracting a substance is soaking the fruit in hot water, followed by filtering the liquid. Grains are steamed with boiling water. Part of the caffeine, along with aromatic compounds, enters the water.
The solution is filtered, and all the necessary components except the alkaloid are returned back to the extractant liquid. The operation is repeated many times until the caffeine concentration reaches acceptable limits. The resulting drink retains most of the beneficial and flavoring substances.
The cheapest method is to extract caffeine using chemical solvents. The grains are soaked in a specially prepared product, then rinsed many times.
With this method, coffee of lower quality is obtained. Along with the invigorating alkaloid, some flavoring substances also go away. In addition, there is a risk that some of the chemical solvent will remain in the grains.
A third alternative method is steam treatment using carbon dioxide. A fairly reliable technique in which caffeine is evaporated and the largest amount of extractive compounds remains. However, when treated with carbon dioxide in grains, undesirable transformations can occur, resulting in a certain proportion of harmful substances.
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Decaffeinated coffee: benefits and harms
Recently, scientists are increasingly inclined to the conclusion that caffeine is not so unhealthy. Consumption of a natural drink reduces mortality among women. Strange, but for some reason this effect is not revealed in men. Moreover, both caffeinated and decaffeinated drink in this sense are absolutely equivalent.
However, the benefits for the male half of humanity can still be traced:
- coffee reduces the chance of prostate cancer;
- it improves the quality of the seed;
- reduces the risk of gout.
It’s good for adults to drink decaffeinated coffee to stimulate brain activity and normalize liver function. With regular use of the drink, stress resistance increases and the likelihood of developing diabetes is reduced.
However, frequent inclusion of caffeine-free coffee in the diet can negatively affect the kidneys. The drink has a diuretic effect. It washes minerals in particular calcium. A strong love of coffee can result in brittle bones.
Recently, there are conclusions that decaffeinated coffee is not so safe for the heart and blood vessels. It increases the level of cholesterol in the blood, thereby increasing the likelihood of developing atherosclerosis. Moreover, this property was not found in a drink with caffeine.
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Can I drink a drink during pregnancy and HB
Pregnant women are prone to hypertension. They are not forbidden to consume the original drink, but it is better to manage with no more than one cup per day.
Decaffeinated coffee will be a good stimulant of mood. However, it must be remembered that residues of chemical extractants may be present in it. Therefore, the amount of such a drink is also better to limit to two cups.
When breastfeeding, all the substances that the mother consumes, one way or another, get to the baby. Do not forget that decaffeinated coffee still contains a fraction of the alkaloid.
One cup per day immediately after feeding may not be noticed by the infant.But the abuse of the drink is undesirable affect its emotional state.
Brands and types of decaffeinated coffee
In view of the popularization of decaffeinated coffee, all recognized manufacturers seek to include this type of drink in their product line.
In grains
Lovers of whole grain coffee should take a closer look at the Colombian brand “Arabica”. For the manufacture of the product grains with natural low caffeine content are used.
As a result of processing, a worthy raw material is obtained for the preparation of a drink with a rich taste.
Ground coffee
Lovers of ground coffee prefer brands:
- Green Mountain
- "Lavaz Decafenato";
- "Cafe Altura."
These samples are similar in quality and have approximately the same cost.
Instant Caffeine Free Coffee
The same brands that are most popular in the section of ordinary freeze-dried coffee are leading in this segment:
- "Ambassador";
- Jacobs
- Nescafe.
Decaffeinated instant coffee is the least preferred. In addition to residues of chemical extractants, it also contains anti-caking agents that adversely affect the gastric mucosa.
Standards for the use of decaffeinated coffee per day
Caffeine-free coffee still includes a small fraction of the stimulating substance, so it can also not be consumed in unlimited quantities.
Given the pros and cons, you can recommend drinking a drink daily in the amount of 2-4 cups. In this case, you must make an adjustment for age and health.
Absolutely harmful, as well as infinitely useful products do not exist. The reliability of this statement can be seen on the example of coffee. Even a regular, not deprived of an alkaloid drink in moderate doses can cause harm. Conversely, irrepressible consumption of decaffeinated coffee can adversely affect health.
