If you need to avoid caffeine, is decaffeinated coffee a
good choice?
August 13, 2013
Coffee is the bitter dark cup of
brew that keeps us in the Northwest going through the rainy season. We
especially like to read the many studies affirming the positive
impact of coffee on our health. However, it can be addictive because of the
caffeine and some prefer to keep their caffeine intake low. Others, such as
those with kidney disease or anxiety disorders, may need to avoid caffeine all
together.
Whether you are avoiding caffeine on
doctor's orders or for personal reasons — if you love coffee, you may be
wondering whether decaf is a good choice for you.
The first and most important
consideration is whether or not decaf coffee still contains caffeine. While
there is some variance in coffee, decaffeinated coffee certainly does contain
caffeine – just in lower amounts.
One study found that while a single
cup of coffee contains around 85 milligrams of caffeine, decaf servings ranged
from 3 to 15.8 milligrams of caffeine. On the positive, decaf coffee is far
lower in caffeine than regular. On the negative side, if you have strict
doctor's orders to avoid all caffeine, decaf coffee is not for you. And, if you
are someone who is drinking coffee throughout the day, those milligrams can add
up.
Dr. Roland Griffiths, a professor of
behavioral biology and neuroscience at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, reported
that "Carefully controlled studies show that caffeine doses as low as
about 10 milligrams can produce reliable subjective and behavioral effects in
sensitive individuals."
If you are sensitive to caffeine,
note that many decaffeinated coffee brands will contain more caffeine than you
can handle without effect. Plus if you find caffeine addictive, you may find
that even the small amounts of caffeine in decaf enough to create an addictive
relationship.
But if you are just looking for ways
to reduce caffeine, decaf coffee is a great choice. I would just recommend that
you choose water-processed decaf coffee, as many decaf coffees go through a
chemical process that I view as far from natural.