Decaf coffee can be a great choice for night owls and other people who need caffeine without the jittery feeling that you get with traditional caffeinated coffee. Not all decaffeinated coffees are created equal, however; some decafs use chemicals to extract the caffeine, which can leave an unpleasant aftertaste or make you feel jittery in its own way. Fortunately, organic dark roast decaf coffee has no trace of the chemical processes used in creating other decafs, leaving you with the taste of delicious organic dark roast coffee without any unpleasant effects. This makes it ideal even for late-night drinkers!
Coffee drinkers often find themselves frustrated when they can’t sleep after drinking caffeinated coffee. The problem with caffeine is that it can take up to six hours to wear off, which means many people are still feeling its effects long after bedtime. But if you’re not a fan of the bitter taste and prefer your java decaffeinated, then we have good news: decaffeinated coffee won’t disrupt your sleep. The caffeine content in a cup of regular coffee ranges anywhere from 80-180 mg, whereas a cup of decaf contains 10 mg or less–so you can drink as much as you want without worrying about tossing and turning all night.
Coffee has been shown to contain a plethora of antioxidants, which means it can help fight free radicals in your body that can lead to cancer and other diseases. Studies have shown that coffee drinkers are less likely to develop type 2 diabetes, Parkinson’s disease, and Alzheimer’s disease. It also offers protection against liver disease. And if you drink decaffeinated coffee, you won’t have any of the negative effects of caffeine on your sleep cycle or heart rate. You’ll still get all the benefits of coffee without feeling jittery in the morning, being awake at night, or having an elevated heart rate.
Decaffeinated coffee does not contain any of the harmful chemicals associated with caffeine, and studies show that decaf coffee isn’t linked to cancer. In fact, a study on men and women in Hawaii found that those who drank at least two cups of caffeinated coffee per day had a higher risk of developing heart disease than those who drank less or no caffeinated coffee.
Another study found that drinking decaffeinated coffee significantly reduced the risk of colon cancer in women. The findings also showed that people who drink caffeinated coffee are more
likely to experience depression compared with people who drink decaffeinated coffee.
Regular coffee often has a bitter taste, and while many people enjoy that flavour, it may not be what you’re looking for in your coffee. If you’re more interested in the caffeine than the flavour of your coffee, then decaf might be the way to go. To put this theory to a taste test, I brewed two cups of coffee: one regular and one decaf. I then sipped both cups and made observations about which was my favourite. The first thing I noticed about my regular cup was that it had an earthy taste with hints of bitterness. The flavour wasn’t unpleasant but it was different from what I’m used to drinking in the morning before work.
A little caffeine can be good for you. It wakes you up, gets your heart pumping, and can help stimulate your brain. But it’s not always easy to know how much is too much. The Mayo Clinic recommends that adults not drink more than 400 milligrams of caffeine a day (about four cups of coffee) because this amount may lead to insomnia, nervousness, irritability, stomach upset, an increased heart rate and other side effects. For late-night drinkers who want to stay up all night with their hot decaffeinated coffee, there’s no need to worry about too much caffeine as long as they stick to just one cup after dinner time.
main photo: unsplash.com/Nathan Dumlao
