If you find joy in a cup of coffee, you are not alone. According to the National Coffee Association, Americans are drinking more coffee than ever, more often than ever. Consumption is up 5% since 2015 with 7 in 10 Americans drinking coffee every week and 62% enjoying it every day. And, if you’re like the average coffee-drinking American, you enjoy a little over three cups a day.
What’s not to love about coffee? The best organic coffee is rich and delicious and comes in a variety of flavor roasts and profiles to satisfy just about every coffee aficionado’s palate.
With all this coffee consumption, you may be wondering – is that much caffeine okay? The average eight-ounce cup of brewed coffee contains between 75 and 165 milligrams of caffeine. Compare that to a cup of decaf at two milligrams, and the difference adds up quickly. If you’ve ever wondered if decaf coffee – whether one cup a day or all-day-long – is a better choice, consider these health benefits:
#1 It’s lower in acid
Have you ever heard someone say they don’t like the taste of coffee? Or that they can’t drink it without mixing in a little cream or milk? That’s likely because regular coffee is high in acid. This affects the flavor as well as some of the less-pleasant side effects: heartburn, acid reflux and gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). In contrast, organic decaf coffee is lower in acid since it uses a more natural decaffeinating process. One such process uses a special extraction chamber and carbon dioxide (CO2) to create pressure that naturally removes the caffeine from the bean. This eliminates the caffeine without chemically altering the bean. Drinking decaf organic coffee that’s naturally low in acid can benefit anyone who wants to reduce their intake of acidic foods. It can also help you use less calorie-laden creams and sugars.
#2 It won’t keep you up at night
If you’ve ever suffered bouts of insomnia – either the inability to fall asleep or getting up in the middle of the night and not being able to fall back asleep – caffeine could be the culprit. Not only does caffeine provide that natural stimulant that it’s known for, it has also been shown to affect anxiety. In other words, if you’re up at 2 a.m. worried about a project for work or a grade for school, caffeine could be exasperating that anxious feeling. While decaf coffee contains some caffeine, it is still 97% caffeine-free.
#3 It won’t give you the “jitters”
Anxiety, nervousness – caffeine can cause all of these things. That’s because it raises your heart rate. Some people use caffeine as a natural tool to help them wake up in the morning – yet you can get too much of a good thing. Too much caffeine often manifests itself in shaking hands or that overall jittery feeling. If you’ve ever experienced these sensations after a few cups, try switching out one or two of your morning coffee servings with decaf. We recommend organic decaf coffee since it tastes the most like regular coffee – and uses a more natural decaffeinating process.
#4 It puts less strain on your heart
Caffeine naturally raises your heart rate and too much caffeine can also raise your blood pressure. For the same reason caffeine makes you jittery, it can also make your heart race. That’s why many doctors recommend that patients with heart-related conditions cut out caffeine entirely. This makes decaf a welcome alternative. However, since some decaf coffees still contain modest amounts of caffeine, it’s a smart idea to double-check any coffee consumption with your MD.
#5 It can reduce your risk of rectal cancer
While drinking caffeine won’t increase your risk of colon or rectal cancer, according to a study published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, regular consumption of decaffeinated coffee can help reduce your risk of these types of cancers.
#6 It’s a smart alternative if you’re pregnant
According to WedMD, many OBGYNs recommend pregnant women consume no more than 200 milligrams of caffeine a day. With some cups of coffee containing over 100 milligrams, that equates to a major cutback for many. Yet, decaf coffee offers hope – especially if it’s organic decaf coffee. Organic decaf coffee is naturally decaffeinated without harmful chemicals. This makes it a welcome alternative to pregnant women wanting to satisfying coffee cravings while eliminating the potentially harmful effects of caffeine.
#7 Many of the health benefits of caffeinated coffees still apply, including improved longevity. Studies say so!
Organic coffee has been praised in recent years for its high concentration of natural antioxidants. These healthy compounds can help prevent or delay cell damage – and delayed cell damage helps skin look younger and can even improve your overall lifespan. In fact, a study published in the JAMA Internal Medicine found that people who drank two to three cups of coffee per day had about a 12% lower risk of death compared to non-coffee drinkers. Organic decaf coffee still contains these antioxidants if the process used to decaffeinate the bean was all-natural. That’s why the process for decaffeinating coffee matters.
Of course, even with all these healthy benefits, you may be wondering: Is decaf coffee still as tasty and flavorful as regular coffee? YES!
Sometimes decaffeinated coffee gets a bad reputation. That’s because a lot of low-quality decaffeinated coffee is processed using chemicals that strip away not only the caffeine but also the rich coffee flavor that people love. Instead of choosing any old decaf coffee, look for beans that have been decaffeinated using a natural method, like the carbon dioxide (CO2) process. This chemical-free method keeps beans organic – in other words, chemical-free. It also keeps the flavor of the coffee bean intact, removing the caffeine without altering the pure flavor that makes coffee, well – coffee!
Buy authentic organic decaf coffee online from Caruso’s Coffee.