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These are the advantages of Decaf coffee compared to regular coffee

Decaf coffee has a multitude of benefits if consumed wisely.
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Are you someone who diligently drinks coffee every day? Many people think that this mandatory ritual for coffee lovers can restore concentration and enthusiasm lost during activities. They consider coffee to be their soul mate, making it impossible to survive without consuming it even for just one day. There are even those who argue that concentration will decrease if you don't just drink a cup of coffee a day. According to them, the caffeine contained in coffee helps them concentrate better.

However, there are still many coffee lovers who are not aware of the dangers of excessive caffeine intake. Caffeine itself is a stimulant that can stimulate the central nervous system so that people who consume it will feel more energetic and can eliminate drowsiness at the same time.

However, did you know that the permitted amount of caffeine consumption is 400 milligrams per day? If you drink coffee based on this dose, it actually doesn't have any impact on the body. Another thing is that if the dose is excessive, caffeine will have a negative impact on the body's health.
 

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It is not impossible for coffee lovers who consume coffee too often to become addicted to caffeine. Usually, someone who is addicted to caffeine will experience dizziness, headaches, drowsiness easily, and mood swings (quickly changing moods).

In several types of headache medicine, caffeine is used as one of the medicinal ingredients. In certain amounts, caffeine can help relieve dizziness and headaches. However, excessive amounts can actually cause headaches. On the other hand, caffeine is a diuretic substance that can increase the frequency of urination. If it is not balanced with sufficient water intake, it is feared that the body will experience dehydration (lack of body fluids).

Dehydration can indeed be overcome by drinking more water. However, that doesn't mean you can consume caffeine arbitrarily without paying attention to the recommended dosage. For this reason, sometimes coffee lovers are asked to reduce coffee consumption.

One way to start reducing the habit of sipping cups of coffee is to reduce it gradually. According to nutritionist and spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association, Kathleen Zellman, RD, this is not impossible. The way to do this is to reduce it by 25% at the beginning of the first week. Another way to 'get around this' is to fill three-quarters of the coffee cup with regular coffee and add decaf coffee to the rest.

Decaf coffee is the right choice for those of you who have to or perhaps want to reduce caffeine consumption without having to stop drinking your favorite coffee. What are the advantages of decaf coffee compared to regular coffee? The following is the explanation.

There may be lots of questions that arise in your mind when you hear the term, decaf coffee. Before discussing further what is meant by decaf coffee, it's a good idea to know the ins and outs of caffeine.
 

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Caffeine is a chemical compound that has both positive and negative effects on the body. When viewed from a positive side, this chemical compound called xanthine alkaloid can improve brain memory, facilitate bowel movements, reduce the risk of Parkinson's, and even eliminate pain.

On the other hand, consuming large amounts of caffeine can affect the central nervous system, making it difficult for a person to fall asleep (insomnia), restlessness, irregular heart rhythm, and digestive problems. These reasons make many people reluctant to touch coffee, which actually contains caffeine. In fact, coffee also contains other substances needed by the body, such as antioxidants, magnesium, potassium, and niacin.

In one cup of regular coffee (non-decaf), there is 2.4% of the magnesium recommended for the body every day. 4.8% potassium, 2.5% niacin (vitamin B3), and 15% antioxidants.

Decaf coffee is not completely caffeine-free. Many people are mistaken about this statement. According to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the United States Food and Drug Regulatory Agency, decaf coffee must reduce 97% of the caffeine contained in it in order to be labeled 'caffeine-free'. Because, using any technique, the caffeine content in coffee cannot be lost 100%.

According to a nutritionist in America, there is not a single pure coffee that does not contain caffeine, even if it is only 2 – 3% like decaf coffee. In other words, decaf coffee still contains 3% caffeine. The amount of caffeine in decaf coffee varies, depending on the brand. Most packaged 'decaffeinated' coffee on the market contains 3 - 15 milligrams of caffeine, lower than regular coffee which contains around 85 milligrams of caffeine per cup.
 

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Bruce Goldberger, Ph. D., professor at UF's William R. Maples Center, said that someone who consumes 5 - 10 cups of decaf is the same as drinking one cup of regular coffee. To sum up, decaf coffee does not contain caffeine at all, it still contains caffeine but the levels are lower than regular coffee.

Goldberger also said that decaf coffee could be the right choice for those who want to reduce coffee consumption. This 'therapy' can slowly reduce a person's addiction to coffee which contains a lot of caffeine.

Decaf coffee, which is now very easy to find on the market, is made using various techniques. The remaining caffeine contained in it also depends on the type of coffee beans used.

The first is the water process. This process, which began to be developed around the 1930s, is not widely used today. This process begins by soaking green beans in hot water so that the caffeine in the coffee beans is reduced. After soaking, the remaining water is filtered to remove the caffeine. The filtered water remaining from the first soak will be used again to soak the same coffee beans. This is done repeatedly until only a little caffeine content remains in the coffee beans.

The second technique is called decaffeination. This technique, which was developed in the early 1900s, is a process of removing caffeine from coffee beans with the help of a chemical liquid called ethyl acetate. This liquid functions to remove the caffeine content in the coffee beans used.
 

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The process begins by steaming the coffee beans until soft. Followed by washing it with ethyl acetate liquid. After washing, the coffee is steamed again. This aims to remove ethyl acetate residue that may still be attached to the coffee beans. The next process is drying and roasting to ensure that no ethyl acetate liquid remains. This roasting process is different from roasting other coffee beans. Because decaf coffee tends to go stale twice as fast as regular coffee.

The third technique is carbon dioxide extraction. The newest process developed for decaffeinating coffee begins by soaking the coffee beans in a container full of water. Carbon dioxide (CO2) has been proven to be able to dissolve the caffeine contained in coffee beans without losing the taste of the coffee itself.

Even though it seems safe, before consuming decaf coffee you must choose it carefully. The reason is, that the decaffeination process causes phytochemical compounds to increase. The phytochemical compounds left behind after the decaffeination process will exacerbate health problems that coffee drinkers already suffer from, such as stomach acid.

Most coffee lovers immediately blame the coffee they always consume. In fact, decaf coffee, which has proven to be lower in caffeine than regular coffee, is not the answer to avoiding contracting this disease.

On the other hand, when the decaffeination process (removing caffeine levels) in coffee beans was carried out, researchers found that several stages, either soaking or heating (roasting) at high temperatures, would cause the pores of the coffee beans to open. Even though the caffeine is lost, this causes the natural antioxidants in the seeds to also dissolve in water. The natural antioxidant in coffee beans chlorogenic acid is easily soluble in water.

The antioxidant content contained in coffee is apparently friendly for liver health and has even been proven to prevent some damage to brain cells involved in cognitive function, such as reducing the risk of Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, and dementia.

Another study also states that four glasses of coffee consumed per day can reduce the risk of diabetes. This can happen because the chlorogenic acid and quinine content in coffee can increase the sensitivity of body cells that react to insulin.
 

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Decaf coffee is good for the liver, this refers to the results of a study conducted on 28,000 volunteers who consumed 3 cups of decaf coffee per day for the past 10 years and were proven to have a low risk of liver damage (inflammation) caused by enzyme damage. This of course depends on what type of decaf coffee you choose. For example, decaf coffee is processed using the Swiss Waterseal technique, a brand of decaf coffee that uses the CO2 (carbon dioxide) technique for its decaffeination process. In other words, it doesn't use any chemicals to remove the caffeine content in coffee beans, so it can be said to be good for the liver.
 
Some researchers even speculate that the antioxidants contained in coffee can overcome the effects of inflammation on the arteries, thereby reducing the risk of heart disease. However, the recommended caffeine level that can be digested by the body is 400 milligrams per day.

Are you curious about decaf coffee? You can try a variety of Luwak coffee that is currently mushrooming on the market. Luwak coffee can also be categorized as decaf coffee. The reason is, that the caffeine content in Luwak coffee is less than regular coffee. The reason is that the fermentation process that occurs in the animal's stomach causes compounds in coffee, such as thiophenol, the substance that gives coffee its distinctive aroma, and acetyl methyl carbonyl, the substance that gives coffee its savory taste, to break down completely so that not only the aroma and taste are perfect, but they are also useful. One of the benefits contained in civet coffee is preventing diabetes.

One cup of decaf coffee, such as luwak coffee per day can reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes by 6%. Type 2 diabetes can occur when the body cannot produce enough insulin. As a result, sufferers have high levels of sugar in the blood because the body cannot control the amount in the body's cells.

Several decaf drinks other than coffee can also be consumed as a substitute for regular coffee, such as herbal tea, smoothies, or juice. What you need to remember is that the smoothie or juice you consume as a substitute for regular coffee or decaf does not contain too much sugar or milk.

“There is no other drink that can relieve sleepiness like coffee.” If you think so, you may have never felt the sensation of another hot drink which has been proven to be effective in banishing sleepiness between activities.

To get rid of the drowsiness that comes with activities, you can make hot tea with slices of ginger or lemon. Even though it contains caffeine, the caffeine content of regular coffee is much greater than that of tea. One cup of tea contains at least 55 milligrams of caffeine.

As long as they are consumed wisely, both coffee and tea have good benefits for the body, including increasing concentration and eliminating drowsiness. Several studies conducted in America show that the caffeine contained in a cup of tea can help improve concentration, fight cancer, and reduce the risk of contracting cardiovascular disease.
 

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Equipped with a multitude of advantages, this does not mean that decaf coffee is safe for excessive consumption. Researchers from the American Heart Association say that decaf coffee with a much lower caffeine content than regular coffee may increase LDL cholesterol.

LDL cholesterol itself is good cholesterol that does not contain a lot of fat but contains a lot of protein which functions as a cleaner in the blood vessels so it is safe for the body even though the levels are high. However, high LDL cholesterol can also be detrimental to body health, especially the heart.

Research conducted by the American Heart Association stated that three groups of participants who drank at least three cups of decaf coffee per day showed an increase in one of the components that form LDL cholesterol, namely apolipoprotein B, by 8%.

Researchers measured caffeine levels in participants' blood for three months. Lifestyle, amount of daily consumption, type of coffee chosen, and heart health are key indicators before, during, and after the study. As a result, apolipoprotein B in the bodies of decaf coffee drinkers experienced a significant increase, up to 8% compared to drinkers of regular coffee or other drinks that both contain caffeine. Apolipoprotein B or what is known as Apo B itself is a parameter that determines the occurrence of fat deposition. For this reason, the World Health Organization (WHO) has determined that Apo B plays a major role in the risk of early heart disease.

When compared with regular coffee, the price of decaf coffee is certainly more expensive, and from all the advantages and disadvantages of decaf coffee it can be concluded that the main key lies in the amount of dosage. As long as it is consumed wisely, both regular coffee, decaf coffee, and other caffeine-containing drinks are safe for the body.

If you want to get the benefits of coffee with a lower caffeine content but at an affordable price, you can mix decaf coffee with regular coffee. Decaf coffee can absorb caffeine in regular coffee, although the results are not as good as sipping a cup of real decaf coffee without regular coffee mixed in. You can still enjoy your favorite regular coffee and also experience the benefits offered by decaf coffee.
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