Is Decaf Coffee a Diuretic?
We have all had the experience of enjoying our morning cup of decaf coffee and then shortly afterward needing to use the restroom. This has caused many people to wonder, is decaf coffee a diuretic?
It’s a good question to ask and this article will answer it for you. We first need to understand what a diuretic is. Then we can see if decaf coffee is considered to be a diuretic. This will help you decide if decaf coffee is the right morning beverage for you. So, let’s find out.
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What is a diuretic?
This is an important to understand before we can decide if decaf coffee is one. So, what is a diuretic? A diuretic is any substance that increases the production of urine in your kidneys. This can be anything from food to drinks to medication that you may take. This is why you need to use the restroom shortly after ingesting the diuretic.
What is decaffeinated coffee?
The next thing we need to know is what decaffeinated coffee is. Decaffeinated coffee, also known as decaf coffee, is coffee that has gone through the decaffeination process. Most coffee brands offer both regular coffee and decaf coffee in their most popular flavors. Some people love decaf coffee, while others hate it.
What is the difference between regular coffee and decaf coffee?
Most coffee lovers have a favorite when it comes to decaf vs regular coffee. However, it is important to know what the differences actually are, so you can decide which type is right for you. So, let’s discuss what some of the key differences are between the two types of coffee.
Caffeine Level:
This is the main difference between decaf coffee and regular coffee. While decaf coffee has less caffeine in it, it is important to know that it is not completely caffeine-free. There is still some caffeine in the coffee.
If you are sensitive and trying to completely avoid caffeine, you should steer clear of decaf coffee. It is important to note that some coffees, like Crio Bru Ghana French Roast Coffee, claim to be 99% caffeine-free. You can always try one of those and see how it works for you.
Less Antioxidants:
Decaf coffee goes through an additional process to make which causes it to lose not only some caffeine, but also some of the antioxidants that are found in the coffee beans. Studies conducted in Italy have shown that decaf coffee has 25% less antioxidants than regular coffee.
While coffee has some health benefits, it is important to know that you won’t get as many when you drink decaffeinated coffee.
More Acid:
Due to the additional soaking process that decaf coffee has to go through, it causes it to retain more acid than you will find in regular coffee. This is why many people find decaf coffee to not be as well-balanced and tasty as regular coffee is.
However, it is important to note that the roasting process is more important to the taste and acidity level of the coffee, rather than the soaking process. While decaf does contain more acid, the difference is very small.
The main difference between decaffeinated coffee and regular coffee is the caffeine level. While there is a slight difference in the antioxidant and acid levels between the two, if you buy high-quality, specialty blends it won’t make that much of a difference to you.
The roasting process effects them much more. If you want to drink decaf coffee, then I suggest you buy a specialty brand coffee.
How is decaf coffee made?
Decaffeinated coffee goes through the traditional roasting process. However, before that happens the beans are soaked in a solution. The solution consists of organic solvents, water, and carbon dioxide. This soaking process is what rids the beans of the caffeine that they contain. While not all of the caffeine is removed, most of it is. This process is what makes it decaf coffee.
How is the caffeine removed from decaf coffee?
We discussed the overall process of how decaf coffee is made above. However, there are different ways that you can do it. Let’s get a more in depth look at the processes and options that can be used to remove the caffeine from the coffee beans.
The first process was done in 1820. However, it wasn’t used commercially until 1906 when the first patent was created. Today, there are three methods that can be used to remove the caffeine and produce decaf coffee beans. They are:
1. The Carbon Dioxide Method
In this process the unroasted, green coffee beans are soaked in a carbon dioxide solution that causes the caffeine to leave the beans. The beans are then separated from the solution. This process is very expensive, so it is reserved to be used only on large batches of low-grade decaffeinated coffee.
2. The Solvent Method
This method involves the unroasted, green coffee beans being steamed to open up the pores and then mixed with one of two chemicals, either ethyl acetate or methylene chloride. The caffeine will bond with the chemical that is used and be separated from the coffee beans.
Then the beans are steamed again to separate the chemical solution from the beans, so they are ready to be roasted. This method is inexpensive. However, it is also controversial due to its use of chemicals.
3. The Swiss Water Process
This process is patented by a Swiss company, Coffex. It only uses water, most commonly natural spring water. The unroasted, green coffee beans are soaked in warm and pressurized water. This soaking process causes the caffeine to leave the coffee beans.
Then the coffee beans are then separated from the water and are ready to be roasted. The caffeine is filtered out of the solution and then another batch of green coffee beans are soaked in the remaining solution. This allows only the caffeine to leave the beans.
What’s great about this process is that you can get coffee beans that keep the antioxidants and acid levels pretty equal to regular coffee. However, the caffeine is reduced up to 99%. While it is a little expensive, it is the best of the three processes to use. You can reuse the same water solution several times.
Can too much coffee cause dehydration?
While it is true that drinking coffee causes you to have to go to the bathroom. It is no different than drinking any other liquid, including water. The obvious reason is that when you ingest liquid, eventually you will have to rid your body of it.
However, coffee does not cause your body to lose more liquid than what you ingested. Drinking coffee helps you to reach your daily water requirements. While water will always be the best choice, coffee does not hurt you.
The problem with drinking too much has to do with daily caffeine intake, not the coffee itself. Drinking coffee everyday actually is beneficial to your health. Therefore, the simple answer is no coffee does not cause dehydration.
How much caffeine is in a cup of decaf coffee?
As we stated above decaf coffee does not mean caffeine-free. Decaffeinated coffee does have some caffeine in it. It is just a lot less than regular coffee. According to the United States Department of Agriculture, USDA, coffee beans have to have 97% of the caffeine removed from them in order to be labeled as decaf.
A standard regular cup of coffee has anywhere from 160mg to 240 mg of caffeine per cup. Therefore, a cup of decaf coffee will have anywhere from 3mg to 6mg of caffeine in it. This level varies depending on a variety of factors including:
- Type of coffee beans
- Decaffeination process
- Roasting process
- Brewing process
Does decaffeinated coffee taste like regular coffee?
Many coffee lovers have a bad view of decaf coffee. However, studies have shown that most coffee drinkers cannot tell the difference between the regular version and decaf versions of coffee. The main difference between the two types of coffee is the caffeine level, which has no affect on the taste of the coffee.
So, why does decaf coffee get such a bad reputation. The simplest reason is that most decaf coffees consist of low-quality beans. This is because the decaffeination process can be quite costly, so they use cheaper beans to keep the end price affordable.
However, if you stick to high-quality, specialty coffee brands you should enjoy the taste of both decaf and regular coffee. You can also use decaf coffee to make your favorite specialty coffee beverage such as mochas or cappuccinos.
So, is decaf coffee a diuretic?
At last, we come to the main question, is decaf coffee a diuretic? The reason most people believe it to be one is because caffeine is a mild diuretic. However, because most of the caffeine has been removed from the coffee beans, there is not enough left to make it a diuretic.
The average person needs to ingest 360mg of caffeine in order for it to act has a diuretic. You would have to drink a ton of decaf coffee to reach that amount.
The simple as is no, decaf coffee is not a diuretic.
While decaf coffee does make you have to urinate. It is not anymore than a cup of water would. You will only pee out the amount of liquid that you put in. Therefore, it is not a diuretic. Regular coffee, on the other hand, does act as a mild diuretic.
Usually, you need to drink two to three cups in order for it to affect your body. That is why if you drink regular coffee, you should also up your intake of water to compensate for it.
Health Benefits of Decaf Coffee:
There are many health benefits of drinking decaf coffee. These benefits include:
1. Better Sleep
Decaf coffee helps you to achieve better sleep quality because it has less caffeine in it. Caffeine is a stimulant, so too much of it can affect your sleep schedule. By switching to decaf, especially if you drink it in the afternoon, can help you achieve the high-quality sleep that you need for an overall healthy lifestyle.
2. Better Memory
The vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants that are found in both regular and decaf coffee help you when it comes to your memory.
3. Increases Your Metabolism
One of the compounds that is found in coffee is resveratrol. Studies have shown that this compound can help you to burn calories and lose weight. However, the affect is minimal, so don’t get too excited. You won’t get skinny just by drinking coffee. However, it doesn’t hurt and is just one more reason for you to drink coffee each day.
4. Reduces Inflammation
One of the antioxidants in coffee is phenol chlorogenic acid. Studies have shown that this antioxidant helps to reduce your risk of getting inflammatory arthritis or gout. It does this by helping your body to rid itself of uric acid. High levels of uric acid can cause gout. So, if you drink several cups of coffee a day in can help you to lower your risk of getting gout and other inflammatory diseases.
5. Prevent Type 2 Diabetes
Drinking decaf coffee can help prevent you from getting Type 2 Diabetes. Studies have shown that every cup of decaf coffee you drink each day helps to lower your risk by up to 7%.
Negative Side-Effects of Decaf Coffee:
Drinking decaf coffee has many health benefits. However, there are also some negative side effects that you need to be aware of. These include:
- May raise your LDL cholesterol
- Doesn’t reduce your risk of heart disease like regular coffee can
3. May cause acid reflux and heartburn
4. Can slow the absorption of iron into your body
5. May cause, or aggravate, Rheumatoid Arthritis
6. Can cause caffeine withdrawal systems, including headaches, anxiety, and depression
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs):
How many cups of decaf coffee can I safely drink in a day?
This is a hard question to answer because it depends on if you are sensitive to caffeine. Coffee, both regular and decaf, can affect you if you already have health problems. It is always best to speak to and listen to your doctor. Also, each type of brand and coffee has different amounts of caffeine and antioxidants in them.
To simplify things for us, let’s look at the FDA recommended daily limit of caffeine for a healthy adult, which is 400mg. This amounts to 36 cups of decaf coffee, if each cup has 6mg of caffeine in it. The average is 3-6mg, so let’s use the high end to be safe.
However, that is a lot of coffee. A study in Australia found that drinking more than six cups of decaf coffee a day increases your risk of developing cardiovascular disease. Therefore, to be safe you should limit yourself to know more than six cups of decaf coffee each day.
Can I drink decaf coffee if I’m allergic to caffeine?
This is a common question that people ask. Before answering, it is important to note that a caffeine allergy is different than caffeine intolerance. So, let’s discuss each one separately.
What is a caffeine allergy?
A caffeine allergy is more serious than caffeine intolerance. It is important that you follow your doctor’s recommendations and avoid all caffeine containing foods and drinks. This is a rare condition that should be taken seriously if you have it.
What is caffeine intolerance?
Caffeine intolerance causes your body to metabolize caffeine at a slower rate than normal. This causes the affects of the caffeine on your body to last longer. If you have a caffeine intolerance you should use caffeinated products using caution.
While you don’t have to completely avoid like you do if you are allergic you should still use caution before eating or drinking anything that contains caffeine. It is a good reason to choose decaf coffee over regular coffee. This way you can still enjoy coffee without having to deal with a large amount of caffeine.
Final Thoughts:
You now have all of the information you need to know in order to answer the question, is decaf coffee a diuretic whenever someone asks you. There are many health benefits to drinking coffee each day. Whether you choose decaf coffee or regular coffee is a personal choice for you to make.
If you are looking to reduce your overall caffeine intake, then you may want to opt for decaf coffee. You could also drink both types, regular coffee in the morning and decaf in the afternoon. This way you can both decrease your caffeine intake and not worry about the caffeine keeping your up at night.
There really is no reason to deprive yourself of a cup of decaffeinated in the morning unless you are allergic to caffeine. If you have tried decaf coffee before and did not like the taste, then I recommend that you try a high-quality, specialty blend and see what you think. You may be surprised by how much you enjoy it.
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