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Decaffeinated matcha powder is a good alternative if you are trying to avoid caffeinated drinks, however, a lot of people have questions about it because of the process that it goes through.
In this blog, we are going to answer all the questions that you have in your mind so you can have a clear overview on drinking decaf tea, and what the differences are between decaf and regular coffee or tea.
What Is Decaffeination?
Decaffeination is the process of removing caffeine from coffee beans, cocoa, tea leaves and other beverages or consumable materials that contain caffeine. Most of the time, decaffeinated drinks only contain around 1 to 2 percent of the original caffeine content.
Fun Fact: Decaffeinated products are commonly called decaf or caffeine free matcha tea.
What Is Decaf Tea?
Because there are laws, limitations in the process are required, which means no decaf tea is actually “caffeine free”.
Decaffeinated tea is tea leaves that have undergone a process that removes most of the caffeine. Such teas are labelled as decaf or “decaffeinated” and they have less than 2.5 percent of its original caffeine.
It is important for everyone to note that decaf tea or decaf matcha powder contains very low amounts of caffeine levels, which means it can still interrupt your sleep cycle, can cause nausea, upset stomach, aggravate acid reflux, and can trigger some types of migraines if you have hypersensitivity to caffeine.
Can All Types Of Tea be Decaffeinated?
Yes, all types of tea and even low caffeine matcha can be decaffeinated.
However, black tea, oolong tea, decaffeinated matcha, and green tea are the most popular decaffeinated drinks that are being sold in grocery stores.
Is Decaffeinated Tea As Healthy As Regular Tea?
Yes, decaffeinated teas such as decaf matcha green tea are just as healthy as regular teas.
Decaf tea is as healthy and nutritious as regular tea. Not only that, but it comes without the side effects that are brought by caffeine, making it the best option for people who are sensitive to stimulants.
What’s Wrong With Caffeine?
Drinks that are not caffeinated can cause adverse reactions to some individuals that are hypersensitive when it comes to stimulants.
For example, some people can experience increased blood pressure after drinking caffeine drinks and some can experience anxiety, sleep problems, heart arrhythmia, headaches, migraines and jitters.
If you are sensitive to stimulants, you want to try a caffeine free matcha alternative.
Why Switch to Decaf Tea?
From a better night’s sleep to a better mood and whiter teeth, there are plenty of reasons for switching to decaf tea.
Like what we mentioned above, caffeine has a lot of drawbacks, which includes:
- Restlessness
- Shakiness
- Insomnia
- Headaches
- Dizziness
- Rapid heartbeat
- Abnormal heart rhythm.
- Dehydration
- Anxiety
According to a study that was published in Drug Design, Development and Therapy caffeine can also reduce collage synthesis and is capable of accelerating aging. Decaf tea on the other hand has none of these side effects.
Caffeine Worsens Anxiety
When digested in high doses, caffeine can alter your mood, can affect your sleep, is capable of triggering nausea, and can play a huge role in worsening your anxiety.
How Does Caffeine Affect Your Body?
A person who digests high doses of caffeine is also more likely to experience digestive problems, migraines, and headaches. Not only that, but if you drink caffeinated drinks before bedtime, you can have trouble sleeping, which can then affect your productivity and energy levels for the next day.
How Much Caffeine Is Present In Decaf Coffee?
You have to keep in mind that decaf coffee is not completely caffeine free. Most decaf coffees contain small amounts of caffeine, which are usually around 3mg or less per cup.
On the other hand, normal coffee cups contain around 70 to 140 milligrams of caffeine, mostly depending on the type of coffee, the way the coffee was prepared, and the size of the cup.
Health Benefits Of Decaf Coffee
A lot of scientific research suggests that coffee contains several compounds that have been proven to be beneficial to the health of humans.
A study in 2017 suggests drinking decaf coffee and normal coffee can lower a person’s risk of developing cancers such as skin cancer, oral cancer, liver cancer, leukemia, prostate cancer, and endometrial cancer.
Who Should Choose Decaf Coffee Over Regular Coffee?
When it comes to this question, it all falls on two things, which are the tolerance and the health condition of the person.
If you have ongoing heart problems and blood pressure problems along with anxiety issues, you want to go with decaf coffee, considering that it only has around 2 to 3 milligrams of caffeine in it.
You have to keep in mind that increased consumption of caffeine products can lead to an increased heart rate, blood pressure, can cause sleep disruptions, and can increase the risk of heart diseases and stroke. Not only that, but excess caffeine can also overwhelm the central nervous system. Some people also experience anxiety, digestive problems, heart arrhythmia, or trouble sleeping after drinking normal coffee.
People Who Are Sensitive To Caffeine Should Go With Decaf Caffeine
People who are sensitive to caffeine need to limit their intake of regular coffee and should switch over to decaf or a tea that has lower amounts of caffeine to avoid problems such as worse anxiety, digestive problems, heart arrhythmia, or trouble sleeping.
People with certain medical conditions are required to go on caffeine restricted diets. This means that the doctor of an individual can give them medications to control the side effects that are brought by caffeinated drinks.
Summary
Decaf coffee contains very little caffeine, retains a similar taste and color when compared to regular coffee. Not only that but it also has the same nutritional benefits as normal coffee.
A lot of unknown brands of decaf coffee contain small amounts of methylene chloride, which is one of the solvents that manufacturers use during the decaffeination process for teas, and some people have expressed concerns about this. However, the FDA does not consider methylene chloride to pose a risk to health.
