Decaffeinated Coffee

In decaffeinating coffee, the most common method of removing the caffeine is to use chemicals. The hydrocarbon methylene chloride, the most popularly used chemical, has been linked to the development of cancer. Some processes use ethyl acetate, a chemical that many say is not harmful. You’ll never know which process is used. However, most of the time it is methylene chloride.

  Fortunately, if you wish to drink decaffeinatd coffee, there is a water extraction process. This is a method whereby moistened beans are heated with carbon dioxide gas. This draws off the caffeine, and the beans are then roasted. So far, there does not seem to be any health hazards associated with this method.

   While we are on the subject of coffee, a few other things should be noted:

1. Decaffeinated coffee still has some caffeine. Some estimates are that decaf has one third the caffeine of regular coffee.

2. Coffee contains large amounts of oil, which will easily become rancid unless the coffee is refrigerated (or put in the freezer). Rancid oil will not only change the taste, but also could adversely affect fat metabolism in the body.

3. Many people are able to tolerate, with no adverse affects, small amounts (1-2 cups a day) of coffee. However, many people cannot tolerate any amount of coffee without harm. No one can tolerate large amounts of coffee (above about 3 cups a day) without some harmful affects.

4. More on the topic of coffee and the body will be discussed in a future newsletter.