Coffee is one of the world’s favorite beverages and many choose decaf coffee for various reasons, including sleep disturbances or caffeine sensitivities or other health concerns. Unfortunately, there have been many myths surrounding its safety and benefits; thankfully it turns out that drinking decaf coffee can actually bring numerous health advantages!

Decaffeinated coffee remains high in antioxidants and contains an array of vitamins and minerals. Studies have also indicated it may improve cognition and mood while possibly protecting against heart disease – one study concluded regular and decaf coffee drinkers had lower risks of Type 2 diabetes than non-coffee drinkers; additionally it’s been shown to lower arrhythmias risk as well as increase circulation within arterial walls.

Decaffeination involves four methods, all beginning with soaking green, unroasted beans in liquid. After being heated to evaporate any chemical solvents present, most often the direct contact method uses steam steamed beans rinsed with chemicals such as ethyl acetate or methylene chloride to dissolve caffeine while others utilize carbon dioxide under high pressure, known as supercritical CO2 extraction method, or simply water; Swiss Water Process being one of the more natural methods. Chemical solvents may not be permitted under European laws where chemicals must evaporate off before heating takes place.

No matter which decaffeination method is chosen, all processes will leave behind around three milligrams of caffeine in each cup of coffee decaffeinated with any method. Although this should not cause serious issues for most individuals, if you are particularly sensitive to caffeine it might be wiser to stick with regular coffee for now.

There are other differences between decaf and regular coffee varieties as well. Its taste differs slightly and some people might even say it tastes less rich; this may be caused by some aromatic compounds responsible for its flavor being extracted during decaffeination.

Not all roasters and producers provide information about the method of decaffeination they employ for their products, making it difficult to compare health benefits between brands. Hopefully more roasters will start including this information soon – usually under ‘Decaf’ or ‘Aroma’ tab in ingredients list; we use Swiss Water Process which is considered one of the best solutions available.