Regular Coffee Vs. Decaffeinated Coffee

For some people, a cup of coffee starts the day off right. they enjoy the boost in alertness and the caffeine jounce awakens them. But for others, caffeine may cause an uncomfortable pounding in the chest, shaking hands and jittery nerves. The choice of caffeinated or decaffeinated products must be based on realizing the benefits and drawbacks of both types of beverages and your own health history.

Caffeine Benefits:
Caffeine can stimulate the nervous system, it makes people feel more awake, alert and able to concentrate, although the effects may vary from person to person. Caffeine can be absorbed rapidly into the bloodstream but does not accumulate in the body, so the effects are temporary. Caffeine can increase the effectiveness of analgesics up to 40 percent and it is a common ingredient in migraine medications. Several studies have noted that caffeine can protect from Parkinson’s disease.

Drawbacks of Caffeine:
The stimulatory effects of caffeine also can be act as it’s drawbacks. Caffeine, especially in high quantities, can lead to high blood pressure, nervousness and increased production of urine and gastric acid. Drinking caffeinated beverages before bed may affect sleep by making it harder to fall asleep, decreasing total sleep time and reducing the overall quality of sleep. People with heart conditions may  feel that caffeine triggers arrhythmia. Overdose of caffeine-containing products may lead to caffeine dependence. People addicted to caffeine experience withdrawal symptoms, such as headache, anxiety, fatigue and depression, when they do not receive their usual amounts of caffeine.

Decaffeination Process:
Products that contain caffeine,such as coffee, black tea, chocolate and colas, become decaffeinated through a chemical process. Green coffee beans are run through a steam or water bath to swell the beans. The caffeine is extracted using water or any other solvent, and then the beans are washed free of the solvents, dried to remove the excess moisture and roasted. All decaffeinated products has small amount of caffeine.

Benefits of Decaffeination process:
Decaffeination reduces the amount of caffeine in a product without affecting the flavor. People those who sensitive to the effects of caffeine often tolerate decaffeinated products better than fully caffeinated versions. Because of the small amounts of caffeine remaining, people may enjoy a mild stimulation after drinking a decaffeinated beverage, but they do not experience nervousness or irregular heartbeats.

Making a Choice of caffeinated versus decaffeinated comes down to personal predilections. Regular caffeine consumption may not lead to any harmful health consequences, so caffeine is safe when consumed regularly in moderate amounts,  Caffeine dependence can be avoided by limiting the amount of caffeine you consume daily, or by taking periodic breaks from caffeinated beverages. People who are allergic to caffeine better avoid all caffeine-containing products. Before consuming caffeinated products, consult a physician if you are pregnant or if you have heart irregularities.