Decaffeinated Coffee Beans
Decaffeinated coffee beans are simply coffee beans that went thorugh certain processes to lessen or remove the caffeine from the beans itself. Coffee beans end up containing 1/40th of the amount of caffeine after the process. There are several approaches to decaffeinate coffee beans.
The direct method of decaffeinating coffee beans is the most widely used technique. This process steams the coffee beans for about thirty minutes to expand the pores of the beans and eliminate the waxy coating. The coffee beans will be rinsed with a solvent (methylene chloride or ethyl acetate) for about ten hours. This two solvents form a molecular bond with the caffeine and then they steam the beans again to remove the solvent. However, the non-caffeine coffee ingredients are removed form the solvent put back into the coffee.
The indirect method has similarities with the direct method. The difference between the two is the medium they used, water is employed instead of steam and the caffeine is withdrawn from the water not from the beans. This process is sometimes called ”water processed” but it can be misleading considering they still used chemical solvents to remove the caffeine.
The Swiss Water Process takes and soaks the unroasted beans in hot water to release the caffeine. When the caffeine and coffee solids are removed the beans are disposed of. To completely remove the caffeine the water is then filter. Coffee beans are sustained to continue the process until the beans are free of caffeine.
For decaffeinated coffee beans lovers, you must be cautious because there are evidences that it causes some health risks. Due to the unnatural process of separating caffeine from the coffee beans, according to research, it can cause a lot of health problems. There are links involving the consumption of decaffeinated coffee beans and the risk of heart disease due to an increase in ”bad LDL” cholesterol levels. It is also linked to acid reflux, heartburn, or stomach ulcers because the process of removing caffeine from the beans can increase the acidity levels.
The other effect of consumption of decaffeinated coffee beans involves the bones and other organs of the body. It may be a factor to the early appearance of osteoporosis. Due to the high acidity of decaf coffee, the eyes may also be affected because it increases intraocular pressure that leads to glaucoma. There has been a connection to cancer of the lungs, stomach, or small intestines between the chemical solvents used in the decaffeinating process.
Decaffeinated coffee beans may provide a good taste but must be taken in moderation because too much of a good thing may have negative effects.