If your answer is yes, then you’d be surprised to know that there really is no big difference at all. This topic was tackled on a health article of Manila Bulletin’s Medical Notes section based on a question from one of the readers. According to the health article, decaf has most of its caffeine removed, usually about 97%, and the removal process use solvents to extract the caffeine.

As the article says, “There are several ways by which coffee is decaffeinated. Some of these methods utilize solvents such as formaldehyde, methylene chloride or ethyl acetate in extracting the caffeine from coffee beans.” Weee…I was shocked to see that formaldehyde (used for embalming, right?) can also be utilized in the extraction process, we really don’t know what solvents the coffee companies use anyway.

Most of us would drink decaf thinking that we are avoiding the effects of caffeine such as increase in heart rate and blood pressure but these are just temporary. Studies actually show that these adverse effects also occur to both decaf and regular coffee drinkers. This might be because caffeine is not the main cause of these adverse effects, as this stimulating drink contains about 400 chemicals and the other ingredients present in coffee were not extracted during decaffeination.

My sis who used to be a coffee addict has long given up drinking coffee as it triggers hyperacidity and migraines for her. Thus, the effects of coffee vary among individuals. While others consider it a stimulant, something that keeps them alert at work, I know somebody who feels sleepy after few sips of coffee! IMO, if drinking coffee has no harmful side effects for you, such as migraines or increase in heart rate or blood pressure, then better go for the regular rather than the decaf version.

Incidentally, the decaffeination process leaves chemical residue which could trigger side effects such as allergies to the solvents used. Decaffeination could also dilute the health benefits of coffee especially its being a good source of antioxidants. While coffee is not known to be one of those weight loss supplements, studies have shown that those who drink more cups of coffee are less prone to develop diabetes.

Regular coffee, especially brewed, tastes much better than decaf anyway. So, which would you choose, regular or decaf?

Read more about the article here: http://www.mb.com.ph/articles/236884/coffee-regular-vs-decaf