Dear Sue:

I have recently become more concerned about my nutrition -- specifically, cutting out some bad habits. What is the difference between naturally decaffeinated beverages and those decaffeinated with processing agents? Thanks,
Margaret

Dear Margaret:

It seems that there is little need to worry about the chemicals used in the decaffeinating process, because most, if not all, are gone by the time the coffee gets to your cup.

There are two main methods of decaffeinating: one using chemicals, most often methylene chloride, and the other using high-pressure hot water. (The caffeine that is extracted is then used as an additive to soft drinks. Talk about recycling!)

Methylene chloride caffeine extraction works when the caffeine molecules cling to the methylene chloride, which is then flushed away. This process is done on the green, unroasted bean. Virtually no traces of the chemical remain, and what little there is evaporates when the beans are roasted. Many coffee drinkers think that this method preserves the flavor better than the non-chemical method.

The Swiss Water Process is chemical-free. Hot, high-pressure water and charcoal flushed many times over the coffee bean washes away the caffeine.

Because there's no chemical residue on the coffee bean from either method, it doesn't seem that there is any health advantage of one method over the other. However, many people, for philosophical reasons, prefer to eat foods containing or processed with as few chemicals as possible, for both their own health and the health of the Earth.

Good luck to you and your progress in switching to a healthier, more nutritious lifestyle. Thanks for the question.

Sincerely,
Sue Gilbert, M.S., nutritionist