Lowering Of The Antioxidants That Impart The Health Benefits To Decaffeinated Green Tea

Is decaffeinated green tea actually good for you? Before we explore this question and look at the benefits of green tea, let us look at the process of decaffeination itself. Decaffeination is the process wherein the caffeine contained in foods, such as coffee and tea, is removed. So, a cup of coffee would have only a few milligrams of caffeine in it. This is a great way for all the tea lovers to enjoy the natural flavors of the beverage without having to deal with the harmful caffeine side effects. Moreover, green tea is in itself quite beneficial to the health of a person as it is not only one of the least processed teas but also provides antioxidant polyphenols known as a catechin. Also, called epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG), this catechin is believed to be responsible for most of the health benefits linked to green tea such as a decreased risk of cancer and heart disease.

Methods of Decaffeination

Carbon Dioxide Decaffeination: Known as supercritical fluid extraction, the carbon dioxide method of decaffeination involves soaking the tea leaves in a carbon dioxide solution. This helps in releasing the caffeine. Once the tea leaves are separated out from the solution, then the caffeine is removed by using charcoal. The tea leaves are then immersed back into the filtered solution, to allow the absorption of the nutrients. It is believed that this process of decaffeination retains polyphenols and catechins which impart the benefits to the green tea.

Ethyl Acetate Decaffeination: This method of decaffeination is often used synonymously with "naturally decaffeinated" process and is the most commonly used decaffeination process. This process involves soaking the leaves in water. Once the tea leaves are removed, the caffeine is removed by bringing it in contact with ethyl acetate. Post this, the tea leaves are again immersed in water to reabsorb the nutrients.

Decaffeinated Green Tea Benefits

Polyphenols are powerful antioxidants that are the primary forces that destroy the free radicals and environmental toxins in the body. Free radicals in the body cause modification of the cells, tampering with the DNA and cell death. This not only causes a number of health problems but also results in the speeding up of the aging process. The neutralizing antioxidants in green tea help fight off diseases such as the coronary artery disease, high cholesterol problems and even cancer. Here is a list of green tea benefits.

• Lowers the cholesterol levels
• Improves digestion and bowel regularity
• Fights signs of aging
• Helps prevent atherosclerosis
• Protects against cancer including bladder, breast and ovarian cancer
• Controls blood sugar
• Boost metabolism and burns fat to promote weight loss.

In addition to these benefits of green tea, decaffeinated green tea also helps reduce the symptoms of an overdose of caffeine that is present in normal tea. This caffeine often gives rise to gastrointestinal problems and nervous system side effects like depression and fatigue. It is important to keep in mind that the effects of this tea on pregnancy have not been explored and is thus best avoided during pregnancy.

Decaffeinated Green Side Effects

While green tea does have a range of benefits, it is also important to keep in mind the side effects of this natural tea. It is observed that the green tea or the green tea extracts can inhibit the function of medications such as adenosine, antibiotics, benzodiazepines, beta-blockers, propranolol, and metoprolol and certain blood thinning medications. Moreover, the decaffeination process itself results in a lowering of the antioxidant catechins in the tea, thus robbing it of its most potent health benefits. The presence of ethyl acetate compounds in the tea can cause a number of liver problems as well.

Green tea is rich in antioxidants and the decaffeinating process does affect the naturally healthy components in it. However if you just cannot tolerate the caffeine in natural teas, then decaffeinated green tea is a great option for you.