Decaf Coffee

[rawpromises]

Yesterday in a thread there was talk of how bad coffee can be on the liver and a raw lifestyle. What about decaf coffee? Is it just as bad for the body and the liver or is it somewhat better. I ask becasue I have drank decaf coffee my entire life and gave it up when I became raw. I do still have major craving for it which I find odd since I thought the caffeine is what was addictive.

[Veganforlife]

Decaf? Worse! It's how they take the caffeine out that is horrid.

[Zanjabil]

It still has some caffeine in it. I think along with the caffeine, you can be addicted to the coffee "experience". I understand how you feel I was an off and on regular coffee drinker(even though it didn't agree with me, thus the off and on) even now I get a whiff of that burnt bean aroma and I get a little nostalgic pang.:rolleyes:

[xPIXIEx]

Decaf? Worse! It's how they take the caffeine out that is horrid.

So, I take it decaf tea is just as bad?

[Veganforlife]

Now that depends. There are teas made with herbs and such that do NOT contain caffeine naturally...but taking a caffeinated tea and decaffing? I'd say yes...
found this real quick:

Since decaffeinted tea is processed with liquid carbon dioxide, is this a health risk?
Is regular green tea more beneficial than decaf tea? What is the difference.

Thank you.

-- Jen September 11, 2002

Answers
Decaffeinated teas do not have any health risks that we know of currently. The one thing that could happen with decaf teas that would not be desirable is that the decaf process will strip some health beneficial antioxidants, essential oils, and flavor. Green tea is a family of tea that is not oxidized. It is the oxidation process creates caffeine. Black teas are 100% oxidized and therefore would have the most caffeine while green teas and white teas would have the least caffeine.
One good way to decrease the amount of caffeine consumed is to find a whole leaf tea that can be reinfused multiple times. Since caffeine is very water soluable, making the first infusion would remove most of the caffeine from the tea leaves. Just water your plants with that first infusion (once it is cooled, ofcourse) and reinfuse the tea for a cup of tea with much less caffeine.

We sell many varieties of teas that can be reinfused multiple times.

Check us out at www.harmonytea.com

[xPIXIEx]

Thanks for posting. :)

[Dimond]

If you have any Sun Warrior Protein Powder Natural flavor, you can make a coffee-like drink combining it with cacao and agave. There are other recipes around to get a coffee-like flavor. I've never been a coffee drinker, otherwise I'm sure I'd have plenty of recipes to share. :) The Sun Warrior one I actually did by accident.

[rawpromises]

Great information. Thanks my fellow raw foodies.

[Jewels]

You might want to give Teeccino a try. Not raw, but has good stuff in it and tastes amazingly similar to coffee.

[Sai]

It is not raw, but we have not yet given up our OG, shade-grown, fair-trade decaf. The Swiss water method supposedly uses no chemicals and winds up with over 99.9% caffeine removed. Anyway, we're only doing 1 regular-sized cup a day.

[circle]

it still has caffeine in it. there is a certain amount of caffeine something can have while they are still able to label it caffeine free.

kombucha tea also has caffeine. less then decaf, but there is still a small amount. maybe switch over to wean you off of it if you want to stop the caffeine habit.

[Aleesha Sattva]

yes there is caffeine in it but honestly... if you WANT to drink coffee, drink it. your raw lifestyle is bringing your liver many many healing qualities. although, if you are trying to heal your liver i would go off it, get healthy and add it back into your diet if you choose. after all... it's your life, your body, your choice (((hugs)))

[KtotheB]

EEeeek, decaf is much worse. I was having the same cravings but I've been off coffee now for three weeks. I find that the more time passes without it, the less I crave it. I'm almost starting to have an aversion to it now, which is a good sign!

[michigan roman]

roasted chicory root is an alternative , though ive never tried it .

and ive seen it at the excellent company www.mountainroseherbs.com site

you could also easily grow your own chicory this growing season and stock up

[Ilse W.]

I just discovered Celestial Seasonings "English Toffee" and "Vanilla Hazelnut" teas, both herbal teas that taste great! I add a little almond milk. The English Toffee one tastes like Bear Claws! It's like having coffee and a sweet roll in one.