Decaffeinated tea is the right choice to go with if you want to cut out the caffeine out of your life or if you are sensitive to caffeine but do not want to give up the refreshing cup of tea you get every morning and evening.
What is decaffeinated tea?
Decaffeinated tea, (also known as decaf tea in short) is when tea leaves have undergone a special process to remove the natural amount of caffeine in them.
How much caffeine is there in decaf tea?
A common misunderstanding is that decaf tea is same as caffeine-free teas. This is not true because decaffeinated teas have about 2 mg of caffeine in them as the production process cannot remove the whole amount of caffeine in the tea leaves, while the caffeine-free teas do not have any amount of caffeine in them.
How is decaffeinated tea made?
- Carbon Dioxide Method- First, CO2 gas is subjected is pressurized under a high temperature and is allowed to liquidize. The liquidized CO2 molecules then attract the small caffeine molecules and remove them out of the leaves without removing the large flavour molecules of the tea to preserve the goodness and the flavour of the tea.
- Methylene Chloride Method- Tea leaves are soaked in methylene chloride and methylene chloride molecules bond with caffeine molecules to remove the caffeine from tea leaves. But this is not the safest method to decaffeinate tea as the chemicals may remain in the tea leaves even after the process.
- Ethyl Acetate Method: Caffeine is removed by soaking tea leaves are in an ethyl acetate solution. This is a natural method of decaffeinating tea as ethyl acetate is found naturally in tea leaves. But tea tasters often say that this method of decaffeination gives tea a chemical taste.
- Water Processing Method: This method of decaffeination was originally used in decaffeinating coffee but later it was used in tea decaffeination as well. The tea leaves are soaked in hot water for a certain period. Then the solution (which contains caffeine molecules and flavour) is filtered through a carbon filter to remove the caffeine molecules, and the tea leaves are soaked in the filtered solution to give back the extracted flavours of the tea leaves.
What are the benefits of decaffeinated tea?
Decaffeinated tea is very good for you although there are many debates about decaffeinated tea benefits. Some of the benefits are listed below.
- It can control your addiction to caffeine.
- It can slow the ageing process caused by free radicals in your body.
- It can help with sleeping problems like insomnia.
- It can reduce anxiety and depression.
- It lowers your blood pressure.
- It lowers your cholesterol levels.
- It can reduce the risk of heart diseases.
- It can reduce inflammation and allergic reactions.
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