BEAUTY MANTRA PUTTING CLICHÉS UNDER THE SPOTLIGHT
Can the humble coffee bean improve your wellbeing?
The more you read about how caffeine affects your wellbeing, the more confusing the battle between caffeinated and decaffeinated becomes. So, for all you coffee-lovers, we’ve asked the experts to say which variety of freshly brewed bean is best for mind, body and energy.
Benefits diminish
“Bearing in mind that tea and coffee are valuable sources of antioxidants and minerals, having decaffeinated versions allows one to get the benefits without worrying about caffeine intake,” says nutritionist Ian Marber. “Caffeine in the short term can be useful for focus and energy yet the effects diminish over time and with excess intake. There are several ways to remove caffeine but water processing doesn’t involve chemicals and may be preferable, though other ways are quite safe, too. That said, all methods leave traces of caffeine so it is unlikely that tea or coffee is ever completely caffeine free.”
No overall conclusion
“This entire area is bereft of randomised trials. The notion that decaffeinated coffee may be better than regular coffee is based on the assumption that regular coffee is bad for you, but even that is based on observational studies, some of which suggest benefits, some harm, and others neither,” says Naveed Sattar, professor of metabolic medicine, University of Glasgow. “These findings confirm uncertainty. We should not be surprised since for any nutritional agent, there are many confounding factors that make it difficult to discover the truth about health risks. So overall, we really don’t know if regular caffeinated coffee has any net health benefits or harms, and in turn, there can be no reason to consider whether decaffeinated coffee is a better alternative.” The original “fat white” coffee brand, which implored us to swap milk for butter in pursuit of the best caffeinated fatburning drink yet. Bulletproof Upgraded Coffee Whole Bean, £9.95, uk.bulletproof.com
Rich in antioxidants
“Coffee is often used for its stimulant effect, but some people are more sensitive to the effects of the caffeine that it contains,” says Chloe Miles, spokesman for the British Dietetic Association. “Pregnant or breastfeeding women, and those who are anxious or have difficulty sleeping often find decaffeinated coffee useful as they are usually advised to restrict their caffeine intake. Also, decaffeinated coffee may cause less gastrointestinal discomfort. Some studies have shown a link between reduced risk of type 2 diabetes and coffee; decaffeinated and caffeinated coffees seem to have a similar effect. Both types of coffee are, also, antioxidant rich, and antioxidants may reduce your risk of developing certain conditions.”
‘We don’t know if caffeinated coffee has any net benefits’