Detoxing decaf

We have written a lot about the many benefits of drinking coffee -- even decaf. But there’s news about a risk from decaf that we haven’t discussed before. It turns out that some decafs come with an unwelcome additive: a chemical called methylene chloride. In addition to stripping the caffeine out of the coffee bean, that chemical is (or was) used in “paint stripping, pharmaceutical manufacturing, paint removers and for metal cleaning and degreasing,” according to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration.

Methylene chloride’s potential as a carcinogen is recognized by the National Institutes of Health, the Environmental Protection Agency and the World Health Organization, and that led the EPA to ban its sale as a paint stripper in 2019. However, the Food and Drug Administration still allows it to be used in producing and packaging some foods, including decaf, certain spice extracts, hops extracts and in ink used to mark produce. Go figure.

Fortunately, water-decaffeinated coffee entirely avoids the potential hazards posed by methylene chloride. So, you can enjoy many of the benefits of drinking coffee with a water-decaf cuppa joe. Decaf contains polyphenols that seem to deliver about half the health benefits of caffeinated coffee -- but they are still significant: a reduced risk of Type 2 diabetes, liver disease and cognitive dysfunction and a lower risk of six cancers, including colon cancer.

The bottom line: Look for “water decaf” as beans or ground. Brew your coffee using an unbleached paper filter (that helps control lousy LDL cholesterol) and avoid flavoring it with added sugars, processed creamers and full-fat dairy.