Decaffeinated coffee may be harmful

Reported by Susan Aldridge, PhD, medical journalist

A study shows that decaffeinated coffee can raise blood choleterol, which may increase the risk of heart disease.
Maybe you think decaffeinated coffee is a healthier choice than the regular type? That could, unfortunately, be a misconception, according to a report from the Coffee and Lipoprotein Metabolism (CALM) Study. Researchers in Atlanta, Georgia, looked at a group of 187 people who drank either three to six cups of regular coffee a day, three to six cups of decaffeinated, or no coffee.

There was no difference between the three groups with regard to blood insulin, glucose or blood pressure after three months. But those on decaffeinated coffee had an increase in a protein and in fatty acids linked to low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL or 'bad' cholesterol, increases of which can be a sign of heart disease ).

These results are perhaps rather surprising. However, there are differences between caffeinated and decaffeinated coffee, other than the caffeine content. They tend to be made from different species of coffee bean. Caffeinated is often derived from Arabica beans, decaffeinated from Robusta. This is because decaffeination tends to leach out flavor compounds and Robusta has, as the name suggests, a more 'robust' flavor that makes up for this. No need to give up coffee on account of this study, but you might consider switching back to the regular type if you drink a lot (or just cut down).

Source
American Heart Association Scientific Sessions 16th November 2005

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