What type of coffee drinker are you? Do you prefer regular coffee or decaffeinated coffee?

For some of us, we prefer drinking decaffeinated coffee because of the thought that it has a lesser caffeine content to it. Well, that is true, but did you know that decaffeinated coffee has a bad side effect on our body?

Too much caffeine is indeed bad for us, but decaffeinated coffee is much riskier to drink if you don’t drink moderately, for it may lead to some nutrient deficiencies that our body needs.

Here are 5 unexpected side effects of decaf coffee that we should all know.

Adverse cardiovascular effects

There are a lot of health articles about how drinking coffee can give us a lot of health benefits, however, studies have shown that decaf coffee increases levels of LDL cholesterol, which is responsible for increasing your risk of heart disease, heart failure, and heart attacks.

But before you completely freak out by not having your coffee in anytime soon it is important to get the facts straight for your own benefits. “The cholesterol-raising effect of coffee is actually due to the type of bean used, and not the caffeine content. Decaffeinated coffee is often derived from Robusta beans, which may have slightly higher cholesterol-raising effects. Unlike Arabica beans (generally used for caffeinated coffee), Robusta beans are reported to have a greater ability to stimulate fatty acid production in the body.”

Declining bone density

Though coffee has a lot of acid to it we still enjoy the light range of flavors we experience from it. But did you know that drinking decaf coffee increases metabolic acidity and is rumored to interfere with healthy bone density? Excess acidity has been linked to negative calcium balance and increased excretion of calcium. So, if you have weak bones better yet stay away from drinking too much coffee.

Increased acidity in the body

As we all know coffee is highly acidic, and it stimulates excessive secretion of gastric acids. Decaf coffee is especially guilty of this, and over-consumption can quickly lead to ulcers, acid reflux, inflammatory bowel conditions, heartburn and urinary tract infections. So if you are too acidic it’s better to take your coffee moderately.

Stimulates the sympathetic nervous system

If you think drinking decaf cannot make you jitters, well think again because decaf can stimulate the sympathetic nervous system, which increases shaking, over stimulation and that seemingly inexplicable jumpiness.

Greater risk of rheumatoid arthritis

Now this one is exclusive to decaf coffee. Drinking non-caffeinated coffee as opposed to regular coffee puts you at much greater risk of rheumatoid arthritis; an autoimmune disease characterized by painful inflammation of the joints and internal organs. According to a study of more than 31,336 women aged 55-69, women who reported consuming four or more cups of decaffeinated coffee a day were more than twice as likely to develop rheumatoid arthritis, compared to women who never drank decaf.

Drinking coffee has a positive and negative side effect to our body. To get the health benefits of it better drink only 2 to 3 cups of coffee a day which is enough to fuel you up for the whole day.

Source: Sporteluxe