Decaf green tea extract is a better choice of tea for people with problems or reactions with caffeine in tea. Green tea extract can be put into pills or capsules for easy and convenient use.
Photo courtesy of Peyri
How the caffeine is removed from tea leaves?
The caffeine is removed from the tea leaves by soaking the leaves in chemicals such as carbon dioxide or ethyl acetate (caffeine in coffee is removed by soaking the beans in chemical solution chlorine). Both of these chemicals have the abilities to bind to caffeine molecules, pulling it away from the chemical components of the tea leaves. However, each has advantages and disadvantages. The advantage for ethyl acetate and carbon dioxide are that these chemicals are rather abundant and cheap. The main disadvantages of these chemicals are their abilities to remove other substance as well.
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As noted, the decaf tea has somewhat a different color and taste a bit differently. This is because the decaffeinating process removes more than just caffeine.
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Because chemicals are used in the process, it is bound to reduce the flavor and richness of tea. If people are hesitant because the amount of caffeine in tea, they can purchase decaffeinated tea.
Pregnant women and young children should avoid caffeine-containing drinks. You should consult with your doctors to see if decaf tea is fine in your condition because there may still be a small amount of caffeine in decaffeinated tea.
If you don’t have time to brew a nice cup of tea and want to keep your caffeine level in check, there are decaf green tea extract available in pills and capsules on the market.
3 things that you should check when buying supplements
* Check the expiration date in the bottle because decaf green tea extract is just like regular tea leaves, it can be easily rotten if is stored in poor conditions.
* Check to see if it’s actually decaf green tea extract because some people may be allergic to caffeine.
* Check to see how much % or milligram of polyphenols in a capsule. This way you have an exact ideas how much polyphenols antioxidant you are getting.
Green tea extract have many health benefits as regular drinking tea. Green tea extract often contains ~ 95 % polyphenols with about 65% of that is helpful antioxidant EGCG. Often people would need to supply the body with ~ 350 mg of polyphenols each day to provide the body with sufficient protection against free radicals.
However, if you don’t have much time and still like the benefits from tea, green tea capsules can be your best option. There is lots of information of health benefits of tea, in particular green tea in the Tea & Health section, but to save you some time, I will talk a bit about several prominent benefits you can get from decaf green tea extract.
First, because there isn’t much caffeine in the extract, side effects such as loss of sleep and restlessness are less likely to occur. Thus lacking caffeine can be viewed as a benefit for your body.
Green tea extract contains high levels of antioxidant polyphenols such as flavonoids and catechins, vitamin B2, A, C, D K, mineral calcium, sodium, selenium, iron, copper…
The antioxidants can enhance the effects of vitamins and minerals to protect the cells from harmful bacteria and toxic chemicals. Decaf green tea extract is also a rich source of vitamin D which is essential in strengthening bones and teeth. Thus, sufficient supply of vitamin D can greatly reduce the risk of bone fracture and decrease in bone density. Menopause or post-menopause women have high risk of developing Osteoporosis, therefore vitamin D and calcium supplements are necessary now than ever.
Tea extract is also a rich source of fluoride that can help prevent formation of plaque, reduce dental problems, and alleviate gum infection. Toothpaste brand like Crest have added green tea extract in their toothpaste for better dental protection.
Decaf green tea extract can further be used to lower the risk of cancer development and slow the spread of cancer. In chemo prevention, physicians try to prevent the formation of cancer cells. The range of dosage is very narrow. But with green tea extract capsules, there is a wider range of acceptable dosage. Because all of the components are natural, the risk of having side effects is reduced.
Another advantage of using green tea extract over other drug is that you can choose the percentage of EGCG, an antioxidant that is very effective to reduce the risk of cancer. Studies have shown that polyphenols in decaf green tea extract such as EGCG is able to protect DNA from being damaged, to reduce contacts of carcinogens to healthy cells, and to hinder existing cancer cells from spreading.
Experiments have done in mice shows that mice that is fed with green tea extract was 60% less likely to develop lung tumors than mice that is fed normal foods, given the same conditions. In decaf green tea extract, there is often higher amount of EGCG per dosage than in a cup of tea. But you should be aware of the dosage limit so you can use the products.
Decaf green tea extract can also be applied externally to prevent skin cancer. Skin cancer often is caused by UV radiation or exposure to toxic chemicals. Applying green tea extract can help protect the skin cells from free radials that can interfere with the cell’s growth and division.
Before taking any supplement, you should consult with your doctor.