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Written by Allison Torres BurtkaMedically Reviewed by Shruthi N, MD on December 07, 2025

• Why Choose Decaf Coffee?
• Is There Caffeine in Decaf Coffee?
• What Are the Benefits of Drinking Decaf Coffee?
• How Is Decaf Coffee Made? 
• What Health Conditions Can Affect Caffeine Intake?
• Does Decaf Coffee Have Side Effects?
• Takeaways
• Decaf Coffee FAQs

7 min read

Coffee is a common morning drink that contains caffeine. Decaf coffee is coffee made by removing the caffeine from unroasted coffee beans.

Caffeine is a drug that’s widely consumed around the world. Most people get their caffeine from coffee.‌

If you like the taste of coffee or are comforted by a cup of joe in the morning but can’t have caffeine, there is another option for you. Decaf coffee has its own benefits and is a good option for people who need a caffeine alternative.

Why Choose Decaf Coffee?

There are many reasons you might need to avoid caffeine. That doesn’t mean you have to avoid coffee. If you are sensitive to caffeine, it may have negative side effects, such as: 

• Anxiety
• Restlessness
• Insomnia
• Increased heart rate‌

Like caffeinated coffee, decaf coffee has also been shown to improve your mood and reaction time. Although it doesn’t make you as alert as caffeine does, other chemicals in coffee could affect your daily performance, a study shows. 

Another benefit that decaf and caffeinated coffee share is their impact on your liver. The chemicals in both types of coffee have been shown to raise your liver enzyme levels and have a protective effect on your liver. 

Decaf coffee is a good choice for people who enjoy coffee but don't want its side effects. You might choose decaf to accompany late-night conversations or to give to children who want to try coffee.

Is There Caffeine in Decaf Coffee?

A common concern among decaf coffee drinkers is that there’s caffeine in their coffee. New research has confirmed that your decaf coffee does contain small amounts of caffeine.‌

The decaffeination process removes about 97% of the caffeine from the coffee beans. So, your average cup of decaf coffee has about 2 milligrams of caffeine, while your average cup of regular coffee has about 95 milligrams of caffeine.‌

The small amount of caffeine doesn’t typically affect most people trying to avoid it. Certain conditions, such as caffeine sensitivity, may make you feel the effects of even the smallest amount of caffeine.‌

If you have a condition that requires you to avoid caffeine completely, you should ask your doctor before trying decaf coffee. Since there are small amounts of caffeine present, you may need to avoid decaf coffee as well, unless your doctor allows it.

What Are the Benefits of Drinking Decaf Coffee?

Along with improving your mood and reaction time, decaf has some other potential health benefits. Like regular coffee, decaf coffee contains antioxidants, which may improve your heart and gut health.

Drinking moderate amounts of coffee has been linked to several health benefits, and decaf offers some of these benefits as well. In studies that have looked at the effect of caffeinated and decaffeinated coffee on overall mortality, they generally found that both types reduced the risk of death.

One study found that decaf coffee may lower the risk of death from cardiovascular causes, while another found that it may also lower the risk of type 2 diabetes.

However, if you add sugar or cream to your decaf, this might reduce the health benefits, research shows. Cream, milk, syrups, and sugar can add extra calories and lower the positive effects of decaf.‌ So black decaf coffee, without any extra ingredients, is the best option for health benefits.

How Is Decaf Coffee Made? 

Decaf coffee is made by using one of three main methods of removing the caffeine:

• Chemical solvents, such as methylene chloride and ethyl acetate, are used in both the direct and indirect methods. In the direct method, the coffee beans are steamed and then soaked in the solvent, which binds to the caffeine and gets removed. In the indirect method, the coffee beans are soaked in hot water, and then the water is treated with the solvent. 
• Liquid carbon dioxide (CO2) is pumped into a high-pressure chamber with the coffee beans, and it binds to the caffeine and gets removed.
• Water processes, such as the Swiss water process, use water to take out the caffeine.

In 2023, the Environmental Defense Fund and other organizations petitioned the FDA to ban methylene chloride from food because it is known to cause cancer. The FDA has not banned it from use in food, but it has banned the use of methylene chloride in cosmetic products.

The way that methylene chloride is used to decaffeinate coffee appears to pose a fairly minimal risk, but if you’re concerned about it, you can look for decaf coffee that’s made using one of the other processes, says Jen Bruning, MS, RDN, LDN, spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. “A quick Google search of your favorite brand would probably also be able to tell you a lot of information.”

Some coffee manufacturers indicate on the label which process they use, particularly if it is the Swiss water process.

Technically, it might be possible to decaffeinate your own coffee beans, but replicating an industrial process in your home kitchen would be difficult, and you may not be able to tell whether you’ve succeeded in removing the caffeine, Bruning says. “I think it would be tricky to replicate at best.”

To decaffeinate coffee beans, you also need to start with green, unroasted beans, not the roasted beans that you can find at the store, which might be difficult.

What Health Conditions Can Affect Caffeine Intake?

Besides wanting a noncaffeinated coffee option, you may need to avoid caffeine for health reasons. You might want to stick to decaf coffee if you have any of the following conditions. ‌

Blood pressure problems. If you have trouble controlling your blood pressure, you might be advised to try decaf coffee. That way, you can still get your routine morning coffee without negative side effects.

Pregnancy. If you’re pregnant, your OB/GYN may recommend you have less than 200 milligrams of caffeine a day — which is the amount in one 12-ounce cup of regular coffee. If you’re craving the taste of coffee, decaf coffee’s low caffeine levels make it a safe alternative.

Caffeine can have harmful effects on pregnant women and their babies. Caffeine goes through the placenta and reaches your baby. The negative effects include pregnancy loss and low birth weight.

Caffeine sensitivity. If you have caffeine sensitivity, you might have negative effects every time you drink a cup of regular coffee. By drinking decaf coffee, you might avoid feeling jittery or anxious. ‌

“In the general population, we drink so much coffee, and a fair number of us are pretty caffeine sensitive,” Bruning says. Also, “People can change in terms of their sensitivity to caffeine as they age. So, the amount of coffee you're able to drink as a younger person may start to affect you differently. You may start to feel that jitteriness,” for example. 

Certain prescription medications. You should talk to your doctor about certain medications, such as some anti-anxiety drugs, that might have interactions with caffeine.

Talk to your doctor if you’re having negative reactions to caffeine. They may recommend decaf coffee as an alternative. Even if you don't need to give up caffeine, decaf coffee is a good option in the afternoon and evening to avoid any caffeine-related sleep issues.

Does Decaf Coffee Have Side Effects?

The amount of caffeine in decaf coffee is unlikely to cause some of the side effects that regular coffee does, like feeling jittery or anxious, or having trouble sleeping. But it could affect you if you’re sensitive to caffeine. Unlike caffeinated coffee, decaf coffee doesn’t dehydrate you or make you need to pee more.

Decaf could worsen heartburn or gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) symptoms. “Coffee itself is a fairly irritating substance, and there is an acidity to coffee in both regular and decaf,” Bruning says.

Some research suggests that decaf coffee could raise cholesterol levels, but more research is needed. If you’re concerned about the side effects of decaf coffee, talk to your health care provider about it and any health conditions you have.

Takeaways

Decaf coffee is a good option if you want to lower your caffeine intake or avoid it completely. It offers some health benefits, in part because it contains antioxidants. Along with benefits, decaf coffee also has some potential side effects, especially if you’re highly sensitive to caffeine. A few different processes can be used to remove the caffeine from coffee beans, but decaf coffee still contains a small amount of caffeine afterward.

Decaf Coffee FAQs

Is decaf coffee a laxative?

Yes. Decaf coffee may make you poop. Acids that are in both decaf and regular coffee stimulate a hormone called gastrin. This hormone stimulates involuntary muscle contractions in your stomach. Decaf has a milder laxative effect than regular caffeinated coffee, but it still has an effect.

Is decaf coffee dehydrating?

No. Unlike regular coffee, decaf doesn’t dehydrate you. 

Does decaf coffee cause anxiety?

While caffeine can make you feel anxious, decaf coffee is unlikely to. 

Is it okay to drink decaf coffee every day?

It’s generally OK to drink decaf every day, but because it does contain some caffeine, drinking large amounts of it might cause side effects. Also, drinking too much of it might mean you’re not drinking enough water, Bruning says.

Is decaffeinated coffee healthy?

Decaf coffee is generally healthy because it offers some of the same health benefits that regular coffee does, without many of the side effects. 

What are the disadvantages of decaf?

One disadvantage of decaf might be a difference in taste if you are switching from regular coffee to decaf. Also, you might be concerned about the solvents used in decaffeinated coffee, but you can look for decaf that uses different processes.

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