The Decaffeine Process Of Tea And Coffee

The caffeine scene in the United States began to take off around the early 1700’s. After the Boston Tea Party had instigated a ban on all commodities from Great Brittan the people of the United States began importing caffeine from South America. The coffee that was imported was inexpensive and was seen as a very democratic beverage. It was a symbol of American independence and autonomy from the British. After the Civil War, American soldiers were given coffee grounds and instant coffee packets in their rations to help cope with sleep deprivation. By the 1800’s coffee had become America’s favorite breakfast beverage (the predecessor was beer!). After World War I the coffee house trend hit. Soldiers came home craving what they had tasted in Europe.

As stated by The Scientific American, decaffeinated coffee accounts for approximately 12% of total worldwide coffee consumption, or nearly 1 billion pounds per year (Clydesdale, 1999). In Armaresh’s study the two main methods utilized for the decaffeination process of tea and coffee are ethyl acetate (C₄H₈O₂) method and the CO2 method, “Both methods if followed accurately could give a final product which is 99.6% caffeine free” (Armaresh, 2011). The ethyl acetate method is a direct method that involves steaming the tea leaves and the addition of ethyl acetate. The ethyl acetate binds with the caffeine molecules to remove them from the leaves. The leaves and beans are then rinsed and rid of all ethyl acetate to guarantee quality and

Caffeine creates a higher acidity in the digestive tract and caused, what called a “premature bowel movement”. The acidity is difficult for the general intestinal tract to cope with so food that hasn’t completed the digestive process is moved into the small intestines where the waste is evacuated. Peristalsis is also intensified. Peristalsis is the squeeze and pull the digestive tract uses to move food from one place to another. Furthermore, caffeine causes the kidneys to flush expelling essential minerals and nutrients. When the kidneys are flushed the body has the potential to become