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| Decaf coffee gets a bad rap, but I truly don’t understand why! As a caffeine-sensitive human, I’m here to defend it. It’s delicious, tastes just like regular coffee, and can be made into the same great drinks, minus the potential side effects. What’s not to love? Let’s talk about this.
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Quit hating,
Morgan Mandriota
Newsletter Editor, Healthline
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Written by Morgan Mandriota
June 19, 2026 • 3.5 min read |
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| Decaf coffee haters, hear me out…
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| I used to need a daily hazelnut latte in order to function at my peak. Then, on a random day in December 2024, my drink of choice decided to betray me. It started causing jitters, anxiety, and sleep issues that lasted for weeks. This spurred a coffee break that lasted up until 2 months ago. |
| I became a self-proclaimed tea connoisseur over the last year and a half, but I still deeply missed the taste of coffee. For some reason, the option of grabbing a bag of decaf beans didn’t cross my mind until recently. So, I bopped on over to a local shop, picked up some freshly roasted beans, and made a cup, which ultimately launched me back into my coffee era. |
| Everyone loves to hate on decaffeinated coffee, which I guess is why the saying “death before decaf” is a thing. But it has truly become a staple for me and a lovely part of my days. I’ve successfully reintroduced coffee to my routine now, but I still cut my cups with decaf to limit my caffeine intake. |
| Nowadays, I drink 1 to 2 cups of decaf French press coffee after waking up. I still can’t have caffeine on an empty stomach because it hits me too hard, but I’m still able to enjoy the taste of coffee (mixed with some local vanilla pod-infused maple syrup) first thing in the morning. After breakfast, I brew a double shot of espresso in my beloved espresso machine to make a (half caf) latte that fuels my work day. After my evening shower, if I still want something yummy but it’s too late to eat, I’ll make a hot decaf latte and relax on the couch with my cat. |
| I know drinking decaf isn’t revolutionary, and I’m not the first to do it, but it has felt like a game-changer to me, so I wanted to share the friendly reminder that it’s an option. |
| If you’re sensitive to good ol’ coffee like me, I highly recommend drinking decaf if you’re not already. Individual tolerance may vary, but general guidelines suggest that healthy adults should avoid consuming more than 400 milligrams of caffeine daily. |
| OK, enough about me. If I haven’t convinced you of its goodness by now, maybe this research will. |
| Believe it or not, despite being demonized in the past, the health benefits of decaf are similar to regular coffee! Its many perks are mainly attributed to its antioxidant and polyphenol content. These active substances are effective at neutralizing free radicals, which help to reduce oxidative stress and prevent conditions like heart disease, cancer, and type 2 diabetes. And recent research found that it can boost your gut bacteria, too. Simply put, it’s an excellent way to enjoy coffee without the side effects of too much caffeine. |
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| ☕ Over to you: Which side are you on, Team Decaf or Death Before Decaf? Email wellnesswire@healthline.com to chime in and share your why. |
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