So What IS Swiss Water Process Decaffeination?

Mmmmmm…Coffee without caffeine. It’s just like…….water.

Marye Audet, 2008

The Swiss Water Process was developed in Switzerland in the early 1930s. After each batch of coffee beans is steeped in hot water, the water is filtered through charcoal filters to remove as much of the caffeine as possible. The actual amount of caffeine removed can vary quite a bit from batch to batch, by the way, and de-caf coffee is allowed a certain percentage of caffeine. The “flavor charged” water, presumably without any caffeine in it, is then used to soak the next batch of beans. The idea is that the water re-flavors the beans as the caffeine is removed by soaking.

So, if you ever thought that de-caf coffee tasted weak? Well, you were probably right.

But can the effects of caffeine on the body be lessened?

Some people believe that adding chicory to coffee will lessen the buzz from caffeine. A lot of coffee New Orleans style has added chicory root. You see, Napoleon’s cook discovered that roasted chicory root made an excellent coffee substitute. It is still the major component of some of the coffee substitutes on the market today. There are two chemicals in chicory, lactucin and lactucopicrin, that seem to counter the effects of caffeine by the sedative effect they have on the central nervous system.

Personally, I believe extra magnesium helps with the caffeine jitters. And then, there is the best advice of all, everything in moderation.

Quote for today:

Way too much coffee. But if it weren’t for the coffee, I’d have no identifiable personality whatsoever.
David Letterman