Coffee is a mild diuretic, so one can safely assume that decaf is even milder, as it is thought to be a result of high caffeine intake. But studies have shown that caffeine by itself does not have a diuretic effect. By the way, diuretics are substances that increase the rate of urination. This causes you to have to pee more throughout the day. Diuretics can also help eliminate toxins through the urine. But as decaf has little to no caffeine, is decaf coffee a diuretic in the same sense?
The answer is yes. Decaf coffee is a diuretic, so is water. So is apple juice and milk. If you drink enough of it.
Caffeine was the culprit in a 1928 study, but recent studies and conclusions by the Institute of Medicine have shown it was more a result of the liquid the caffeine was in, such as coffee and that no significant difference on diuretic effects was found in caffeinated beverages versus non-caffeinated ones.
Research from the Mayo Clinic and other medical journals acknowledge the benefits of coffee as a diuretic. However, it is only effective in large quantities. To gain the diuretic effects, the person must drink at least four cups of coffee on a daily basis. On the downside, drinking too much caffeinated coffee or drinks can leave the person jittery and anxious all day and can affect their sleeping patterns. Decaffeinated coffee is an alternative.
Decaffeinated coffee is not caffeine-free by any means. It still contains caffeine but in smaller amounts. Regular coffee contains 1%-2% caffeine. Decaffeinated coffee contains only a small portion of this percentage, at least 97.5% free. And brands labeled as 98% caffeine-free have 98% of the 1% caffeine removed.
What differentiates caffeinated from decaffeinated coffee involves how the coffee beans are processed. There are two ways of commercially processing coffee beans. One is referred to as the Swiss water technique. This involves steaming the beans to remove caffeine. The water is passed through charcoal filters, which removes the caffeine but not the other compounds. Beans are then re-soaked in the liquid to re-absorb all of the other compounds except caffeine. Another technique involves washing the beans in methylene chloride to remove the caffeine. After the chemical wash, the beans are washed with water to remove any trace of methylene chloride.
Other compounds that have diuretic properties include caffeic-acid, theobromine, asparagines and calcium. These are compounds with weaker diuretic properties but still have an effect on the body. Theobromine is the product of caffeine, which is produced when caffeine breaks down. This compound is also found in tea and other drinks that contain caffeine.
So, it depends on how you look at it. Is decaf coffee a diuretic? Yes, and no. If you drink enough of any liquid you are going to have an increase in the amount of urine you produce.
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