Decaf coffee and tea go through a process where their caffeine content is removed from their leaves and beans. It removes 97-90% of the caffeine but preserves their flavour. Some studies favour decaffeinated coffee and tea. Caffeine can cross the placenta and affect foetal heart rate, growth and development. Though the caffeine is mostly stripped away, whiffs of caffeine would still be there, making people worry about its safety for pregnant women.
How Caffeine Affects Pregnant Women
Caffeine is a natural stimulant found in coffee beans, tea leaves, cocoa, and some energy drinks. It stimulates the central nervous system while increasing alertness and reducing fatigue. Caffeine can cross the placenta, and the foetus cannot metabolise it like adults. Even a small amount of caffeine raises concerns.
Slower Metabolism
In a non-pregnant state, the liver quickly breaks down the caffeine, and the body clears half of it within a few hours. But this is not the case during pregnancy due to hormonal changes.
Oestrogen and progesterone reduce the activity of some liver enzymes that help break down caffeine. As a result, caffeine stays in the mother's blood stores for longer. If you drink more caffeinated drinks during pregnancy, the caffeine in your system builds up in the blood.
Caffeine usually increases heart rate and alertness, and reduces sleepiness. When the caffeine in your system increases, it will add to the existing pregnancy symptoms.
Caffeine Crosses the Placenta
The placenta is the lifeline for your baby. It connects your bloodstream to your baby to deliver oxygen and nutrients. Caffeine is a small, water and fat-soluble molecule, which makes it easy to cross the placenta.
When you drink coffee, tea, or caffeinated beverages, the caffeine level in your blood increases, crosses the placenta, and increases its level in foetal circulation. Studies confirm that even a moderate amount of caffeine intake can change foetal activity.
Foetus Can't Metabolise Caffeine
The adult liver has an enzyme called CYP1A2, which is responsible for breaking down caffeine and clearing it from the body. A foetus does not have these enzymes.
The foetal liver is immature and does not produce enough enzymes needed to metabolise caffeine. When the caffeine crosses the placenta and enters the foetal bloodstream, the foetus can't break it down.
This caffeine accumulates inside foetal tissues and stays there for longer. This further increases foetal heart rates and breathing movements, disrupts blood flow and oxygen to the tissues, and affects the overall growth of the foetus.
How Much Caffeine is Safe During Pregnancy?
During pregnancy, limit coffee intake to 200 mg or less than that per day. Exceeding this may cause pregnancy complications like low birth weight, growth restrictions, miscarriage, preterm birth, or stillbirth.
Is Decaf Coffee and Tea Completely Caffeine-Free?
Decaf coffee and tea are not 100% caffeine-free. Decaffeinated means only 97-99% of the caffeine has been removed, leaving some fragments behind.
A regular coffee packs 80- 100 mg caffeine per cup. But in a decaf coffee, a 250 ml cup contains 2-5 mg caffeine.
How Coffee and Tea are Decaffeinated
Decaffeination happens to green coffee beans or unfermented tea leaves before roasting or brewing. Caffeine is removed in multiple ways:
- Water Processing (Swiss Water Process): Coffee beans or tea leaves are soaked in hot water to release the flavour compounds. The water passes through activated charcoal or carbon filters that trap caffeine but leave flavour. Here, no chemicals are involved, making it a safe option.
- Carbon dioxide Method: Green beans go into a sealed vessel. The carbon dioxide penetrates the coffee bean to dissolve the caffeine and pulls it out while leaving the flavours.
- Solvent-Based Methods: Coffee beans are steamed for 30 minutes to open pores and then directly rinsed with a solvent for hours to bind and extract the caffeine.
Is Decaffeinated Coffee Safe During Pregnancy?
Decaf Coffee is safe to consume in moderation. Caffeine content is very low in decaf, and there is no evidence which proves adverse pregnancy outcomes due to decaf. Since almost all (97%) of the caffeine content is removed, it won't accumulate like normal coffee.
Decaffination also preserves antioxidants like chlorogenic acids and polyphenols, which fight against inflammation and support heart health. Drinking decaf is helpful to reduce oxidative stress. Quitting coffee suddenly triggers headaches, fatigue, or mood swings. But decaf helps you manage these due to trace amounts of caffeine.
However, take a very moderate amount of decaf every day. Its natural acidity and tannins can irritate the stomach and can worsen heartburn and cause acid reflux.
Is Decaf Tea Safe During Pregnancy?
Decaffeinated tea is also safe to consume during pregnancy. The trace amounts of caffeine in the tea don't cause any adverse pregnancy effects. But limiting it to one or two cups is good.
Decaf black tea contains 1-3 mg caffeine, and green tea contains 2-4 mg caffeine in a single cup.
What Beverage is Safe During Pregnancy
- Regular Coffee: It contains 80-100 mg caffeine in a single cup. It's dangerous to consume during pregnancy.
- Decaf Coffee: 1 cup might contain 2-15 mg caffeine. It's safe but can be mildly acidic.
- Regular Tea: Black tea contains 20-50 mg caffeine, and green tea contains 20-25 mg caffeine. Drinking multiple teas a day is not safe.
- Decaf Tea: It contains 1- 5 mg caffeine, and it's generally safe.
- Herbal Teas: Safe herbal teas are good, and they don't have any caffeine content.
While decaf coffee and tea are safe to consume during pregnancy, if you are a high-risk pregnant woman, you must avoid them completely or limit consumption. If you have a history of miscarriages, pre-eclampsia, gestational diabetes, preterm labour history, severe reflux, anxiety issues, or iron deficiency, reduce consumption to 1 or 2 glasses a day.
You can safely enjoy decaf during pregnancy. But make sure to choose decaf from reputable brands. With a little research online, you can find what kind of decaffeination method they are using and how much caffeine is present. Don't drink tea or coffee late at night or before going to sleep, as it can disturb your sleep quality.
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FAQs on Can You Drink Decaffeinated Coffee And Tea During Pregnancy?
- What can I replace coffee with while pregnant?
During pregnancy, completely avoid coffee as caffeine can cross the placenta and mix with the foetal bloodstream. Instead of coffee, you can switch to decaf as it strips away 97-99% of caffeine. You can also try decaf green tea, black tea, safe herbal tea, and golden milk with turmeric, spices, and milk. - How do I know if caffeine is affecting my baby?
If you are drinking more coffee during pregnancy, the caffeine will pass the placenta and enter the foetal bloodstream. If you are constantly feeling anxious, irritated, having difficulty sleeping, experiencing reduced sleep quantity, an increased heart rate, or feeling restless, it might be due to caffeine. However, these signals are common during pregnancy. So, to confirm, you must contact your doctor.
