Decaf Coffee: Nutrients, What Research Shows and Safety

Decaf coffee is ordinary coffee (from Coffea arabica or Coffea canephora) that has had most of its caffeine removed before roasting. People drink it to enjoy coffee with less caffeine. This page covers decaf as a drink. It keeps what trials and cohort studies found apart from hype, and it tells you where the evidence is thin. For regular coffee, see Coffee.

Read this first

• Decaf is low in caffeine, not caffeine-free. USDA lists about 2.4 mg of caffeine in a 1 cup (237 g) serving of brewed decaf, versus about 95 mg in regular brewed coffee. [1] [2] A 2006 study of coffee-shop decafs found 0 to 13.9 mg in a 16-ounce serving. [5]
• Most research is on coffee overall. Cohort studies that looked at decaf separately found associations similar to regular coffee. Cohort studies show association, not cause. [7] [8]
• One unresolved signal: a large US cohort found no link between decaf and total cancer, but a higher bladder cancer risk in men who never smoked. The authors say this needs more study. [9]
• Pregnancy: NHS says to have no more than 200 mg of caffeine a day. Decaf has little, but not zero. Ask your health care provider. [3] [4]
• Evidence in one line: observational links to lower diabetes risk and mortality; no trial shows decaf prevents disease.

What is in it (USDA values)

The values below are for brewed decaffeinated coffee made with tap water (USDA FoodData Central item 171889, SR Legacy). [1] The serving column is the USDA household portion of 1 cup (8 fl oz), 237 g. Serving values are the 100 g values multiplied by 2.37.

% Daily Value uses the FDA 2016 Daily Values; values vary with the beans, roast and how the coffee is brewed. Regular coffee values come from USDA item 171890. [2] A cup of plain decaf is not a notable source of any nutrient: none reaches 10% of the Daily Value. Added milk, sugar or syrup change these numbers a lot. We did not read a source that measured the plant compounds in decaf, so we do not list them here.

What research says

Eaten as a drink vs taken as a supplement. All of this is about brewed coffee as a drink. The diabetes trial used instant coffee. Coffee extracts and caffeine pills are a different question. Funding was not stated in the abstracts we read.

How much is a normal serving

The USDA household portion is 1 cup (8 fl oz, 237 g), about 0 kcal and 2.4 mg caffeine. [1] This is information from USDA data, not a prescription. We did not find an official recommended number of cups of decaf. Studies group people by cups a day (the mortality meta-analysis used 3 cups); that is a statistical category, not advice. [7]

Safety, allergy and medicines

• Leftover caffeine: if a clinician told you to avoid caffeine, remember decaf still has some. The 2006 study found up to 13.9 mg in a 16-ounce coffee-shop decaf and 3.0 to 15.8 mg in a decaf espresso shot. [5]
• Pregnancy and breastfeeding: NHS says not to have more than 200 mg of caffeine a day in pregnancy, and notes caffeine in coffee, tea, cola, energy drinks and chocolate. [4] FDA says people who are pregnant, trying to become pregnant, or breastfeeding should ask a provider whether they need to limit caffeine. [3]
• Decaffeination solvent: some decaf is made with methylene chloride. FDA rules allow up to 10 parts per million in decaffeinated roasted and instant coffee. [6] The 2025 cohort was motivated by this concern but did not measure solvent in the coffee, and its abstract does not say which method was used. [9] It is not a finding that decaf causes cancer. Labels sometimes say "water processed" or "carbon dioxide processed"; we did not read a source comparing methods.
• Bladder cancer in men who never smoked: the cohort found a higher risk with higher decaf intake; the authors call for further study. [9]
• Children and teens: FDA says the American Academy of Pediatrics advises against energy drinks for children and teens, and the Dietary Guidelines say children under 2 should avoid caffeinated drinks. [3] We did not read a source on decaf for children.
• Medicines: interactions between decaf and medicines are not described in the sources we read. Ask a pharmacist. See Foods and medicine interactions.
• Allergy: coffee is not one of the major allergens listed by MedlinePlus. Milk, soy or nut syrups added in a café are. For trouble breathing or swelling of the face or throat, call 911 (or your local emergency number). [12]
• Kidney disease and diabetes: plain decaf has no sugar and little potassium (128 mg per cup, 3% of the Daily Value). [1] Added sugar and milk change this. See Foods, kidney disease, potassium and oxalates.

Choosing, storing and food safety

• Hot drinks: IARC classified very hot beverages as probably carcinogenic to humans (Group 2A) for esophageal cancer, while coffee itself is "not classifiable" (Group 3). Let a very hot cup cool a little. [13]
• Check the label for added sugar, flavorings and milk ingredients. See Added sugars, sodium and saturated fat on labels.
• We did not read a source on storing ground decaf or beans; follow the package.

Related pages

• Coffee
• Caffeine in foods and drinks: official limits
• Caffeine and sugar in drinks: a quick comparison
• Foods in pregnancy: what official bodies advise
• Foods and medicine interactions
• Observational studies vs trials in nutrition