Specialty Coffee Do specialty coffee beans have decaf varieties? Can decaf coffee still help with weight loss?

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Do Coffee Trees Have Low-Caffeine Varieties? Can Decaffeinated Coffee Still Help With Weight Loss?

When it comes to caffeine, the first reaction that comes to mind is its stimulating and invigorating effect that refreshes the mind. Legend has it that a flock of sheep, after eating coffee cherries, were actually dancing at night instead of sleeping—what a magical phenomenon.

For many people, the start of their daily work routine begins with coffee as a way to refresh and stimulate their minds. In the past, people have always consumed coffee cherries and coffee beans to obtain caffeine's refreshing and invigorating effects. For those who love coffee while also paying attention to their health, discussing which coffee has lower caffeine has always been a popular topic. When it comes to decaffeinated coffee, besides processing methods to remove caffeine, there is actually a completely natural low-caffeine coffee, which brings us to the story of low-caffeine coffee trees.

The Discovery of Natural Low-Caffeine Varieties

In 1715, the French transplanted Yemen's round-bodied Mocha to Bourbon Island in the Indian Ocean off the eastern coast of Africa. Due to the island's isolation from the African continent and different soil, water, and climate conditions compared to Yemen, it had evolved into a Bourbon variety by 1810. The bean shape changed from the original round form to a pointed form, and the tree height became shorter. At that time, the French called it "Bourbon Pointu" (pointed Bourbon), which became a legendary delicious coffee that was both enjoyable to drink and allowed for good sleep. It wasn't until the 20th century that scientists discovered that Bourbon Pointu's caffeine content was half that of Arabica.

The caffeine content of the mutated pointed Bourbon variety only accounts for 0.4-0.75% of the bean weight, but compared to the newly discovered Ethiopian ultra-low-caffeine coffee variety with caffeine content only accounting for 0.07% of bean weight, it pales in comparison.

In June 2004, Paulo Mazzafera, a botanist at the State University of Campinas in Brazil, announced that he had found a wild low-caffeine coffee tree in Ethiopia. In the same month, Mazzafera solemnly announced in the authoritative journal Nature: "This is the first low-caffeine coffee tree discovered by humanity." The caffeine content only accounts for 0.07% of the bean weight, which is 20 times lower than the average Arabica caffeine content. According to reports, the research team he led screened three thousand samples from three hundred Arabica varieties in Ethiopia and identified three natural low-caffeine subspecies, shocking the coffee world.

At a press conference, Mazzafera emphasized that the Ethiopian discovery was the better-flavored Arabica rather than Robusta beans. Although it has genetic defects and lower yield that doesn't meet cultivation benefits, production capacity can still be increased through crossbreeding for mass production. This news also awakened the dormant Ethiopian authorities, who prepared to sue Mazzafera for entering the country and stealing wild coffee trees without Ethiopian government approval. This triggered diplomatic tensions between Ethiopia and Brazilian authorities, launching a spy-versus-spy sovereignty battle over Arabica low-caffeine coffee trees. The result was a happy outcome for all, as the two countries cooperated to share God's gift of natural low-caffeine coffee trees.

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