Not only does it have a revolting taste, but decaffeinated coffee also poses a threat to health. Why do I want to laugh?

“A study presented to the American Heart Association two years ago by Dr Robert Superko, chair of molecular and preventative cardiology at the Fuqua Heart Centre, Atlanta, found that decaf coffee increased blood pressure and harmful LDL cholesterol. After three months, drinkers of decaf in the trial experienced a rise in fatty acids and cholesterol by 8 per cent. ‘It’s not caffeinated but decaf that might promote risk factors associated with metabolic syndrome,’ Superko says. ‘People should think twice about drinking it.’”

Not to mention that decaffeination is an industrial process - with the environmental impact that may cause - and not a particularly effective one.

“Professor Bruce Goldberger, the study’s co-author, says decaf should not be mistaken for ‘caffeine-free’. ‘If someone drinks five to ten cups of decaf coffee, the dose of caffeine could easily reach the level present in two cups of regular, caffeinated coffee,’ Goldberger says. ‘This is of particular concern to people advised to cut their caffeine intake.’”

Times Online / How do you drink yours?