Hi there Carrie, thank you for reading! Yes, I would say that’s the sum total of my conclusions. But yeah, it’s super complex. If you value productivity in the traditional/industrial sense, it could be worth it. It could also bring joy, and behavioral changes that are hard to measure but might be “healthy” in the end. I’ve also recently learned some potential effects of polyphenols on the “uncoupling” of mitochondria, which could be really good… so yeah, haha.

Regarding decaf — a big NO, unfortunately. They usually make it with 2nd and 3rd tier quality crops. Also, if you just google how it’s made… “The most common methods of decaffeination involve chemical solvents, usually ethyl acetate or methylene chloride. In the direct method, the coffee beans are steamed and then rinsed repeatedly with the chemical solvent to flush away the caffeine. In the indirect method, the chemical agent never touches the beans but treats the caffeine-laden water in which the beans have been soaked for hours.”