COFFEE MYTH

Coffee Health & Myths.

“Exploring the Benefits & Debunking the Myths.”

There’s no doubt that coffee is a beloved beverage across the world. Several stories of health benefits and myths are connected to it. Let’s explore them.

Aren’t we tired of always having to hear how crude oil prices keep impacting the economies? But, did you know what the most sought-after commodity is after oil? Yes, it’s coffee, and luckily the humble beverage doesn’t impact the markets. But the fact remains that several nations were established based on coffee economics. Here’s a brief history:

A Brief History of Coffee

The coffee bean is a native of the African Subcontinent. It was in the 9th century that an Ethiopian shepherd named Kaldi discovered that his goats seemed quite energized after the consumption of certain red berries. He went ahead to try it himself and then shared it with the local monks who again found it acknowledged its stimulating effects during their evening prayers and meditation. Very soon the knowledge of the energizing berries started spreading, and coffee was about to embark upon its first journey to Arabia from where it gained popularity and became a globetrotter. Very soon it surpassed tea as the favorite drink of the civilized world, and we have connoisseurs traveling far and wide investing themselves in cultivating, processing, roasting and brewing the coffee beans in their unique ways trying to make the perfect cup that satisfies the soul.

The Esteemed Brew called Coffee

Coffee today is not just a morning beverage, but a culture, an art, and a science. Coffee today has become a passion. Valuation of the coffee industry stands at approximately $40 billion. Every country has a unique culture about making their coffee. The Vietnamese add an egg to their coffee, while the Turks like it extra dark roasted and the Germans love their Ice-Kaffe. If you are in Ireland, well you know what’s happening there, and in Ethiopia, it revered and held high in an essential cultural ritual with a coffee ceremony.

Even with such vast consumption of coffee its effects are still debated.

Coffee Myths

Coffee is probably the most misunderstood consumable after cannabis and maybe Alcohol. Let’s debunk some of those myths that surround this lovely bean.

#Coffee Helps you lose weight:  As stimulating as caffeine is, it only slightly stimulates your metabolism. So yeah, it’s not going to make a dent in your diet and help your long-term weight loss program. 

#Coffee Causes Dehydration::  As much as coffee is a diuretic, you can still count it as a part of your fluid intake. The water that you add to your coffee makes up for what you urinate. 

#Drinking Coffee in the afternoon causes insomnia: Surprisingly your afternoon cup is processed in a jiffy. So within an hour, 75% of the caffeine you just took is out of your system not impacting your night’s sleep in any manner.

#Coffee and Cancer: In fact, Coffee is one of those foods that fight cancer thanks to its antioxidant content which protects your cells and keeps them healthy.

#The Darker the roast, the stronger the coffee: Again, no true! When you roast your coffee more the caffeine content decreases, and the coffee tastes more acidic.

#Coffee needs a good brewing with boiling water: The ideal temperature of the water that you need to pour over your grinds is 96 degree Celsius. Anything above that will scorch your coffee grounds. We are moving to the third wave generation of coffee where cold brews are the in-thing.

Enough of the myths, let’s check out the real health benefits of this lovely aromatic brew.

#1 Coffee and cognitive function: Well, isn’t coffee all about its stimulating effect transforming us from beast to a philosopher in the mornings? Coffee effectively reduces our rate of perceived exertion, stimulates reaction time, verbal reasoning and memory. The beloved caffeine is the most consumed psychoactive substance across the world. 

#2 Coffee and Neurodegenerative diseases: Diseases like Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s have no known cure. However, several studies have shown that drinking coffee reduces the risk of such disorders.

#3 Coffee and Cholesterol: Data also shows that coffee also slightly reduces the risk of developing cardiac diseases. Coffee signals fat cells of the body to break down fat. 

#4 Coffee provides nutrition: A finished cup of brew contains several nutrients like Vitamin B2, B5 and B3, and minerals like Manganese, Potassium, Magnesium.

#5 Coffee and Depression: A recently published Harvard study indicates that people who drink at least four cups of coffee every day have a lower risk of depression and are generally happier. Substances in coffee also reduce the risk of suicidal thoughts.

Drinking Coffee Responsibly

If you are in the habit of starting your mornings with coffee, you are in good company. However, drinking regularly can lead to tolerance, and the drinker will need a higher dosage to attain the same level of brain function. On the other hand, abstinence can also cause symptoms of withdrawal. The best practice is by limiting your intake to four cups a day and setting a cut off time at 2 pm. We do live stressful lives and coffee is a natural way to live a healthy lifestyle. But, too much of anything is always harmful. Moderation is the key to drinking coffee responsibly.