Even though most of us love our daily caffeine fix, there are plenty of funny coffee myths out there that may make you a little hesitant to sup with it. From coffee causing insomnia to coffee being highly addictive and whether or not you should avoid it while pregnant, we’ve all heard the common coffee myths. But is it really true?
Coffee has been around for a lengthy period, meaning lots of coffee myths have emerged during this time. Many misconceptions about coffee have fortunately been disproven, yet some still remain. It is essential that the truth is visible to sideline these common coffee myths.
Our dogs are able to see colours, pennies are no longer dangerous, and you can continue to irritate your coworkers with your knuckle cracks. With our fun myth-busting round focused on coffee myths, we can continue to debunk common coffee myths. The history of Kiosk Kaffee spans generations and continents, so it’s no wonder it developed a lot of folklore. Let’s look at some popular coffee myths:
COFFEE MYTHS DEBUNKED:
- Coffee causes insomnia
- Coffee causes dehydration
- Coffee can sober you up
- Coffee is addictive
- Coffee stunts your growth
COFFEE MYTH #1: COFFEE CAUSES INSOMNIA
Consume caffeine in moderation – no more than 400 mg per day. That’s roughly the amount found in an 8oz cup of coffee and is actually beneficial to a healthy lifestyle. Caffeine can help you stay alert during the day, but it’s wise to avoid consuming it in the evening so that your sleep routine isn’t interrupted.
COFFEE MYTH #2: COFFEE STUNTS GROWTH
This myth has been around forever. However, the belief that coffee does stunt your growth is — forgive the aged expression — nothing more than an old wives’ tale. It’s unclear how this myth got started, but there’s no scientific evidence supporting it.
Bizarrely, most of this myth seems to come from ads run in the 1920s for Postum, a non-caffeinated coffee substitute. The claims that Postum’s producers made about coffee’s effect on children were never backed up by any scientific studies, but the myth spread quickly through parenting circles and has been keeping mom or dad’s coffee “just for adults” ever since.
Will coffee affect young children in other ways? Yes, it can. Caffeine tolerance for kids under the age of 12 is much lower than it is for adults and shouldn’t exceed 100mg a day from any source. The effects too much caffeine can have on kids range from irritability and mood changes to sleep issues (especially in teens, who lose an average of an hour of sleep with regular caffeine use).
COFFEE MYTH #3: COFFEE CAUSES DEHYDRATION
Caffeine has mild diuretic properties, increasing blood flow to the kidneys and causing an uptick in fluid loss. Despite this, your habitual coffee or two won’t lead to dehydration. That’s because each cup is brewed with enough water to counterbalance any side effects on your body’s fluid balance. Certain studies even trust drinking coffee as part of our daily recommended water intake. But it shouldn’t be used as a substitute for our regular water intake – that level of caffeine would take us past the safe daily limit and leave us feeling jittery!
COFFEE MYTH #4: COFFEE IS ADDICTIVE
There is some truth to the coffee myth that caffeine has addictive properties. Nonetheless, its effects are only short lived; withdrawal symptoms go away within a day or two. Moreover, consuming coffee regularly does not harm one’s emotional well-being, personal relationships, economics or lifestyle in the long run. On the contrary, caffeine can actually be beneficial in working to suppress tiredness and build dopamine levels in the immediate term. Despite some jitters as a result of overindulgence, a regular coffee consumer can quickly remedy this. In conclusion, while caffeine has potential for addiction on a short-term basis, it is not really an issue when it comes to long-term health risks.
COFFEE MYTH #5: COFFEE CAN SOBER YOU UP
The number of drinking misconceptions is just as high as those involving caffeine, and the quickest answer is: no. While caffeine can make a person who has had alcohol appear more alert, The American Psychological Association found that coffee doesn’t reverse the deleterious mental effects of alcohol. In fact, they continue, combining them can result in a false sense of competency in risky situations such as driving while drunk or being in dangerous social scenarios.
FAQ’s
- DOES COFFEE HYDRATE THE BODY?
The answer is yes, coffee does count toward your daily water intake. However, drinking huge amounts of caffeine can be dehydrating. That’s because it may increase urination that can result in a higher risk of dehydration.
- DOES COFFEE REDUCE ACIDITY?
Heartburn is the most frequently reported symptom after coffee drinking. It is demonstrated that coffee promotes gastro-oesophageal reflux. Coffee stimulates gastrin release and gastric acid secretion, but studies on the effect on lower esophageal sphincter pressure yield conflicting results.
