Experience Coffee like never before
Despite its known pluses, coffee can be deadly. But you’d have to drink 80 to 100 cups in a hurry, health experts say. We advise not trying. In September 2015, the FDA warned of the dangers of powdered caffeine, a potent product that had recently burst into popularity.
A plethora of separate studies in 2014, 2015 and 2016 found coffee is good for your liver, may lower risk of heart attacks, might cut the risk of colon cancer and, as reported in the journal Circulation, one to five cups a day may generally reduce the risk of early death.
Moderate doses of caffeine — the equivalent of two cups of coffee— can cut post-gym muscle pain, a small study found. But the research was done on people who were not regular coffee drinkers. A study in 2012 found those who drink coffee before sitting down to work at a computer had less neck and shoulder pain. There is not sufficient research, in big enough studies, to draw any firm conclusions on this possibility, however.
Health experts advise avoiding coffee for 6 hours before bedtime, since the effects of caffeine can last hours. A 2015 study found caffeine can confuse your body’s internal clock, confusing the signals that tell you when to sleep. Night shift workers may find coffee during work hours disrupts their daytime sleep, another study found.
Caffeine is not the main bitter compound in coffee. Rather, the pungent perpetrators are antioxidants.
When it comes to great flavor, coffee chemistry boils down to roasting and brewing. During roasting, oil locked inside the beans begins to emerge at around 400 degrees. The more oil, the stronger the flavor. Caffeine content goes up as the water spends more time in contact with the grounds, so regular coffee often has more of it than espresso or cappuccino. Darker roasts also yield more caffeine.
A millennium ago on a mountainside in Africa, a herd of goats kept a shepherd up at night after feasting on red coffee berries. The shepherd took his animals’ discovery to some monks, and very long prayer sessions ensued. It’s a good story, anyway.
Bonus facts, since you made it all the way: A study shows that Americans get most of their antioxidants from their daily fix of java. One to two cups a day appear to be beneficial. Or, if you don’t like coffee, you could try black tea, the second most consumed antioxidant source. Bananas, dry beans, and corn wrap up the top five.
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