High-Energy Facts About Coffee And Coffee Drinkers

May 18, 2018 | Miles Brucker

High-Energy Facts About Coffee And Coffee Drinkers


"If it weren't for the coffee, I'd have no identifiable personality whatsoever."—David Letterman

Coffee gives us a kick when we most need it—it’s often the social glue that holds us together, and some of us flat-out refuse to face the day without it. Its exact origins are mostly unknown, but its popularity is undeniable. With its numerous health benefits, delicious taste and sheer ubiquity, it’s no wonder this humble bean is keeping the whole world wide awake day by day. Or hour by hour, in some cases. Let’s all indulge in a little pick-me-up with these energizing facts about coffee: one of the world’s favorite beverages.

Roll that beautiful bean footage!


Coffee And Coffee Drinkers Facts

25. An Espresso Shot Isn't Necessarily What You Think...

Contrary to popular belief, a shot of espresso—which literally means “to force out,” referring to the ways it’s made by forcing boiling water through pressed coffee grounds—actually has about a third of the amount of caffeine found in a regular cup of coffee, despite containing more caffeine per volume. So, if you want more bang for your buck caffeine-wise, your standard cup is still the way to go.

CoffeePexels

24. We Used To Just Eat The Beans

Before people learned how to brew coffee into that glorious bean juice we all know and love, the beans were consumed as an energy-rich food. Consuming the beans in this way actually intensifies the effects of the caffeine and other chemicals present. Rather than getting whatever manages to drip through the filter, chewing a bean gives you 100% of the rush.

CoffeePexels

23. Coffee's Mysterious Origins

No one knows for sure how or when it was first discovered, but the earliest known mention of coffee was in the middle of the 15th century, in writings from the Sufi monasteries of Yemen. There’s the popular tale of a goat herder in the 9th century observing the effect of caffeine on one of his goats, who had eaten the berries from a certain plant and started dancing restlessly. Unfortunately, there’s no solid evidence to back it up. Still a cool story though.

CoffeePexels

22. A Milky Matter

Milk doesn’t just make the taste of coffee a lot milder; it also has the same effect on the caffeine content. Adding milk to coffee decreases the stimulation provided by caffeine, as our bodies absorb it much slower when it has added fat content. So if you're craving some coffee in the evening but still want a good night's rest, add milk. Or, you know, have some self-control and wait 'til morning.

CoffeeUnsplash

21. No Drinking Required

Just the smell of coffee is enough to wake you up. Studies have shown that the effects of sleep deprivation can be reduced simply by inhaling coffee's aroma. So the next time you're feeling sluggish but don't have the time to stop for a full cup, just pop your head into the nearest coffee shop and breath deep. I'm sure it wouldn't be that weird.

CoffeeUnsplash

20. The Decaf Deception

You'd be forgiven for assuming that decaf coffee doesn't contain any, you know, caffeine. But in reality, decaf doesn't necessarily do what it says on the tin, and coffee only actually needs to have 97% of its caffeine removed to be considered decaf. It would take five to ten cups of decaf to actually feel the effects, but still. Decaf doesn't mean caffeine-free.

CoffeePexels

 19. Cream Of The Crop

Want to add something to that hot cup of Joe without cooling it down too much? Go with cream. The viscosity of the cream means less heat escapes through evaporation, so your coffee actually stays warmer for longer than it would otherwise.

Hospital confessionsPexels

18. Record Breakers

The largest cup of coffee ever brewed was in South Korea in 2014, coming in at over 3,700 gallons. If that's not enough to wake you up in the morning, I'm afraid you're out of luck.

CoffeeUnsplash

17. Not THAT George Washington

Instant coffee was invented by an American chemist named George Constant Louis Washington. He named his brand Red E. Coffee (get it?) and started marketing it in 1909. It’s not exactly leading the US to independence, but it's a decent achievement all the same.

CoffeeUnsplash

16. Turning Bean Water Into Wine

Before it gained worldwide renown, coffee's original name was “qahwa,” which used to be the Arabic term for wine. In Turkey it was called “kahveh," then the Dutch started referring to it as “koffie,” and it's not hard to see how we came to “coffee” from there.

CoffeeUnsplash

15. When You Gotta Go, You Gotta Go

This is either a blessing or a terrible curse, depending on the situation: Coffee’s fast-acting laxative properties are very real, and they’re the result of enzymes that stimulate contractions of the bowel. Even decaffeinated coffee contains these enzymes. No one’s safe.

CoffeePexels

14. Coffee Kings

Brazil produces roughly a third of the world's coffee, making it the top country for coffee production. Colombia and Vietnam come in at second and third place, respectively. 

CoffeeUnsplash

13. Aloha, Kona!

The United States leads the world in many things...but coffee production is definitely not one of them. Coffee is only grown commercially in one US state, and that’s Hawaii. This is due to Hawaii’s position close to the equator, lending it the optimal climate for harvesting those sweet beans. The coffee is called “Kona” coffee, named after Kona district, where it’s produced.

CoffeeUnsplash

12. The Fruity Truth

Coffee beans aren't actually beans—they're the pits of a berry grown on plants, so they’re technically a drupe, also known as a stone fruit, like a peach or a cherry. They’re called beans simply because of their superficial resemblance to actual beans. Everything I know is a lie!

CoffeePixabay

11. Here’s to your Health

Are you a fan of healthy eating? Coffee might be the drink for you.

Beyond just helping you get out of bed in the morning, coffee has numerous legitimate health benefits and can help to protect against a number of diseases. Researchers have found that drinking coffee is associated with a lower risk of developing Alzheimer's, Parkinson’s and Type 2 Diabetes, and can even help to protect you against skin cancer. I swear, that's the only reason I drink the stuff—it has nothing to do with the fact I was bingeing Netflix until 3am last night!

CoffeePexels

10. This Town Ain’t Big Enough for the Both of Us

In 1777, Prussia’s Frederick the Great considered beer to be the beverage to beat, and he wanted everyone to know that. He went so far as to issue a manifesto declaring beer's superiority to coffee, because coffee was getting popular and he believed it interfered with the country's beer consumption. Way to take a side, Fred!

CoffeePexels

9. A Freeze-Drying First

Coffee was the first food item to be freeze-dried. The freeze-drying process was first developed during World War II as a means of food preservation. This is pretty obvious though, because coffee is clearly the most important food there is—what else would come first?

CoffeePexels

8. Arabica vs. Robusta

The two most commonly grown coffee beans are the Arabica and the Robusta. Arabica is more common, making up 60% of the global production, while the less popular Robusta is a stronger, less acidic and more bitter bean.

CoffeeUnsplash

7. Catastrophic Coffee Consumption

A coffee overdose is rare, but technically possible. After 30 cups are consumed in a very short time period, the levels of caffeine in the blood start to become dangerously toxic and can actually be lethal. A 2017 study found that there had been 51 caffeine-related deaths since 1959.

CoffeeShutterstock

6. Kevin Bacon In: Beanloose

Wherever there’s any fun to be had, buzzkillers will be in hot pursuit. Accordingly, there have been a number of proper attempts to ban coffee throughout history. The first was in Mecca in 1511, when coffee was banned as it was believed to stimulate radical thinking.

CoffeeUnsplash

5. High (and Holy) Praise

There was another notable attempt to get rid of coffee in Italy in the 16th century, when clergymen considered it to be a satanic beverage and tried to have it banned. That is until Pope Clement VIII came along, took a sip, and declared it delicious. He even joked that it should be baptized.

CoffeeWikipedia

4. Brutal Punishment

In Constantinople in 1623, Ottoman leader Murad IV took coffee-banning to a vicious extreme and set up a brutal system of punishment for those who dared to partake: your first offense would land you a mere beating, while your second offense would have you tied in a bag and thrown into the sea. Yikes, that escalated quickly!

CoffeeWikimedia.Commons

3. Hide Your Cups

The Swedish government took a ludicrously oppositional stance to coffee in 1746, when they went so far as to make coffee paraphernalia illegal, including cups and dishes. Officer, I swear, that mug that says "I hate Mondays" isn't mine, I was just carrying it for a friend!

CoffeePexels

2. What a Load of Crap

The world’s most expensive coffee comes from the feces of the Asian palm civet, called a luwak in Indonesia. Unable to digest coffee beans, the animal ferments them in its stomach. The beans are then excreted and used to produce a smooth, chocolaty coffee called kopi luwak. Sounds so tasty! A pound of these coffee beans will set you back $600. It’s not all fecal fun and games though, and the production of kopi luwak has become a bit of a sham; genuinely wild luwak’s are very hard to come by, so nowadays the coffee tends to come from animals that have been captured, caged, and are frequently mistreated. But hey, if you want to drink poop water and be party to animal abuse and spend up to 80 bucks on a single cup of coffee, be my guest.

CoffeeWikipedia

1. Getting Through Those Harsh Finnish Winters

Finland is the most caffeinated country in the world, with an average consumption of 12kg of coffee beans per person per year. I sure hope those aren't 12 kg of civet coffee, or that's going to get real expensive!

CoffeeUnsplash

Sources1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, Espresso Gurus

 


More from Factinate

Featured Article

My mom never told me how her best friend died. Years later, I was using her phone when I made an utterly chilling discovery.

Dark Family Secrets

Dark Family Secrets Exposed

Nothing stays hidden forever—and these dark family secrets are proof that when the truth comes out, it can range from devastating to utterly chilling.
April 8, 2020 Samantha Henman

Featured Article

Madame de Pompadour was the alluring chief mistress of King Louis XV, but few people know her dark history—or the chilling secret shared by her and Louis.

Madame de Pompadour Facts

Entrancing Facts About Madame de Pompadour, France's Most Powerful Mistress

Madame de Pompadour was the alluring chief mistress of King Louis XV, but few people know her dark history—or the chilling secret shared by her and Louis.
December 7, 2018 Kyle Climans

More from Factinate

Featured Article

I tried to get my ex-wife served with divorce papers. I knew that she was going to take it badly, but I had no idea about the insane lengths she would go to just to get revenge and mess with my life.

These People Got Genius Revenges

When someone really pushes our buttons, we'd like to think that we'd hold our head high and turn the other cheek, but revenge is so, so sweet.
April 22, 2020 Scott Mazza

Featured Article

Catherine of Aragon is now infamous as King Henry VIII’s rejected queen—but few people know her even darker history.

Catherine of Aragon Facts

Tragic Facts About Catherine of Aragon, Henry VIII’s First Wife

Catherine of Aragon is now infamous as King Henry VIII’s rejected queen—but very few people know her even darker history.
June 7, 2018 Christine Tran



Dear reader,


Want to tell us to write facts on a topic? We’re always looking for your input! Please reach out to us to let us know what you’re interested in reading. Your suggestions can be as general or specific as you like, from “Life” to “Compact Cars and Trucks” to “A Subspecies of Capybara Called Hydrochoerus Isthmius.” We’ll get our writers on it because we want to create articles on the topics you’re interested in. Please submit feedback to contribute@factinate.com. Thanks for your time!


Do you question the accuracy of a fact you just read? At Factinate, we’re dedicated to getting things right. Our credibility is the turbo-charged engine of our success. We want our readers to trust us. Our editors are instructed to fact check thoroughly, including finding at least three references for each fact. However, despite our best efforts, we sometimes miss the mark. When we do, we depend on our loyal, helpful readers to point out how we can do better. Please let us know if a fact we’ve published is inaccurate (or even if you just suspect it’s inaccurate) by reaching out to us at contribute@factinate.com. Thanks for your help!


Warmest regards,



The Factinate team




Want to learn something new every day?

Join thousands of others and start your morning with our Fact Of The Day newsletter.

Thank you!

Error, please try again.