10 Myths about Coffee

Like most (all?) writers I LOVE my morning, late morning, afternoon, late afternoon and whenever cups of coffee. It not only gives me a boost, but also seems to get the creative juices flowing when writers block threatens to shut me down.

Like anything else we do, there are myths surrounding coffee, and while some are true, others are false. Read on to learn about the veracity or falsehood of ten popular coffee myths.

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1. Coffee Helps You Poop – TRUE
   Coffee has a stimulant effect on the smooth muscles of the colon and has long been used to prevent constipation. However, an excess of coffee can cause bowel movements which are too loose. This is true for both caffeinated and decaffeinated coffee.

2. Coffee Helps Recover from Hangovers – FALSE
   You’ve probably heard it before. Coffee does nothing to aid sobriety, it just makes you a wide-awake drunk. The same is true for hangovers. In fact, coffee can actually make a hangover worse due to its dehydrating effect on the body.

3. Drinking Coffee will cause Insomnia – FALSE
   This is partially true because drinking coffee late in the day could cause insomnia, but in general the caffeine in coffee is rapidly processed by your body. For most people, 75% of the caffeine in coffee is gone from the body within 8 hours.

4. Pregnant Women Should Avoid Coffee – TRUE
   Pregnant women don’t have to avoid coffee completely. Like alcohol, the occasional drink won’t be harmful to the fetus. However, more than a cup or two of coffee can harm the fetus as it can do damage to a baby's developing heart, blood vessels, and nervous system. It has also been known to cause an irregular heartbeat in the fetus.

5. Dark Roast (French, Italian) Coffee Contains more Caffeine than Light Roast Coffee – FALSE
   While dark roast coffee may be more bitter than light roast coffee, it actually contains LESS caffeine. This is because the roasting process burns off caffeine in the coffee beans, so the longer a coffee bean is roasted, the less caffeine remains.

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1. Coffee is a Stress Reliever – FALSE
   I know you may take a coffee break to relax, but coffee will actually increase your stress levels. It is known to increase cortisol levels. Cortisol is a hormone released during stress that can have several bad effects on health. It can also cause increased anxiety and panic attacks for those who are sensitive to caffeine or prone to anxiety issues.

2. Coffee Aids Memory – TRUE
   Coffee has been shown in scientific studies to increase brain activity in two key regions – the memory rich frontal lobe, and the attention controlling anterior cingulum. So, drinking a couple cups of joe will help both memory and focus, at least temporarily.

3. Fresh Coffee Beans and Grounds should be kept in the Freezer to Maintain Freshness – FALSE
   The freezer creates condensation, which will increase the pace of flavor loss. Instead, keep your coffee beans and grounds in the fridge, preferably in a low humidity drawer.

4. Coffee Shrinks Women’s Breasts – TRUE
   Drinking in excess of three cups of coffee daily can reduce the size of women’s breasts. Take heart however, because while they will shrink somewhat, they won’t continue shrinking until they disappear completely.

5. Caffeine is Addictive – TRUE and FALSE
   This one has some truth to it, depending on what you mean by "addictive." Caffeine is a stimulant to the central nervous system, and regular use of caffeine does cause mild physical dependence. But caffeine doesn't threaten your physical, social, or economic health the way addictive drugs do. As little as 100mg of caffeine per day (1 oz cup of coffee) can cause dependence. And take note if you’re a decaf drinker – decaffeinated coffee actually contains as much as 25mg per 8 oz serving, so if you drink 4 cups a day you’re at risk of caffeine dependence too.

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