How much do you know about your morning cup of Joe? Here are 10 interesting facts about your daily dose of caffeine.
1. Coffee is actually a fruit
Although we call it a bean, coffee is actually a fruit that grows on a tree. They are the seeds of a red, juicy, cherry-like coffee fruit!
2. There have been five attempts to ban coffee throughout history
Reasons vary from leaders believing that it stimulates radical thinking, it is “satanic”, and even that it interferes too much with the America’s beer consumption. There were even punishments put into place for drinking this forbidden beverage; including beatings and being thrown into the sea.
3. Coffee stays warmer when you add cream
Adding cream thickens the coffee, slowing the rate of evaporation and heat loss. Coffee with added cream cools about 20 percent slower than black coffee.
4. Dark roast coffees have less caffeine that lighter roasts
Dark roasts tend to have a stronger, bolder flavor, but don’t let that fool you! Roasting actually burns off some of the caffeine, resulting in a less caffeinated cup of Joe.
5. In the U.S., 80% of adults consume caffeine every day
The Food and Drug Administration estimates the average individual intake to be about two cups of coffee per day.
6. New Yorkers drink almost seven times as much coffee as the rest of the U.S.
This busy, bustling state needs to stay on top of their game!
7. Americans consume 400 million cups of coffee per day
This scales to 146 billion cups per year.
8. The average worker spends $20 per week on coffee
That means an annual total of about $1,100 goes towards getting that daily dose.
9. Just smelling coffee can wake you up
Simply inhaling coffee can alter the activity of some genes in the brain, reducing the effects of sleep deprivation.
10. Coffee is absorbed incredibly fast
Caffeine reaches your blood in about 10 minutes, making it the perfect quick fix for a slow Monday.