4 Popular Coffee Myths Debunked by Science
You crave it in the morning, you wait for it in long lines, and I drink it as I write this: coffee is everywhere. But this means that misinformation about this is everywhere too. Coffee doesn’t take away your water, it doesn’t sober up, and it doesn’t limit the growth of children, so let’s dispel these myths and make a hot pot of truth.
Myth: coffee dehydrates.
The notion that coffee dehydrates you is a widespread misconception, much to the chagrin of waiters everywhere who are asked for “coffee and water” only to later clear the table with untouched glasses of water. This concept came about because caffeine, the main ingredient in coffee, is a diuretic or substance that makes you urinate a lot. The logic seems sound; the more you pee, the more water your body loses, right? But this logic misses one important part of the whole “drinking coffee” formula: the water you drink in coffee.
Marie Barone , a nutritionist at the University of California Davis Medical Center , believes drinking a few cups a day will not lead to dehydration . Why? Coffee is mostly water, and this water definitely counts towards your daily fluid intake . In one studypublished in the Journal of Human Nutrition and Dietetics , researchers found no evidence that moderate consumption of anycaffeinated beverages resulted in excess fluid loss. Essentially, the leaving water is replaced by the incoming water. Another more recent study published in PLOS ONE suggests that three cups of coffee a day is equivalent to three cups of water a day when it comes to hydration. The diuretic effect of caffeine is small and tolerance is quickly developed.
Myth: coffee awakens the mood.
If your drinking friend tells you that he just needs a cup of coffee and they’ll all be ready to drive, handcuff them to a chair, railing, or something that will prevent them from driving. Coffee not only does not have a sobering effect , but also complicates the recognition of alcohol intoxication. According to research published in the journal Behavioral Neuroscience , the increased wakefulness and awareness that comes with drinking caffeine can make you feel capable of driving home when it isn’t. Thomas Gould, Ph.D., co-author of the study, explains to the American Psychological Association :
The myth of coffee’s sobering powers is especially important to debunk because drinking caffeine and alcohol together can actually lead to bad decisions with disastrous consequences. People who only drank alcohol feel tired and drunk may be more likely to admit that they are drunk. Conversely, people who have consumed alcohol and caffeine may feel refreshed and competent enough to cope with potentially dangerous situations, such as drunk driving or being in dangerous social situations.
So what can you actually do to sober up? Drink water to stay hydrated, eat some food to slow the absorption of alcohol, and wait . There is no magic elixir to sober you up, and the belief that it exists is a potential danger to you and others.
Myth: coffee stunts your growth.
You can blame the myth that “coffee slows you down” on some smart ad, believe it or not. It likely started when Postum , a coffee alternative made with roasted wheat bran, wheat and molasses, launched a smear campaign in the early 20th century denouncing the effects of coffee on human health, especially children. It worked. Advertisements (like the one shown above in 1933) frightened parents by telling them that coffee slows down the growth of their children and makes them jittery, jittery, and unable to go to school. Postumus ‘s cryptic slogan “There is a reason”, of course, did not help.
However, there have been studies that correlate caffeine intake with decreased bone mass and decreased calcium absorption. One study by Harvard Medical School Doctor Douglas Keel and published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition suggests that caffeinated soft drinks lead to decreased bone mineral density in older women, but there is not enough evidence to say for sure. And in another study by Dr. Robert Heaney of Creighton University School of Medicine , also published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition , Heaney notes that much of the research linking caffeine to bone mass is in older adults whose diets are no longer high. calcium sources because they drink so much coffee and carbonated drinks and don’t drink anything else.
The bottom line is that there is no evidence that coffee inhibits growth, and it is unlikely that caffeine even affects bone health in those who are not yet trying to maintain it. However, caffeine is a stimulant and should be consumed in moderation by children as well as adults. There are no official guidelines for caffeine consumption in the US , but Health Canada has guidelines for children, adults, and even pregnant women .
Myth: Espresso has more caffeine than a cup of coffee.
If you compare a shot of espresso to an average cup of coffee (about 8 ounces according to the National Coffee Association ), this cup of joe actually gives a lot more shocks. As Coffee Chemistry explains , 8 oz. black coffee contains anywhere between 65-140 mg of caffeine (average 92.5 mg) and a typical 1 ounce. A shot of espresso contains anywhere between 30-50 mg (40 mg on average). Thus, a serving of coffee contains on average 2.3 times more caffeine than a serving of espresso. This means that when you order an Americano from a coffee shop, make sure you only do it for the taste, because you are not getting more caffeine. You are probably getting less .
However, if you compare them by volume, coffee only contains 8-15 mg of caffeine per ounce, while espresso still averages 40 mg per ounce. But you probably would never order an 8oz single. espresso, so this is a moot point. The idea that espresso has more caffeine than regular coffee probably comes from the fact that espresso has a much darker roast, and there is speculation that the bolder taste of a darker roast correlates with a higher caffeine content. This is also not true .