30th October 2024
People talk. And while that’s typically a good thing, talk based on rumours and speculation has a way of turning into myth which can be either amusing, or counterproductive or worse. In the case of coffee, several myths have arisen and been widely shared that have no basis in fact but have caused countless people to either avoid coffee or alter how and when they consume it.
In this post, the team at John Street Beverage debunk 4 of the most common coffee myths in the hope it will help you increase your enjoyment of your favourite beverage.
Pour yourself a cup of coffee, sit back and enjoy as we debunk these all-too-common coffee myths.
This is a big one that you will hear everywhere, but it’s simply not true. Sure, if you drink a lot of coffee, you will likely make more trips to the bathroom than you normally do. But that does not equal dehydration. If anything, all the water you consume will aid in your fluid intake and help fend off dehydration.
The bottom line is this: there is no scientific evidence that coffee consumption in and of itself causes dehydration. This myth is based mostly on the supposition that if you pee more, you will become dehydrated, but that’s not the case with coffee because it is 98% water.
Coffee is a stimulant. As such, there are precious few reasons for consuming it right before bedtime. But even if you do you may end up sleeping fine because coffee’s effect on sleep varies from person to person. Some can consume coffee at any time of the day and not have it affect their sleep. While others may find it more difficult to sleep if they drink coffee late in the day.
So, the bottom line is this: while it is possible for coffee consumption late in the day to cause sleeping difficulties for some individuals, that is not the case for everyone. Those who do experience sleep disruptions always have the option of drinking decaffeinated coffee.
Contrary to popular belief (and myth) dark roast beans typically have a little less caffeine than light roast beans. How can that be? Because the longer you roast coffee beans the more, they break down resulting in a loss of caffeine. It should be noted, however, that the difference in caffeine levels is very slight, to the point you may have difficulty telling the difference.
So, the bottom line is this: dark roast beans do not contain more caffeine than light roast beans. If anything, the opposite is true, although the difference in caffeine levels is minimal.
It is a popular myth that decaffeinated coffee is completely caffeine-free. But such is not the case. If it was, the name of the product would be “caffeine-free coffee”. The term “decaffeinated” by comparison means the caffeine level has been reduced but not necessarily eliminated altogether. In fact, it may still contain as much as 5% of its original caffeine load.
So, the bottom line is this: While decaffeinated coffee features significantly less caffeine than regular coffee it is not completely caffeine-free.
The next time someone tells you coffee causes dehydration or insomnia or that dark roast is stronger than light roast, nod politely and be secure in the knowledge that it’s just not so. And if you’re looking for the best source of fine coffees from around the world, contact the team at John Street Beverage.
