5 Myths About Coffee: Debunked

Everyone loves coffee, in part because of its myriad benefits. The only problem is that some of those benefits may not be true! Same goes for common risks, such as the idea that coffee makes you thirsty.

While coffee myths can be fun to think about, but it’s important to recognize which myths are inaccurate and which ones may have a grain of truth.

Let’s take a look at five big debunked myths about coffee in more detail:

5. Coffee Water Has to be Boiled

Many people will only brew their coffee with boiling water, but this isn’t actually necessary. In fact, if your water is heated to above 200°F, you can burn the delicate oils in the coffee and change the flavor of your beverage for the worse.

Instead, merely hot water is necessary for a perfect hot brew in record time… Not to mention, you can even use cold water and let your coffee steep overnight for a smooth, full-bodied cold brew in the morning!

4. Afternoon Coffee Leads to Insomnia

Other people claim that having a cup of coffee in the afternoon always leads to insomnia or at least a little difficulty sleeping. Your mileage may vary on this account – some people definitely have more sensitive systems to caffeine, so it may not be wise to have a second cup of coffee during the 2pm slump if you’re among them.

However, this is not a guaranteed effect for everyone, especially since most of the caffeine (about 75%) in a cup of coffee you drink at around 2pm will be flushed out of your body within four hours or so.

The myth that no one should have a second cup of coffee in the afternoon is false.

3. Coffee is Dehydrating

Ever heard someone say that coffee will dehydrate you? Well… the answer is yes and no.

In fact, caffeine is slightly dehydrating compared to other substances. But a cup of coffee necessarily has a lot of water – enough so that drinking a cup of coffee has the required amount of H2O to offset the dehydration you would get from caffeine.

In reality, the so-called dehydrating effect of coffee is due to the fact that it’s a diuretic- meaning it increases your urge to dash to the bathroom! The more you urinate, the more dehydrated you are, but coffee itself is not dehydrating as a rule.

2. Coffee is Good for Weight Loss

Lots of “get-thin-quick” diets will advertise coffee as one of the best beverages for weight loss. Even though coffee can very slightly increase your metabolism - which therefore increases how many calories your body burns passively - it’s not enough to make a real dent in your weight loss efforts.

More importantly, caffeine can suppress your appetite for a little while, which means it may be slightly helpful if you’re trying to eat less. But coffee alone isn’t a weight-loss trick you can rely on.

If you eat the same amount of food you were before starting your diet and try to drink an extra cup of coffee to lose pounds, it won’t work.

1. Coffee Can “Sober You Up”

A sobering effect is another of the mythical uses of coffee, but it’s incorrect. As with weight loss, caffeine provides a slight benefit in this regard; it can stimulate you to a mild extent, offsetting some of the suppressant effects you get from drinking a single beer or another alcoholic beverage.

But coffee doesn’t make you sober just like that. Instead, drinking coffee can ever-so-slightly accelerate the sobering process since you’re also ingesting water, which is the main medium for getting alcohol out of your system. You’d likely become sober just as slowly as you would from drinking a glass of water as you would by having a coffee, so this myth is officially debunked.

The effects of coffee are nowhere near enough to make it suitable for you to drive home if you’ve gotten tipsy. Better call that taxi!

Even though these widely believed myths aren’t really true, there’s still no denying that coffee is an invigorating, delicious drink any day of the week.

All myths aside, there’s one undeniable truth about coffee: It’s always better when served in a BEAST!

Justin | Greens Steel Wellness Contributor
Maine, USA