The Effects Of Caffeine On Your Health: 10 Common Myths About Drinking Coffee
A cup of Joe is the morning fuel that helps us do the leg work to get from point A to point B. When it comes to caffeine, there are many misconceptions brewing inside a cup of coffee, making it difficult to separate myth from fact. The most widely used drug in the world has gone through the grinder when it comes to its effects on our health, but Mental Floss host Elliott Morgan helps clear the air in the YouTube video “Misconceptions about Caffeine.”
In the U.S., roughly 83 percent of adults drink coffee, says the National Coffee Association, with 61 percent drinking coffee on a daily basis. The caffeine content in an 8-ounce cup of coffee is between 95 milligrams (mg) to 200mg, while an 8-ounce cup of tea contains between 0 to 70mg. Caffeine levels in a cup of coffee, a mug of tea, or a can of soda have been the root of concern because of its potential debilitating health effects on the human body, but is there any validity to these persistent myths?
We’re told caffeine is bad for us and can lead to addiction, but a surge of recent studies have found a plethora of health benefits a cup has to offer. Moderate intake of coffee has been linked to protection against Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis, and even liver disease, including liver cancer. Moreover, it has been found to prove cognitive function and decrease the risk of depression.
Caffeine has been affiliated with increasing the risk of heart disease and osteoporosis, but these claims are not validated. According to the American Heart Association, a possible link between caffeine intake and heart disease is still being studied, but moderate coffee drinking (1 to 2 cups a day) doesn’t seem to be harmful. Meanwhile, when it comes to osteoporosis, if older adults are drinking over 300mg per day, they may actually be increasing their risk, including hip fractures.
One of the most popular misconceptions about caffeine is it causes insomnia. The body is able to absorb caffeine quickly since it’s processed mainly through the liver and has a short half-life. This means it takes about five to seven hours to eliminate half of it from the body, and by 10 hours, 75 percent of it is gone. Drinking two cups of coffee in the morning won’t interfere with a good night’s sleep.
In the end, the one truth that remains is America’s drug of choice is caffeine, and it’s a habit that will not be broken soon.
Click on the video above to learn more debunked coffee myths.