The one about… COFFEE

Coffee has ever since it’s “invention” in 15th century become one of our most important beverages, with more than 2.2 billion cups consumed globally per day.

I am definitely one of the regular coffee addicts and can’t even begin my day until I had a freshly made cup of coffee in the morning. One might say it is the main reason I get out of bed some mornings…

I’m so much into coffee that I recently made a whole Youtube video about it (see below and check it out if you haven’t seen it yet 😉). During my research for that video, I stumbled upon a few fun things about coffee, that didn’t really fit into the video but are too good to not share with you! So grab a cup of coffee ☕ and here we go:

5 Fun Facts about COFFEE:

1 - Thank GOATS for coffee

Yes, you read correctly. Although many different stories claim the origin of coffee, is was originally discovered by a goat herder named Kaldi.

Back in the 1500s in Ethiopia, the goat herder Kaldi noticed that his goats were unable to fall asleep after they’ve eaten from a specific tree. Curious as he was, he tried it himself and noticed the same effect.

He brought his findings to the nearest monastery. The religious leaders of course thought this to be the Devil’s work and tried to destroy it by throwing the tree beans in the fire.

I assume the amazing aroma of roasting beans made them realise their mistake and change their mind pretty quickly, as they soon made their own drinks from the coffee beans. And the rest, as they say, is history…

2 - The BEAN that’s a BERRY in disguise

Talking about roasting coffee beans, contrary to their name, coffee beans aren’t actually beans but the pits or seeds from cherry-like berries.

The pit is removed from the berry during the harvesting process. This also means, you could put unroasted coffee “beans” into soil and, under the right conditions, it could grow a whole new coffee plant.

3 - Etymology

Where does the word “coffee” actually come from? In the English language it first showed up around the late 1500s.

Turns out the first term for the drink ‘coffee’ was the Arabic word “qahwah” - and it initially referred to a type of wine. Later on, the Ottoman Turks developed the term “kahve”, followed by the Dutch word “koffie”, which seems to have been the root of the English derivation “coffee” around 1582.

4 - It’s too good to be true

The tried ban on coffee reaches further than the in my Youtube video mentioned Olympic games.

Coffee was actually restricted and even banned several times throughout its history. In 1511 the governor in Mecca, banned coffee stating that it stimulates radical thinking. In the 16th century in Europe, clergymen called coffee the Devil’s beverage and asked Pope Clement VII to ban it. But Pope Clement VII liked the taste of coffee and stated that it’ll be a sin to ban this drink as it is extremely delicious. All throughout history, it was typically because of coffee’s stimulating effect or the particular crowd it attracted. Coffee Houses fast became a spot for free thinkers to discuss their ideas. Going so far that it was banned from sporting events like the Olympics for its effect on the physical performance. But none of them persisted the sweet and invigorating perks of coffee.

5 - Trojan Room Coffee Pot

Also known as the coffee machine monitored by the first ever webcam, invented to check the filling level of a coffee pot.

Yep, this is not a joke. The first ever invented webcam was developed at a Computer Lab at the University of Cambridge in 1991, to check the filling level of a coffee pot to save staff the disappointment to walk all the way to the coffee machine and then finding it empty. After the camera was rigged up, it became easy for them to keep an eye on the coffee without leaving their desk again and again.

Let’s bust some myths - shall we?

Myth #1 - Coffee is addictive!

This one has some truth to it, depending on how you define "addictive." Caffeine is a stimulant to the central nervous system, and regular use of caffeine does cause mild physical dependence. But caffeine doesn't threaten your physical, social, or economic health the way addictive drugs do. (Although after seeing your monthly spending at the coffee shop in Melbourne, you might disagree!)

If you stop taking caffeine abruptly, you may have symptoms for a day or more, especially if you consume two or more cups of coffee a day. Symptoms of withdrawal from caffeine include: headache, fatigue, anxiety, irritability, depressed mood and difficulty concentrating.

No doubt, caffeine withdrawal can make for a few bad days. However, caffeine does not cause the severity of withdrawal or harmful drug-seeking behaviours as street drugs or alcohol. For this reason, experts do not consider caffeine dependence an addiction.

Myth #2 - Coffee dehydrates!

Coffee can make you need to urinate. However, the fluid you consume in caffeinated beverages tends to offset the effects of fluid loss when you urinate. The bottom line is that although caffeine does act as a mild diuretic, studies show drinking caffeinated drinks in moderation doesn't actually cause dehydration.

Myth #3 - Coffee can lead to strokes!

For a long time, rumours had it that coffee consumption can lead to an increased risk of strokes. There were studies that even showed that the risk of a stroke increased one hour after the consumption of caffeine. However, recent meta-analyses showed that moderate coffee consumption may be weakly inversely associated with risk of stroke. Coffee may even reduce the risk of death from stroke and heart disease.

Got more fun facts about coffee? Found more common misbeliefs associated with caffeine consumption?

Leave them in the comments below and start a conversation 😊

And as always: Stay Sciency 👩‍🔬