Five of the most common myths about drinking coffee

Everyone has some and they’re only too pleased and eager to tell anyone who would listen. They will come up to you and tell you the ‘facts’ about coffee and what it does to the human body. Sadly their facts are more often than not myths or downright lies. Here are five of the most common myths you’re likely to hear about coffee:

Your afternoon cup will cause insomnia
Caffeine is a stimulant. However, the caffeine you consume in your post-lunch cup is processed through the liver at lightning speed and nearly all of it (roughly 75 percent) is flushed out of your body within four to seven hours. So, if you drink your second cup at 3 p.m., it’s completely gone by bedtime.

A cup of coffee will sober you up
The short answer is: no. Caffeine can make an intoxicated person more alert, but a study by The American Psychological Association concluded that coffee does not reverse the negative cognitive impact of alcohol. It’s actually even worse for you.

You use boiling water on the grounds
If the temperature of your water goes above 200 degrees Fahrenheit, the water will start to extract some of the bitter oils from coffee grounds and may even scorch them. You can attribute the burnt taste of coffee to extra-hot water.

Coffee helps you lose weight
Not exactly. The stimulating effects of caffeine can slightly—and we mean very slightly—increase your metabolism, but not enough to make a dent in your diet, especially in terms of long-term weight loss. Caffeine may reduce your desire to eat for a brief time.

Coffee stunts your growth
There is absolutely no scientific evidence to support this assertion and this myth has been doing the rounds for decades.

Everyone has some and they’re only too pleased and eager to tell anyone who would listen. They will come up to you and tell you the ‘facts’ about coffee and what it does to the human body. Sadly their facts are more often than not myths or downright lies. Here are five of the most common myths you’re likely to hear about coffee:

Your afternoon cup will cause insomnia
Caffeine is a stimulant. However, the caffeine you consume in your post-lunch cup is processed through the liver at lightning speed and nearly all of it (roughly 75 percent) is flushed out of your body within four to seven hours. So, if you drink your second cup at 3 p.m., it’s completely gone by bedtime.

A cup of coffee will sober you up
The short answer is: no. Caffeine can make an intoxicated person more alert, but a study by The American Psychological Association concluded that coffee does not reverse the negative cognitive impact of alcohol. It’s actually even worse for you.

You use boiling water on the grounds
If the temperature of your water goes above 200 degrees Fahrenheit, the water will start to extract some of the bitter oils from coffee grounds and may even scorch them. You can attribute the burnt taste of coffee to extra-hot water.

Coffee helps you lose weight
Not exactly. The stimulating effects of caffeine can slightly—and we mean very slightly—increase your metabolism, but not enough to make a dent in your diet, especially in terms of long-term weight loss. Caffeine may reduce your desire to eat for a brief time.

Coffee stunts your growth
There is absolutely no scientific evidence to support this assertion and this myth has been doing the rounds for decades.