Sign up to save your podcasts
Or
Share Coffee: Health Benefits, Brewing Methods, and Busted Myths
Share to email
Share to Facebook
Share to X
Share to email
Share to Facebook
Share to X
Or
Coffee: Health Benefits, Brewing Methods, and Busted Myths
Confused about coffee? Some people still say it's bad for you, but is it? Or are their opinions outdated?
In this article, I'll separate myth from fact, and share a little history on how coffee came to be such an incredibly popular beverage.
Article ShortcutsThe Birth of the "Coffee is Bad for You" MythCoffee or DieWhere the First Coffee Came FromCoffee Brewing MethodsCoffee Health BenefitsCoffee and Physical PerformanceCoffee and Weight ManagementCoffee, Insulin Resistance and DiabetesCoffee and Cardiovascular DiseaseCoffee and CancerCoffee and Liver HealthCoffee, Cognitive Function, and the Nervous SystemCoffee and Bone HealthCoffee and Gut HealthFinal Sips
The Birth of the "Coffee is Bad for You" Myth
The year was 1992. In sports, the Blue Jays won the World Series, the Redskins won the Super Bowl, and Andre Agassi and Steffi Graf won at Wimbledon.
In entertainment, Tom Hanks yelled, “There’s no crying in baseball!” while Jack Nicholson scorned, “You can’t handle the truth!”
And in the world of coffee, health advocates warned the public of the problems it can cause. As Dr. Tony Chou said,
The recent decline in caffeine and coffee consumption reflects the widespread awareness of the debate about possible adverse effects of caffeine on health.Dr. Tony Chou, Western Journal of Medicine, 1992
Fortunately, Starbuck’s didn’t listen. By 1992, they'd grown to 165 coffee shops and went public on the stock exchange. That same year, John Sylvan and Peter Dragone founded Keurig.
1992 was a long time ago. Like those who still want Zubaz to stay in fashion, some people still hold onto the beliefs about coffee that were common back then.
Times marches on. Research accumulates. Thinking evolves. Beliefs change.
Coffee or Die
Coincidentally, I’m wearing a t-shirt that says, “Coffee or Die” as I write this article. My wife and I love coffee.
We appreciate the delightful aroma, the unique and flavorful taste (well, at least most dark roasts; not so much the light roasts or medium roasts), and even the warmth of the cup as we begin each day.
I don’t love it enough to die for it, though. And if I believed it was detrimental to my health, I’d give it up right away.
I started writing this article to find out what was bad about coffee and to see if there are reasons to stop drinking it.
However, the more papers I read and reviewed (many of which you’ll find in the references section at the end), the more I realized that coffee is seriously good for you.
Where the First Coffee Came From
According to the National Coffee Association, coffee originated in Ethiopia.
The legend of its discovery revolves around a goat herder named Kaldi.
After eating the cherries from a particular tree, Kaldi noticed his goats weren’t going to sleep when they were supposed to. Instead, they danced and goofed around, like little kids (pun intended).
He shared his findings with his dad, and they spread the word around Ethiopia.
Sometime between 865-925 AD, a physician named Rhazes became the first to write of coffee in print.
By the 1400s, people made an early version of the coffee we drink today. Arab Surfi monks drank it to stay awake for midnight prayers, wealthy citizens added coffee rooms in their homes, and coffeehouses came to being.
Muslim pilgrims brought coffee to Persia, Egypt, Syria, and Turkey,
View all episodes
By Life Time TrainingConfused about coffee? Some people still say it's bad for you, but is it? Or are their opinions outdated?
In this article, I'll separate myth from fact, and share a little history on how coffee came to be such an incredibly popular beverage.
Article ShortcutsThe Birth of the "Coffee is Bad for You" MythCoffee or DieWhere the First Coffee Came FromCoffee Brewing MethodsCoffee Health BenefitsCoffee and Physical PerformanceCoffee and Weight ManagementCoffee, Insulin Resistance and DiabetesCoffee and Cardiovascular DiseaseCoffee and CancerCoffee and Liver HealthCoffee, Cognitive Function, and the Nervous SystemCoffee and Bone HealthCoffee and Gut HealthFinal Sips
The Birth of the "Coffee is Bad for You" Myth
The year was 1992. In sports, the Blue Jays won the World Series, the Redskins won the Super Bowl, and Andre Agassi and Steffi Graf won at Wimbledon.
In entertainment, Tom Hanks yelled, “There’s no crying in baseball!” while Jack Nicholson scorned, “You can’t handle the truth!”
And in the world of coffee, health advocates warned the public of the problems it can cause. As Dr. Tony Chou said,
The recent decline in caffeine and coffee consumption reflects the widespread awareness of the debate about possible adverse effects of caffeine on health.Dr. Tony Chou, Western Journal of Medicine, 1992
Fortunately, Starbuck’s didn’t listen. By 1992, they'd grown to 165 coffee shops and went public on the stock exchange. That same year, John Sylvan and Peter Dragone founded Keurig.
1992 was a long time ago. Like those who still want Zubaz to stay in fashion, some people still hold onto the beliefs about coffee that were common back then.
Times marches on. Research accumulates. Thinking evolves. Beliefs change.
Coffee or Die
Coincidentally, I’m wearing a t-shirt that says, “Coffee or Die” as I write this article. My wife and I love coffee.
We appreciate the delightful aroma, the unique and flavorful taste (well, at least most dark roasts; not so much the light roasts or medium roasts), and even the warmth of the cup as we begin each day.
I don’t love it enough to die for it, though. And if I believed it was detrimental to my health, I’d give it up right away.
I started writing this article to find out what was bad about coffee and to see if there are reasons to stop drinking it.
However, the more papers I read and reviewed (many of which you’ll find in the references section at the end), the more I realized that coffee is seriously good for you.
Where the First Coffee Came From
According to the National Coffee Association, coffee originated in Ethiopia.
The legend of its discovery revolves around a goat herder named Kaldi.
After eating the cherries from a particular tree, Kaldi noticed his goats weren’t going to sleep when they were supposed to. Instead, they danced and goofed around, like little kids (pun intended).
He shared his findings with his dad, and they spread the word around Ethiopia.
Sometime between 865-925 AD, a physician named Rhazes became the first to write of coffee in print.
By the 1400s, people made an early version of the coffee we drink today. Arab Surfi monks drank it to stay awake for midnight prayers, wealthy citizens added coffee rooms in their homes, and coffeehouses came to being.
Muslim pilgrims brought coffee to Persia, Egypt, Syria, and Turkey,