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Coffee Facts & Myths: 20 Interesting Facts About Coffee

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I will be one of the first to admit it – I have a coffee addiction. For a long time I wouldn't even get up in the morning if my husband didn't make coffee. While I have been broken of that little habit (the excuse I'm hearing is that I now make the better coffee) I still can't do anything important before noon without at least one cup of coffee. I'll freely admit, I'm not about to get rid of coffee anytime soon. What has shocked me is all the articles on Pinterest lately talking about the dangers of coffee. Worst of all, most of these articles aren't supported by facts. Being me, I started going on a researching binge looking for ways to tell the difference between coffee facts and coffee myths.

What I found truly amazed me. I didn't know that coffee had so many amazing benefits, and that most of what I heard as a kid were old wives' tales. After how much it surprised me, I thought you guys (and girls) might find it just as interesting. Below is a list of the 20 most common coffee facts and coffee myths that I found during my research. I'm hoping all of you find this just as interesting as I did!

 

  1. Coffee Fact or Coffee Myth: Coffee can stunt your growth, especially in children.

Answer: Myth

Who, as a kid, didn't have someone tell them not to drink coffee? I remember people being in shock when my mom let me drink coffee as a kid. While I would love to blame coffee for my 5'2 stature, coffee had nothing to do with it. Recent studies show there is no relation between coffee consumption and height.

Where did this old wives tale start? It's believed to have come from a study linking a loss of bone mass to caffeine. In this old study, participants who drank coffee and soda were drastically losing bone mass. The problem with this original study is that all the participants were elderly, and had low calcium diets – both of which . Oops!

  1. Coffee Fact or Coffee Myth: Drinking too much coffee can cause ulcers.

Answer: Myth

If you have ever suffered from an ulcer, you know they are very very painful. When I was doing my student teaching in 2005, one of the teachers warned me that I better cut back on the coffee or I was going to pay with some nasty stomach ulcers. Well, I am happy to report that coffee has absolutely nothing to do with ulcers!

So, if coffee doesn't cause ulcers, what does? Ulcers are actually caused by a bacteria called Helicobacter pylori, which takes up residency in our stomach. If this bacteria gets out of hand, it can cause ulcers. Thankfully, this can be easily fixed with an antibiotic.  While coffee doesn't cause ulcers, you may want to avoid it if you already have them, since it will irritate your ulcers.

  1. Coffee Fact or Coffee Myth: Coffee should be stored in the refrigerator or freezer once opened.

Answer: Myth

I'm sorry, but that nice pin going around Pinterest about storing coffee in the freezer – it's not true. While coffee beans are very pretty, they are very porous, meaning they will absorb moisture and scents. Best case, storing coffee in the refrigerator or freezer will make your coffee tasteless and bland. Worst case…well…let's just say that coffee can do the same thing as baking soda in the refrigerator.

To get the most out of your coffee, make sure to store your coffee in an airtight container in a cool, dry place. This will keep it fresh longer and will make sure your coffee keeps it's amazing flavor.

  1. Coffee Fact or Coffee Myth: The best coffee in the world is grown in Italy.

Answer: Myth

If you think about this one, this myth is very silly. Coffee trees thrive in tropical environments, especially in certain areas of South American and Africa. While Italy is a beautiful place, it just isn't one of those places where coffee trees thrive. What Italy is known for, however, is their devotion to coffee, especially espresso. Some of the most well known coffee houses in the world can be found in Italy. As to which place has the best coffee, that is highly debated since there are so many different types of coffee!

  1. Coffee Fact or Coffee Myth: Coffee can cause you to become dehydrated.

Answer: Myth

This one myth that will get people talking pretty quickly! I grew up with being told not to drink too much coffee because it is a mild diuretic. For this reason, it was believed that drinking too much coffee would lead to you becoming dehydrated. Modern research, however, has debunked this myth. Coffee, or rather caffeine, only has a diuretic effect if you drink large quantities of it. To start losing significant water from drinking coffee alone, you would have to have over 7 cups of coffee a day!

  1. Coffee Fact or Coffee Myth: Coffee Fact or Coffee Myth: Coffee can help prevent skin cancer.

Answer: Fact

According to the journal Cancer Research, caffeine can lower your chances of getting skin cancer. It was found that the more caffeine you drink, the lower you chance of getting skin cancer since the caffeine killed pre-cancerous cells. While you can get this effect by consuming any type of caffeine, coffee is the recommended source since it has other health benefits and is not high in sugar like soda.

  1. Coffee Fact or Coffee Myth: Coffee can help you recover from a hangover faster.

Answer: Myth

While I would love to tell you guys that coffee is the best cure for a hangover, it can actually make it worse. Part of the reason you experience a hangover is because you are dehydrated. Alcohol is one of the best diuretics out there and you aren't going to help yourself drinking another diuretic. The best cure for a hangover is drinking lots of water! If you are a regular coffee drinker, however, you may want to drink a small cup of coffee to avoid a nasty withdrawal headache along with your hangover.

  1. Coffee Fact or Coffee Myth: Coffee causes insomnia.

Answer: Myth

Contrary to the popular myth, morning coffee does not cause insomnia.  Our bodies quickly absorb caffeine and process it through the liver. In other words, the effects of coffee making you more alert wears off quickly. For most people, the effects of caffeine are completely gone in 8-10 hours. The only way coffee will cause insomnia is if you drink it late in the day or right before bed, and that is only if you have a slow metabolism and are very sensitive to caffeine. As long as you don't drink coffee two hours before bed, you shouldn't have any trouble sleeping!

  1. Coffee Fact or Coffee Myth: Coffee should be avoided by pregnant women.

Answer: Fact

If you are pregnant and really looking for an excuse to keep your coffee addiction – sorry, I can't help you. Caffeine is dangerous during pregnancy since it can be absorbed by the placenta and increase your baby's heart rate or worse, cause irregular heartbeats. It is recommended by the Mayo Clinic that women drink no more than 200 milligrams of caffiene a day during pregnancy. For coffee drinkers, this is about two eight-ounce cups of  coffee.

  1. Coffee Fact or Coffee Myth: Drinking coffee will make your happy and more social.

Answer: Fact

Remember those days in college when you sit and drink coffee with your friends? While drinking coffee may not have made you look cool, it made you happier and more likely to be social according to Roland Griffiths of the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine.  Those in the study who drank 200 milligrams of coffee (a 16 oz cup) reported feeling happier, more social, and generally optimistic about their lives. Who knew that coffee at cram sessions did more than make you more alert?

 

Click here for part 2 of this article

About 

Susan Bewley is a professional writer who has been writing content online & in print format for over 10 years. As well, she is an alumni of the University of Louisville with a Masters Degree in Special Education. When not working as an online business consultant or ghost writing, she can be found writing on Budget Earth, on her own novel, or working with various entities in the pet industry.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. that is interesting. I drink coffee every morning, my day isnt complete without it. I rarely drink my 2nd coffee at night or at noon depending on my mood

  4. Thanks for giving me some more awesome reasons for drinking coffee!!! I didn't know some people thought the best coffee comes from Italy.  I am from Guatemala and the best coffee in the world comes from Guatemala!!! 😉  (there might be some debate there, but some of the best certainly does)

     

  7. Interesting… Some of those I already knew (especially the one where coffee can stunt your growth) but I swore that any amount of caffeine was a diruetic. Now I know!

    • That one surprised me too when I did my research! It’s amazing the things scientists find out! It still is a minor diuretic but it’s good to know it balances out with the water in the coffee!

  11. I am a coffee fanatic, lol. My grandmother would let me drink decaf with her when I was young, and I always felt so grown. On special days I set up a coffee and pastry bar for my kids to indulge, and they really think they are something!  🙂

  12. I don't drink coffee but my husband is an addict & we were surprised to learn last year about the not storing coffee in the fridge!  Now he has his own cabinet, airtight containers, grinders, etc 🙂

  15. I get around the no coffee when pregnant by making up a pot of decaf daily.  I've grown so used to it that it doesn't bother me to not have caffeine anymore.

  16. Very interesting coffee trivia! I can not start a day without my "cup of ambition".  Thank you!   =)

  17. I love coffee!!  I am originally from Seattle so we are kind of born with a cup of coffee in our hands.  I am pregnant right now so that fact about the 2 cups is so sad but true 🙁 But boy does it make me enjoy what I'm allowed even more!

  18. wow, this is amazing, thank you for doing all this research.  I would never have geussed half of those were myths lol

  19. Coffee can really do wonders we didn't imagine they could. It's amazing how coffee can be so versatile. Though there are a lot of advantages we get from coffee, taking it in moderation is still a must. 

  20. Susan, I must say you do do your homework and did a great job on this article, I am glad to read that it helps with pre cancerous skin cancer, no ulcers, debunk the hangover trick and diuretic. The one about insominia, well I can drink coffee and go to sleep, I think it might be the hot coffee warms me up and makes it easier to go to sleep.  Thanks for sharing!! Happy Valentines!!

  21. Some of those myths are so funny & old school. =) All I know is I love me some coffee every single day! lol

  22. I have always wanted to try a cup of that civet cat coffee. See the Civet eats the coffee berry and poops out the bean,  The beans are then collected (cleaned I would assume) roasted and there you have it a 600 dollar cup of coffee.  the digestive enzimes supposedly make the coffee extra yummy.

  23. I was just told by my mother in law that i should keep my coffee in my fridge ..oops think she was wrong lol

  24. Interesting facts about coffee.  I wish I liked coffee as I could use a pick me up in the morning.

  25. thanks to my grandpa i have been drinking coffee since the age of 5… ? i LOVE my coffee. god rest his soul.

  26. I love #10.  I am a regular coffee drinker now, but when I was in my early 20's, I only had a cup every now and then when the mood struck (it was the pre-Starbucks era).  When I would feel a little down, my boyfriend at the time always said "You need a cup of coffee, it will make you happy"  Then I would have a cup of coffee and I'd always feel better!  Now I tell that to others to this day, when they are a little down, a nice cup of coffee is the perfect pick me up.

  28. After reading this, I think the one that I was most surprised by was,

    Coffee Fact or Coffee Myth: Coffee Fact or Coffee Myth: Coffee can help prevent skin cancer.   Answer: Fact                                     – not something I was aware of.

  29. i am a total coffee addict! i didn't know about the skin cancer thing,cool! maybe i will have an extra cup!

  30. Loved this article thanks lots! I LOVE coffee. Not addicted but I could have it everyday. It's good to find out which were facts and which were fiction. Very cool!

  31. I am a coffee drinker, so this article will give me reason to keep 'on track' as coffee lover. Thank you so much.

  32. Interesting. They keep changing their ideas about whether coffee is good or not. I've always had a morning cup. I DO find it keeps me up at night if I drink it after lunch, and it did NOT prevent me from having skin cancer. So I'm not sure I completely agree with all of the "facts." But maybe I'm an exception.

    • Most of the facts on this list came from scientific studies did in the United States or Europe. Unfortunatly, like with all statistics, they’re about what is most likely to happen in general – not a guarantee for any individual person. My mother is a major coffee drinker and she had skin cancer too. It’s not a cure all but can be one of the things to help prevent it in a best case scenario.

  34. Very interesting!! I have heard a lot about coffee helping prevent cancer… I love coffee, so I'll take any excuse to drink it!  (However, I'm now in the decaf once a week coffee club… we think/hope/pray we are preggers with baby #2.)  🙂

  35. How interesting to read!  I know that coffee not only makes the one who drinks it happy, but also those around them in the mornings! 🙂

  36. I knew it! As a late in life coffee drinker, I am happy to see some of these myths debunked. Thank you!

    • Glad I could help! I grew up with a coffee cup in hand so I was happy too! I started the research because a friend was telling me how I was killing myself by drinking coffee! I showed them – lol!

  37. WOW! I just blogged about coffee and here's another interesting facts that I have learned! I love the fact that those coffee drinkers have been reported feeling happier, more social, and generally optimistic about their lives. Now I know… thanks for sharing!

  39. i agree with the first one, i am very short but it is not due to my coffee intake it is definatelt herditary! both my parents are short lol

  40. There are only ten myth/facts, but that's ok 🙂 They were all good. I especially like number 10 about coffee making you happier. It's so true! In my case being coffee-jumpy = happy.

    • The other 10 are on another page at the bottom of the post. I divided it up so it wasn’t HUGE. This also lowers the load time for everyone else.

  41. Great Facts! I thought you were only supposed to store coffee beans in the freezer and ground coffee in a aire tight container. I also didn't know it can help prevent skin cancer.

  42. I'd argue that caffeine contracts the blood vessels, which may temper the headache pain a bit — it's in tension headache and migraine formulations of painkillers for that reason.  However, it is true that the best thing you can do is lots of water — so maybe tea works best?

    • Actually, most teas have more caffeine than coffee. Its a myth that coffee will dyhydrate you – at least this is what has been found in a labratory setting and through various studies. Tea, however, does have other amazing benefits. I’m a bit fan of both tea and coffee myself, so I will usually go for either 🙂  If it’s a dehydration, headache, however, only one thing works best – plain cold water!

  43. Very Very interesting!! It's nice to know that coffee isn't as bad for you as people and society try to make you think it is! I know some people that would be bummed to hear it doesn't help with hangovers! 

  44. This was a neat article, it enlightened me that some of the myths that I have been told about coffee are just that a myth.  I agree that it does make you feel good after drinking coffee, I was not aware of why it makes you feel good.  but I know if I don't have my coffee I am crabby as all get out.  Thank you for sharing

  45. wow, the fact that it helps against skin cancer is very interesting

     

    sibabe64 at ptd dot net

  46. So coffee is not so bad after all!  It seems like everyone fluctuates back and forth on this.  However, in the meantime, I'm sticking to my high quality organic green tea.

  47. I love love loved reading cofffe myth or fact post…I am a HUGE coffee drinker and the one that I loved reading especially was the that coffee will stunt. your growth, I drank coffee real young my daddy did and so did I, he always shared! and I am now very very tall for a girl that is false I have been 5'9 since 8th grade

  48. I'm not a coffee drinker myself, though I do like the smell of it. There are definitely some interesting facts in your article. 🙂 One thing I do tell people about coffee, caffeine, and other acidic/corrosive substances is that while they themselves may not cause ulcers, if you're sensitive to developing them, or already have them, you CAN increase your risk of ulcers by drinking coffee, so you should take care.

    And I do think it's interesting that coffee may be able to help with lowering your risk of getting cancer. Very cool. 🙂

  49. oh goodness what a fun and interesting post, i am addicted to flavored ice coffee, i always have to get my fix, thanks for sharing. p.s. mcdonald's has the best ice coffee, so inexpensive!

  51. I'm not a coffee drinker, but my husband is, so these were interesting to read!

  52. Interesting about caffeine and cancer, I have never heard that before. I think I will research this some more!

  53. my sweet tasty day-by-day… makes all my days b-e-a-t-i-f-u-l! 😀

  54. Interesting! I gotta have my coffee, just gotta. The 'know everythings' seem to change their minds daily about whether it's good or bad for you, so I've decided to ignore them all. lol

  55. I always love reading about coffee facts vs myths because I always learn something new.

  56. Oh wow you are right these are some amazing facts about coffee that I never know. Oops we put our coffee in the refrigerator . It really also suprise me what it said about caffeine and drinking coffee can help lower your rate of getting skin cancer. Now that is amazing to know. Thanks so much for all this helpful information

  57. Interesting! I am a huge coffee addict and a lot of this I DID NOT KNOW! Thank you!

  58. Very interesting facts! I'd have to disagree with the fact about storing it in the fridge to preserve it though. Many coffee containers actually say to do so once opened because it helps preserve freshness. Swear! It's usually in tiny print, but it's there on many of them.

    • HI Amy – I looked at my Gevalia, Seattles Best, and Meijer brand coffee and all say store in a cool, DRY place. While the fridge is cool and dry, it will cause condensation when you take it OUT of the fridge, getting moisture in the coffee and potentially ruining it. Here is a great read on storing coffee from the National Coffee Association.

  59. i love that coffee can make you more happy and helps reduce the chance of skin cancer! didn't know that fact.

  60. I do love coffee… however, I believe in the old adage "Too much of anything is not good for you."  So I limit myself to one (or two) cups of coffee a day.  The myths and facts about coffee was interesting.  I did not know that Coffee can help prevent skin cancer.  That is definitely good info to know. 🙂

  61. Absolutley informative article. I did not know coffee "did not" cause insomnia. I would've thought so. I did know coffee has a lot of health benefits and antioxidants so it makes sense it would help with cancer. I just didn't think it was skin cancer. Enjoyed the read!

  62. Lol I'm like you, don't even talk to me til I have had a couple cups. When hubby was alive he always was up and had coffee ready too. Thank you for the facts and myths because one thing I was doing was keeping coffee in frig. because I thought it would keep it fresher.

  64. Love the post! I had no idea about coffee helping to prevent skin cancer, talk about an encouraging reason to drink coffee!

    Growing up, my mom always kept her coffee in the freezer, it wasn't until I was in my 20's that I saw a Good Eats episode that Alton Brown explained that it's definitely not a good idea!

  65. I love and drink a lot of coffee every day. I am surprised at the fact that it can prevent skin cancer…I drink decaf though due to medical reasons.

  66. Great article – but I still can't enjoy my coffee because I drink it with artificial sweeteners which, apparently, are not healthy

    • What artificial sweetener do you use? Research is showing that the artificial ones are very unhealthy. You may be better switching to something like Nectresse. I think its only 5 calories and comes from monk fruit.

  67. yes, coffee is actually good for you! but I am not a fan. ill drink it as I get old(er)

  68. Very informative. And now I've got a few more reasons to love my morning cup of coffee!

  69. I LOVE coffee and it's nice to hear the benefits.  I also can't start my day without it.  Everything in moderation.

  70. Very interesting. I was storing mine in the freezer because I was told by a few people that it stays fresh that way. Now I know it doesn't and it ruins the taste I won't anymore.

  71. I love this article!  I'm a huge coffee fan, though typically only have one or two cups a day… I do looove it, and have ever since I was quite young (though I was limited by my mom on how much I was allowed to have until I was a teenager, but I used to always have a small bit or some sips).   This is a great list of information!

  72. Very interesting and informative!  Love all the information and the way you detailed your responses.  I believed a lot of the myths, and I will never be able to get my husband to not store his coffee in the fridge.  He did love hearing about the benefits.

  73. My husband drank coffee from the age of 3 years old on — and he is 6 foot 2! It didn't stunt his growth! 🙂 lol

  76. Thanks for the info, as I sit here and sip  my coffee 🙂  It's a big addiction of mine as well. Good to hear all the the benefits!!

  77. I also found out that certain plants (my geranium loved it) like cold coffee or coffe grounds as a fertilizer!

    • Plants do love coffee! Did you know Starbucks will give you their used coffee ground for free? Its part of their recycling efforts 🙂

  78. Great information. I am glad to know my love for coffee has some benefits and also that many of the non-benefits are myths!

  79. I'm surprised to learn that coffee can help prevent skin cancer. Thanks for the information!

  80. That's really interesting to know that it shouldn't be stored in the freezer. I store mine in an airtight container in the cabinet but had felt guilty about not storing it in the freezer. Thanks for making me feel better!

  81. I am most surprised to find out that coffee does not dehydrate you! I have always heard this my whole life, and being a healthcare worker I hear it at work all the time. Thanks for sharing this, very interesting for a coffee-addict like myself!

  82. I drink coffee when i was five years old and i already know and use to think back then that it would stunt my growth but i still drink it bec its already in my cup, now i know its not true. Thanks for the details.

  83. I really enjoyed reading about coffee. I am a coffee-aholic! Good to know there is not any reason to stop drinking it!

  84. I have heard those myths before, and while I knew some of them were just myths, I had no clue that coffee couldn't be put in the freezer or fridge!

  85. This is quite interesting.  I just had bariatric surgery, and I was told, by TWO NUTRITIONISTS, that coffee IS, in fact, dehydrating!  If it's not, I'm so happy, because I didn't want to give it up.

  86. It was dumb of me but I used to store the coffee in the freezer. Nowadays in an airtight container it is special coffee cabinet.

  88. I had no idea coffee prevented skin cancer!  Wow hah, Im set then! That one is the only one on the list that I haven't heard.  Im glad to know that now though! (:

  89. Wow great article. I'm really surprised about the skin cancer thing! Good to know it has some real benefits 😛

  90. Thanks for the very informative article.  I would show this to my family & friends but they wouldn't believe it.  THeir loss!!!

  91. thanks! This is so interesting, I drink caffelatte everyday and I didn't know many things you wrote!

  92. i feel like all of these are spot on! People always made fun of me because im short and rink coffee but i know its a myth haha so i just laugh at them :p

  93. Lol, I had no clue about most of these but I love the first one! Studies today are indeed just as bad.  They hand pick subjects often to their benefit (of course) and so many are worded to their benefit as well.  But the first one made me laugh.

  96. It is refreshing to see that coffee does not cause insomnia. I drink it at all hours of the day and night and it has never made me miss sleep. Coffee is an amazing drink and I love it!

  97. I didn't start drinking coffee until I was in my 30's and now I could not live without it. I have a large coffee every morning, sometimes refilling it by mid-morning. I drink it at night after dinner. I love coffee and even if all of these were true facts I would probably still drink it!

  99. The part about coffee making you happy and more social is soooo true. That's one reason why I first got hooked!

  100. I am so glad to learn that my risk of skin cancer is decreased because I drink coffee. With all the negative reports of foods we eat causing cancer and other diseases, it's nice to know that a coffee habit is not as bad as suspected.

  102. Thanks for clearing up the confusion for us.  I always say that God made all bad things yucky to me when I was pregnant.  With ALL five pregnancies, I couldn't bear the smell much less the taste of coffee and I am a true hard-core addict!  I had no troubles cutting out caffeine for sure!

  103. My coffee is my life, Morning noon and a little at night. I couldn't go a day without it. Yes I'm an Addict. Thank you for this article . You've answered some of my questions on the myths. Much enjoyed reading.

  105. Interested facts about coffee. Some of them I knew where true and surprised by others like freezing coffee beans in the freezer. No longer will be doing that. I never drank coffee when I was a teen so I can't blame coffee on being short as well. lol. Thanks for sharing.

  107. I am literally so addicted to coffee, and I have been since I was only in middle school. Valedictorian problems.

  108. The absolute WORST part of being pregnant for me was not being able to drink coffee, becasue for some reason, it was my biggest craving! It got so bad that I ended up buying decaf coffee just so I could have the taste without the caffine. And the local baristas got to know me as "Decaf Baby" 🙂  (I will say  though, that even after reading these, I'm still blaming my height on coffee, hehe)

  110. Did not know Coffee makes you social, always it was the setting and the confort you feel in a well venitilated area that has an effect.

    When I was a kid, parents did not let me drink Coffee because of the myth that I won't grow. I would have not liked the bitterness back then anyways.

     

    Coffee and Alcohol together is actually quite nice. Sleepy and Awake at the same time.

     

  112. Cheers to coffee ! Am a big coffee fan and enjoyed reading this post. Am straight away dashing for one more cuppa coffee as I now Know that it is a myth that coffee makes you dehydrated. 3 Cheers to that 🙂