How much do you really know about coffee? This quiz will tell you. Let's get started:
Is coffee good or bad for your health?
The answer: It's good for you!
Research shows that drinking a moderate amount of coffee (about two to five cups a day) reduces the risk of diseases, such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease, Parkinson’s disease and liver cancer, as well as depression, says professor of nutrition and epidemiology Dr Frank Hu. It can even lower your risk of death from any cause.
“The evidence is quite strong that regular coffee consumption is more helpful than harmful,” he says. Why? Coffee is a good source of antioxidant and anti-inflammatory phytochemicals that can improve disease risk factors, like insulin resistance. Just try to stick to max 240mg per day so that your sleep won’t be disrupted.
True or false? Coffee will dehydrate you
The answer: False
While it’s true that caffeine is a mild diuretic, which means the stimulant will cause your kidneys to expel more sodium and water than they would if you were sipping water, coffee is still a liquid, so its hydrating properties balance out any diuretic effects, says cardiologist Dr Vince Bufalino.
In a study published in PLOS One, researchers looked at the blood and urine of participants who drank either coffee or an equivalent amount of water over a period of three days and found no significant difference in hydration levels.
Which has more caffeine, light or dark roast?
The answer: Light roast
The more heat that’s put on coffee beans during the roasting process, the more moisture and caffeine are pushed out. A dark roast at Starbucks, for instance, packs 195mg of caffeine, compared with 270mg in a cup of blonde roast.
That said, “a lighter roast may preserve more biologically important ingredients,” says Parthasarathy. When researchers studied the levels of the antioxidant chlorogenic acid in various roasts, for instance, they found that the lighter the roast, the more it contained.
If you’re trying to avoid caffeine entirely, no coffee is your best bet: while the decaffeination process strips away 90% or more of the beans’ caffeine, research shows that decaf can still contain 15mg or more per serving.
Is coffee okay to drink if you're pregnant?
The answer: It's fine.
Most experts give pregnant java fans the okay to keep imbibing in moderation – that is, 200mg or less.
While caffeine does cross the placenta (meaning your baby will get a little buzz right along with you), no conclusive studies have shown that a woman’s moderate coffee drinking while pregnant puts her baby at higher risk of health issues.
Just remember that the amount of caffeine in a cup of coffee can vary greatly, depending on how it's made, and that there is also caffeine in cola, tea, energy drinks, chocolate and some medications.
True or false? A cup of coffee sobers you up
The answer: False
Drinking coffee doesn’t get alcohol out of your system any faster, even if you feel more awake and alert. This means that if you’re drunk, having coffee does not make it okay to drive.
Research has found caffeine doesn’t reverse alcohol’s impairment of psychomotor tasks – skills like driving that require thought, movement and coordination. In fact, caffeine may make you feel more capable because you’re less drowsy, but you’ll still be a worse driver, says preventive medicine expert Dr Marilyn Cornelis.
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