6 Fascinating Facts About Coffee

 

Millions of people worldwide make a habit of starting each day with one or more cups of coffee. A person can quickly boost their energy level by drinking one cup and allowing the effect of caffeine to perform its magic.

But there's many more points of interest when it comes to coffee. Here are six interesting facts you may want to use to impress your friends.

1. Who Produces All of the Coffee Beans?

Heading to the kitchen and pouring a cup of fresh coffee into a favorite mug or stopping by a small roadway coffee shop is part of several coffee drinkers' daily activities. Accessibility to coffee comes relatively easy for most people.

Yet, ease of access to this popular commodity wouldn't be possible if it wasn't for ten coffee-producing countries that create the crops responsible for the coffee beans used each day.

Brazil, Vietnam, and Columbia are the leading producers at about 5 million metric tons per year. The other seven countries (Indonesia, Ethiopia, Honduras, India, Uganda, Mexico, and Guatemala) only produce about 2.5 metric tons per year.

2. It Can Be Traded For Profit

While drinking coffee offers health benefits and an energy boost, some people may not realize that it is traded on commodities exchanges and through brokers. In fact, consumers can trade coffee using slick smartphone apps.

The price of coffee fluctuates continuously based on supply and demand as well as geopolitics and weather events. In 2011, its price was almost 3 times as high as it is now.

Growing coffee can be challenging at times. It's highly sensitive to significant weather changes, which could harm a crop and reduce supply.

3. Coffee Offers Health Benefits

Besides the increase in energy and increased metabolism a person experiences after consuming one or more cups of this black elixir, it also has several other health benefits.

Research indicates it may help prevent Parkinson's disease and alleviate dizziness when a person's blood pressure is low.

Consuming coffee can also reduce the possibility of getting type 2 diabetes and has been shown to prevent gallstones when more than 400 mg of caffeine is consumed in a day. It's also been shown to help reduce colorectal cancers.

4. There Are No Coffee "Beans"

Browsing the coffee aisle at the grocery a different flavor, most people don't realize they're not looking at coffee beans. They are actually pits or seeds that have been extracted from the inside of purple or red fruit, which is known as a cherry.

The history of coffee goes back to the 15th century when signs appeared showing evidence of coffee drinkers or people who were familiar with the coffee tree. But it's unclear when the first coffee plant pits were referred to as beans.

It may have been from a savvy marketer who knew that selling beans would be much easier than trying to convince people to purchase pits and soak them in hot water for flavor.

5. There Are Only Two Main Types of Coffee

Several flavors and strengths are available from coffee growers. Many of these differences are due to the way each bean is roasted. There are only two main types of coffee beans, however: Arabica and Robusta.

Arabica crops are the most widely grown. Robusta comes in second, which is likely due to its slightly bitter taste. However, if a person is looking for a cup of coffee with higher caffeine content, they'll usually find it by choosing coffee made with Robusta beans.

6. You Can Overdose by Drinking Too Much Coffee

While it is extremely rare, it is possible to overdose by consuming too much caffeine. Before this unfortunate problem occurs, most people will probably start feeling irritable or jittery and stop their consumption.

The average coffee drinker only consumes two to three cups each day. Sticking with this amount can help increase energy levels and let you reap the health benefits without side effects.