Just at the word ‘coffee’ millions of people sit up and take notice. This drink of choice has been the love language and daily companion for a multitude of people who just swear by comfort and that much needed kick to get you going through the day. However, there are many myths surrounding coffee, which raise doubts about its efficacy. Let us bust some of these myths and reveal the better side of this delicious drink.
If you drink coffee during the day, your sleep is affected
Coffee helps you to perform your daily activities with extra energy. However, late-night coffee-induced insomnia is a myth unless you’ve had a cup right before bedtime. Even your cup of coffee in the late afternoon is flushed out of your system by the time you’re in bed around 9 p.m. or 10 p.m. It’s always a good idea to avoid coffee at night, unless you’re planning on drinking all night. On the other hand, since you drank coffee during the day, we assume you’ve worked too hard and are too tired to get a good night’s sleep.
coffee will dehydrate you
This myth may stem from a fact. It so happens that coffee contains caffeine which is a diuretic, which means it increases the time you have to visit the toilet to relieve yourself. However, coffee as a beverage will not leave you dehydrated. This is because the liquid or liquids in your coffee, i.e. water and/or milk can balance out the diuretic effect of the small amount of caffeine in your cup. In fact, given the amount of liquid in your cup of coffee, you have a better chance of keeping hydrated throughout the day.
Read also: Coffee For Weight Loss: Benefits of black and green coffee; 5 Coffee Recipes for Weight Loss
cut down on coffee if you want to lose weight
There are two sides to this myth. While some argue that you need to eliminate coffee from your diet if you want to shed extra kilos, others argue that coffee helps you lose weight. In fact, both these beliefs are myths that need to be busted immediately. Using high-fat milk and sugar with coffee are the culprits. These can easily be replaced with low-fat milk and sugar substitutes such as stevia. You can also enjoy coffee without sugar. Coffee alone does not provide extra calories. Regular 2-4 cups of coffee with nutritious alternatives can be enjoyed daily without any effect on weight or health. In fact, while going out for a workout, a small cup of black coffee will make you more alert and this will help you workout better with energy.
Read also: What is decaf coffee? Is it a good idea to replace regular coffee with it?
drinking coffee is an addiction
We all must have used the word ‘addict’ or ‘addiction’ while referring to our undying love for the drink. However, several studies have confirmed the fact that there are no life-threatening withdrawal symptoms from coffee withdrawal. But once you taste coffee and fall in love with it, it is almost impossible to stay away from it and this is where the term ‘addiction’ might have come from. Lightheadedness and bad mood are common side effects of not having your favorite cuppa joe.
Enjoy your coffee, in any kind and version you like in moderation, because excess of anything, not just coffee, spoils the magic of indulging in it!
About the author: PR Ravi Kumar is the in-house coffee expert at Continental Coffee.