Five things concerning coffee you had no idea about
Coffee has been with us for just a few hundred years, but most of us can’t get through the day without it. The brew of ground, roasted beans of the coffea plant took the world by storm and has become an irreplaceable element of office work. However we prepare and serve it – on average we drink three cups of it every day. Is it much, or not? Keep on reading!
Why do we appreciate the effects of coffee? Caffeine is absorbed nearly instantly and its effects are felt in mere minutes. It boosts your serotonin levels (also known as happy hormone), widens the blood vessels, impacts central nervous system functioning, including the brain. Your focus improves the fastest after a cup of strong, freshly roasted coffee.
Four cups a day
Let’s start with some good news: having as much as four cups of coffee a day does not adversely affect our health, as found by scientists who analyzed about 740 papers on caffeine impact on the body. The equivalent of four cups – about 400 mg is safe for adults and has a beneficial impact on many functions of the body, if consumed regularly. We know it acts as a painkiller, soothes inflammations and improves cognitive functioning.
– It’s a sort of fuel for your brain, so it should always be available at the office. Undoubtedly, securing access to this beverage for the employees is in the employer’s best interest. At each of our locations we offer high-end coffee machines that are in almost constant use. – says Marta Kamińska from Solutions.Rent.
Caffeine can be found in other things too
Do you drink a lot of coffee? Beware of other products that contain caffeine and keep an eye out not to exceed the limit, because it can cause problems with focus, palpitations and even anxiety. One square of dark chocolate contains almost 50 mg of caffeine, a mug of tea is about 50 mg, a can of energy drink – 80 mg, and if you like yerba mate, be especially cautious not to drink too much of it, as two large mugs can contain as much as 700 mg of caffeine!
Read also: Business meetings – the importance of savoir-vivre.
Which is stronger and which is weaker?
Every type of coffee contains different levels of caffeine and it may be adjusted by changing the roasting time, grinding thickness and storage manner. Arabica, the type most popular in Poland, contains approximately 1-1.5% caffeine. Robusta, which is not that popular, contains more than twice as much! The level of roasting also plays a part – lighter beans contain more caffeine than the longer roasted darker ones, which is typical e.g. for Italian coffee.
The longer you brew, the stronger it gets
Brew strength also depends to a large extent on brewing time and grinding thickness (the finer the grind, the more caffeine power you get). The most popular type of coffee in Poland (and comparatively the strongest) is where you pour hot water over ground beans in a mug and brew it for at least three minutes. A large mug of such beverage – 250 mL – is about 100 mg of caffeine. Too much? Same volume of instant coffee contains 50-80 mg, so is equivalent to a cup of strong tea. The type of coffee most popular at offices, espresso, pumped under pressure through ground beans, also provides a relatively low boost – only around 60 mg of caffeine in one 30 mL serving.
Read also: Six Rules of Effective Brainstorming
Impact on the body
Why coffee energizes us? It increases adrenaline secretion, which makes drives away sleepiness, and fills you with the energy to act. Many people limit their coffee consumption, fearing hypertension. As it turns out, our bodies develop a tolerance to caffeine and in just a few days of regular consumption, your blood pressure changes only marginally, even after having three cups of coffee. A break lasting a couple of days will allow coffee to recover its full effects.
To sum up: if you do headwork, three or four cups of coffee are the optimal amount for the entire day. It is the healthiest to drink coffee at intervals of several hours. Having one cup right after another can cause problems with hypertension or your digestive tract. The best plan for a heavy coffee drinker is to have the first cup just after waking up, the second at about twelve o’clock, the third after three o’clock (but not straight after a meal) and optionally the last one before six o’clock. Most of us get sleepy around these times, and our intellectual activity diminishes.
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