10 Things You Probably Didn’t Know About Caffeine

What is the ingredient that makes coffee so appealing to so many people? Caffeine—it gives you the oomph of energy to get through the day, and it has positive affects on your health. But, here are some surprising tidbits and trivia about caffeine, that you could use to impress your friends, or just for your own knowledge.

1. The three most popular drinks in the world all contain caffeine—coffee, tea, and cola.

 

2. Tea leaves have a higher caffeine content than coffee beans. While the leaves have less caffeine, the difference in brewing methods causes tea itself to be less caffeinated. 

 

3. Caffeine has a taste—bitter.

 

4. Caffeine is the most popular and widely used drug in the world. Americans alone consume 45 million cups of coffee a day. 

 

5. 60 different plants have caffeine in them, not just tea and coffee.

 

6. Decaf does not mean caffeine-free. It still does, in fact, contain at least a very small dose of caffeine. 

 

7. The effects of caffeine kick in quickly (within 15-20 minutes of consumption). 

 

8. While caffeinated beverages have a dark color, caffeine is actually a white, bitter-tasting crystalline substance.

 

9. Dark roasted coffee has less caffeine than lightly roasted. This is because roasting coffee beans decreases the caffeine content.

    10. Caffeine actually dates back all the way to the Stone Age. Coffee appeared in Africa in the 6^th century AD, and was then introduced to Arabia.  Well, now you should be ready to put your caffeine chops to good use, boosting your knowledge and your energy, one sip at a time. Strike up a caffeinated conversation over a flavorful cup of coffee or tea, courtesy of CoffeeAM.