Читать книгу True or False? The most, exciting 666 myths of our life - Wilfried Bauer - Страница 8

Myths about coffee

There are some legends about the origin of coffee. One says that shepherds from the kingdom of Kaffa, located in the southwest of today's Ethiopia, noticed that a part of their herd of goats from a bush with white flowers ate the red fruits. The part of the herd jumped around lively and as if raised until the night. While the other animals fell asleep tired. At a nearby monastery the shepherds complained to the monks about the observation. But when an Abyssinian shepherd himself tasted these fruits, he noticed a stimulating and invigorating effect. The monks found dark green plants with cherry-like fruits at the pasture and prepared an infusion from them and drank it. They then stayed awake until deep into the night and had stimulating conversations. This was described in 1671 by Antonius Faustus Naironus (1636 - 1707) in his book "De saluberrima potione cahve".

There are also other sources that say that the shepherd wanted to eat the raw fruit. Disgusted by the inedible taste, he spat it all into fire. The scents from the fire were sweet, which gave rise to the idea of roasting.

Today, coffee is grown in over 50 countries worldwide. The different quality grades are determined by variety and growing location.

In April 2013, the German Coffee Association announced in Hamburg that Germans drink 149 litres of bean coffee per capita. This means that we drink considerably more coffee than mineral water or beer. In 2012, 402,000 tonnes of roasted coffee and 12,800 tonnes of soluble coffee were consumed in our country. There are nevertheless some myths about this stimulating drink.

Coffee is harmful to the heart and leads to high blood pressure

Wrong! The drink has caffeine and therefore has a stimulating effect. One cup of 200 ml brings it to 160 mg caffeine. The same amount of cola is only 20 milligrams. Many studies could not prove that the hot drink has an increased risk of cardiovascular diseases like heart attack or stroke. Coffee in moderation is even said to reduce the risk of stroke. So there is no evidence of an increased risk of type 2 diabetes or cancer. However, people who have pre-existing conditions such as high blood pressure or who suffer from cardiac arrhythmia should be careful. There are also people who are sensitive to caffeine, and the same applies to them. Here, too, the motto is: "It depends on the dose!"

Coffee is harmful to the stomach

Wrong! It is not the coffee itself that is harmful to the stomach, but the way it is roasted. Some coffee producers roast the beans in a very short time (1.5 minutes) at very high temperatures. During this process, various bitter substances are formed which are unfriendly to the stomach and are not easily digestible. Stomach-friendly (gentle coffee) coffee has a much, much longer roasting time behind it. With short-roasted coffee, simply add milk and it is no longer so aggressive to the stomach lining.

Coffee dehydrates the body

Wrong! This legend is very persistent. Whoever orders coffee in a Viennese coffee house is served the same amount of water. The coffee itself consists only of water. Caffeine has a diuretic effect through certain mechanisms in the body. But only in people who rarely consume caffeine. The alleged loss of fluid is compensated for by other drinks or food.

Coffee leads to sleep problems and keeps you awake

NO! Coffee has a stimulating effect due to the caffeine and on the other hand it dilates the blood vessels. The stimulating effect does not last very long if no more than two cups are drunk. The vasodilating effect then causes the blood pressure to drop and leads to a lower heart rate. This often leads to the coffee having a calming and concentration-enhancing effect. Since the hot drink has a different effect on each person, the statement in the headline cannot be clearly affirmed or denied.

Beware of coffee addiction

Wrong! Coffee in itself, when consumed normally (maximum 6 cups per day) is not addictive. High doses of caffeine in tablet form can be addictive. Anyone who consumes around ten cups of coffee a day needs more and more coffee over time, because the body has got used to it. Because the body has increased the number of receptors over time. If consumption is reduced, fatigue and headaches can occur. This could be interpreted as "withdrawal symptoms". A psychological dependence is usually induced (I need my coffee in the morning, otherwise I am not a human being, etc.)

Always keep coffee in the refrigerator

Wrong! The powder has a large and porous surface and therefore absorbs many odours. And there are many of them in the refrigerator. So the primeval aroma of the brown powder suffers from it. In addition, the coffee in the fridge absorbs a lot of moisture and the aroma continues to fade. The moisture can also lead to mould growth. So if you prefer a poor coffee taste, you should store it in the refrigerator.

Coffee helps to break down alcohol

Wrong! After a good night's sleep, the drink can help you to be really awake in the morning and perhaps drive away the headaches. But nothing more. Subjectively, some people may feel more comfortable and sober. But: the breakdown of alcohol happens in the liver. If you have a fatty liver (many over fifty and overweight people don't even know they have one), every drop of alcohol is metabolized into fat. Here the breakdown of alcohol happens much more slowly.

Coffee is harmful to potency and fertility

Wrong! The opposite is true. Coffee drinkers are very lustful during sex and it promotes sperm motility (statements by Brazilian scientists). Even pregnant women do not need to give up the brown drink if no more than two cups per day are consumed. Here, cardiovascular diseases should be excluded. Even during the breastfeeding period two cups per day can be drunk.

Cold, black coffee makes beautiful

Wrong! From the time of the baroque era comes the statement that cold coffee makes you feel good. This was because in those days a discreet paleness and bright red lips were considered the ideal of beauty. Coffee was only drunk cold because hot drinking would have melted the lip make-up. The statement that cold coffee makes you look beautiful is one that we hear very often today. If I ask why? Then today I usually get the answer: "That's what they say!" This tells me that the origin of the statement is unknown.