Starting The Day
In this day and age, you’d be hard-pressed to find someone who doesn’t drink 1-2 cups of the dark, syrupy liquid to help clear their mind and start the day. Statistics suggest that Americans drink approximately 1.64 cups of coffee every single day . Some like it hot, some like it cold, but hardly anyone likes it ten-days-old. The mystery behind why independent coffee shops alone draw in revenue of $12 billion annually should come as no surprise. Caffeine is practically a legal drug that can be accessed in a cheap paper cup for no more than $1.99 at your local coffee shop. One might even say there is an entire culture surrounding the delicious drink, from coffee accessories to custom paper cups with your name scrawled in illegible sharpie by a frazzled barista. There is a huge market behind the drink and a growing amount of health concerns for the 65% who prefer their coffee drowned in sugar and/or cream. Nevertheless, there are also growing amounts of studies showing that the consumption of 3 to 5 cups of coffee each day can potentially inhibit the cognitive deficits associated with dotage. In fact, the recent study shows a potential 65 percent decrease in developing Alzheimer’s disease or dementia.
Not Your Average (Cup Of) Joe
Although some believe coffee is simply coffee and that there is no major difference between one cup and another, nothing could be further from the truth. In fact, there are two different types of coffee; to begin with, there is Robusta coffee which packs a bitter, nutty taste, and there is Arabica, which has a smoother, more refined flavor. It should come as no surprise, then, that Arabica is the primary choice of coffee for specialty blends. Of course, specialty blends of coffee beans aren’t where the selection stops. There are americanos, cappuccinos, espresso blends, macchiatos, and a number of other unique combinations that shops invent with their own imaginations. Statistics show that about 50% of the population or 150 million Americans drinks these consume such specialty drinks. Perhaps it’s not just the caffeine that has America hooked, perhaps it’s those irresistible flavors! Private coffee shops typically make 31% of their revenue from espresso-based drinks.
A Cup Of Cash
Of course, those daily trips to the coffee shop can quickly become costly. At just $1.99 a day, the yearly expenses of this habit can approach $750! This is why an equally large percentage of Americans choose to make their coffee at home. As many as 86% past daily drinkers now report that they brew their own morning fuel. Although there is a fair amount of coffee drinkers who still prefer to drink their coffee black, it is hard to deny that the combined magic of caffeine and sugar have heavily contributed to the massive addictive qualities of the “liquid gold”, as some would call it. Caffeine stimulates your central nervous system and releases small amounts of dopamine which is the “feel-good” chemical in your brain, according to WebMD. Similarly, sugar fuels the brain’s reward pathway, creating, for some, a much-needed pick-me-up before the daily grind. If this habit is suddenly halted, it can result in headaches other other mild withdrawal symptoms. Because caffeine narrows the blood vessels around your brain, a sudden cessation in consumption can result in inflammation that your body is not used to as your blood vessels return to their normal size. Many people with caffeine addiction go to great lengths to avoid missing a cup when they are addicted and this can result in some serious overspending habits. In order to maximize the health benefits of the drink, as well as spare your wallet, try to drink your coffee black more often. You may even save on buying stirrers!
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