When you feel tired during the day, it’s tempting to reach for a quick jolt of caffeine from a cup of coffee or an energy shot. But doing so might also inadvertently disrupt your sleep later that night. Although caffeine undoubtedly provides a boost of energy, its effects are temporary—and, research shows, may interfere with sleep quality. Disrupted sleep, in…
Caffeine runs deep in our food supply. Today we can we find caffeine not only in the usual sources, like coffee and energy drinks, but also in less-suspected products, like chewing gum and protein bars. Caffeine is a naturally occurring stimulant and one of the most widely used psychoactive compounds in the world. For many people, when waking up in the…
It’s a brand-new day! To power through your to-do list, you make a beeline towards your coffee machine as soon as your feet hit the floor. While counting on the burst of energy your first sip of coffee promises, you begin your first task with confidence. As noted in the IFIC Foundation’s 2020 Food and Health Survey of 1,000 U.S.…
September 29th was International Coffee Day, and I for one am here to celebrate. As a long-time coffee lover and current Seattleite, I find that one day doesn’t seem enough to pay homage to this delightful morning beverage. I can have my own mini celebration each morning as I push the plunger in my French press and savor that first…
Picture it: Saturday morning, you’ve found the perfect table in your favorite coffee shop, book in one hand, warm latte in another, the smell of freshly roasted coffee beans in the air. Sounds cozy, but have you ever wondered how the modern coffee shop evolved to this point? Coffee has been around for centuries, and so has the communal gathering…
One thing most people can agree on is that caffeine works! In fact, 85% of Americans reach for caffeine as part of their daily ritual. But how exactly does caffeine get the job done? How does the body process and get rid of it? And why can one person enjoy an espresso after dinner and sleep like a baby, while…
Let’s face it—coffee has gotten complicated. Hearing someone place an order at a coffee shop can often sound like a foreign language. But the seeming complexity of coffee nowadays isn’t stopping Americans from drinking it. According to the National Coffee Association, in 2018 the U.S. per-capita coffee consumption was just over 2 cups per day. And the sales of specialty…
Tea has evolved in many ways since it was first produced in China about 5,000 years ago. According to legend, tea was discovered accidentally by Shen Nung, a Chinese emperor who was pleasantly surprised by the flavor of his drink after tea leaves fell into his pot of boiling water. Since then, tea has turned into one of the most…
Coffee is so famous for its caffeine content that it’s easy to forget it is not the only source of the world’s favorite pick-me-up. With over 60 caffeinated plant species around the world, caffeine occurs naturally in many sources beyond even tea and cocoa.1 What’s more, it is often added to a wide range of consumer products, from supplements, workout…