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…
Americans have a love-or-hate relationship with daylight saving time. Changing our clocks forward can be a time of joy and a sign that spring is near, but it also can bring feelings of irritability and annoyance in response to “losing” a precious hour of sleep. Many of us look to various ways—including consuming caffeinated foods and beverages—to cope with the…
Caffeine quite literally keeps Americans up and moving, with approximately 85 percent of Americans consuming a daily coffee, tea, soda, or energy drink. However, a lot of confusion still surrounds the caffeine conversation. This year, as March rolls “in like a lion,” many of us will harness the power of caffeine to help us power through our annual spring cleaning…
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…
With the plethora of traditional ways (and alternative ways) in which caffeine is consumed, it would seem that almost every type of food and drink product one can imagine (from beverages to ready-to-eat products to dietary supplements to medications and even mouth fresheners) can contain caffeine. As new caffeinated products emerge, caffeine has been promoted as an energy-boosting solution for…
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…