Studies show that Americans consume an average of 2 to 3 cups of coffee per day. Why is this number so high, and why is coffee so popular in the USA and worldwide?
Why we drink coffee
The caffeine in coffee can boost energy levels, help you feel less tired, and fire up your metabolism. It also helps the brain by boosting memory, mood, and mental function in general. It’s also comforting and is a means of making a set routine. These are just some of the benefits of coffee that we enjoy when we drink our favorite beverage every day.
Coffee is more than an energy boost
Aside from an energy boost, coffee has a lot more health benefits. Coffee beans are packed with nutrients, antioxidants, and vitamins. Here is some of the goodness you find in coffee:
- Riboflavin
- Magnesium
- Potassium
These help with heart health, fighting off depression, and helps reduce the risk of dieases like liver cancer, Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, and type 2 diabetes.
It is also a huge source of antioxidants in the modern Western diet.
The cherry on the top? Studies have shown that people who drink coffee tend to live longer.
There’s a huge caveat to all of these health benefits, though. Consumption of excessive sugar, drinking coffee flavored with syrups, and drinking chain-store beverages can dramatically increase your sugar intake and calorie intake.
Coffee is comforting
You may find that most people drink coffee at very set times. For a large majority of people, that’s a cup first thing in the morning.
Thousands of memes on the internet will attest that a cup of coffee contains the secret to a high quality day!
People feel an instant perk up the moment coffee touches their lips. Caffeine absorption starts in the mouth, but it’s also the familiar taste of a hot cup that boosts the brain and body.
A hot cup of coffee is the perfect way to warm up your insides on a cold day. On the flip side, an iced cup of coffee is the perfect way to cool off.
Coffee has been a social drink ever since it was discovered over a thousand years ago. Much like alcohol, people get together and drink coffee. It’s the perfect way to socialize.
Meeting an old friend? Grab a cup of coffee!
Met someone nice and going on a first date? Grab a cup of coffee!
Need to do a creative brainstorming session? Grab a cup of coffee!
Coffee drinkers will agree that they got some of their best ideas did their best work with a cup of coffee in their hands.
Why do people drink coffee after dinner?
Since coffee tends to wake people up rather than put them to sleep, it would seem counter-intuitive to enjoy coffee in the evening.
After-dinner coffee is a very cultural routine. Indeed, the time that you have a cup of coffee is very dependant on your culture and tradition.
Italians drink cappuccinos in the morning and espresso in the evening. Cappuccinos are milky and thus heavier, so the richer drink is enjoyed earlier in the day.
Espressos are small and intense, and are great ways to top off a meal.
Arabs drink coffee all day, every day, but an after dinner cup of qahwa is a staple in many countries.
Conclusion
The reason you drink coffee may be different from the reason that someone else drinks it. No matter why you drink coffee, and whether you drink coffee daily or every now and then, what’s important is that you should enjoy it!
Life is too short to drink bad coffee!
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