As we all know, the caffeine in coffee is very familiar. Even the caffeine in coffee itself is very influential for our health. It can have both positive and negative effects depending on how often people consume coffee. Then, how is the caffeine contained in coffee? Let’s take a look at the caffeine in coffee review below!
Getting to know caffeine in coffee
Caffeine is a natural chemical compound that stimulates the central nervous system. Consuming caffeine gives an energy boost.
Caffeine is a type of stimulant compound that can provide messages between the brain and body. The caffeine content can affect the nervous system, heart, and muscles. Caffeine is the common name for the chemical name 1,3,7-trimethylxanthine, which comes from the German word “kaffee” and the French word “Café”, which both mean coffee.
According to the Journal of Nutrition, caffeine has been consumed since 2737 BC when Chinese Emperor Shen Nung boiled drinking water from the leaves and created a pleasant aroma into the first tea pot. It is a natural alkaloid (organic compound) found in varying amounts in the nuts, leaves, and fruits of more than 60 plants.
Some people find caffeine stimulating, energizing and can even help with concentration. However, be aware that it may take three to seven hours for the body to break down half the amount of caffeine, which means it’s best not to consume caffeine too late in the day or it may ruin a good night’s sleep.
Where can we find caffeine?
Some common sources of caffeine are kola nuts, cocoa beans, yerba mate, and Guarana fruit. Most caffeine is known to be found in coffee beans (Arabica or Robusta), and tea leaves.
Factors determining the amount of caffeine in a cup of coffee
So many factors affect the amount of caffeine in a cup of coffee, one of which is the type of coffee bean. There are many types of coffee plants with varying caffeine content. The two most popular plant species are Arabica and Robusta. Robusta coffee is known to contain up to twice as much caffeine as Arabica coffee. The researchers found that Arabica beans contain 34.1 to 38.5 grams of caffeine, while Robusta beans contain 68.6 to 81.6 grams of caffeine.
The degree of roasting can also affect the caffeine content of the Coffee. Broadly speaking, the darker the roast level of the coffee beans, the less caffeine they contain. This is because caffeine compounds will degrade due to excessive heat contact.
The brewing method, grind level and amount of coffee grounds used also affect the caffeine content in the cup. In general, the longer the water is in contact with the coffee grounds and the finer the grounds, the higher the caffeine content. And of course the more coffee grounds used, the more caffeine that can be extracted into the drink.
Ready-to-brew or hand-brewed coffee contains moderate amounts of caffeine, while pour-over or cold coffee contains more caffeine. Boiled coffee, which is a tradition in some Mediterranean countries, has the most caffeine. And of course, the size of the glass will affect caffeine intake.
Caffeine Content in Coffee
Different variations of coffee drinks certainly have different coffee content. Here’s a quick review of the caffeine content of some of the most common types of coffee.
Brewed coffee
An eight-milliliter cup of brewed coffee typically contains 80 to 100 milligrams of caffeine. Brewed coffee means that ground coffee beans are brewed with hot water. This type of coffee drink usually uses a paper, metal or plastic filter that separates the coffee grounds from the brew. There are many different ways to prepare brewed coffee, such as using a filter, percolator, or French press.
Decaffeinated brewed coffee
Despite its name, decaffeinated brewed coffee still contains caffeine, although it is much lower than coffee that has not gone through decaffeination. An average 200 milligram cup of brewed decaffeinated coffee contains about he milligram of caffeine.
Cold Brew
A 12-milliliter cup of Cold Brew coffee can contain between 153 and 238 milligrams of caffeine. Cold Brew coffee is made without heating. To prepare it, coffee grounds are soaked in water for 8 – 24 hours. This is a different process from the iced coffee method, which only serves coffee brewed with ice.
Instant coffee
Instant coffee usually contains less caffeine than brewed coffee. An 80-milliliter cup of regular instant coffee contains about 62 milligrams of caffeine. Making this type of coffee involves adding hot water to water-soluble coffee grounds or granules.
Espresso
One serving or 1 ounce of Espresso contains about 63 milligrams of caffeine. To make Espresso, you must use a semi or moka pot machine. Espresso portions are usually much smaller than brewed coffee.
Conclusion
Caffeine is a natural food ingredient that comes from the leaves and fruits of some plants such as tea, coffee and cocoa, or from soft drinks and some medicines. Preparations from some of these plants have become so popular that daily caffeine consumption reaches 90 percent in adults.
In the United States caffeine is listed as a GRAS(Generally Recognized as Safe) food. This is because caffeine intake that is not too high does not affect the human body system as much. The maximum dose that humans can receive and is about 400 milligrams per day orally. Due to the low caffeine content, in some food products, the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) includes caffeine in the GRAS(Generally Recognized as Safe) list or considered generally safe.
It turns out that there are many factors that can affect the amount of caffeine in coffee, such as the type of coffee, roasting level, brewing method, coffee dose, and serving size. As we discussed above, coffee drinks themselves cannot be separated from caffeine. To be wise in consuming coffee so as not to overdose on caffeine, you can download health journals about the effects of caffeine on brain health and disease here.
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