The average cup of coffee is packed with enough facts and figures to make your head swim. It probably is not a coincidence that people who love coffee love the data that comes with it. But facts and information often get skewed by opinions, and we all know what opinions can be like.
The end result can be a tide of misinformation that effectively haunts your break room, keeping people away from the awesome potential that the great office coffee, snacks and other perks have to offer.
Today, the Corporate Essentials team of coffee experts is here to do some damage control, busting myths that contribute to disquiet in your break room and helping your teams more thoroughly enjoy their office coffee experience.
Coffee Causes Cancer
Cancer is a behemoth of an illness, with so many contributing factors it is difficult to rule a single substance in or out of contention for the “causes cancer” label. Coffee has been blasted occasionally as contributing to cancer – but no specific scientific evidence suggests this is the case.
Moreover, research has shown that people who drink coffee regularly have a lower risk of several types of cancer, perhaps due to the high dose of antioxidants your daily cup of java delivers.
Coffee Leads to Infertility
Women who have recently become pregnant or are trying for a baby are frequently told that they must immediately cease coffee consumption because caffeine can lead to difficulty in conception, miscarriage and low birth weight. There is no causal link between drinking coffee and miscarriages.
The mother of three boisterous boys in our office often tells us: those babies were practically made from lattes, and nothing got her through the enhanced afternoon slump of late pregnancy like an iced coffee at two o’clock sharp.
Consuming Coffee Causes Osteoporosis
Osteoporosis is a degenerative condition that leads to brittle bones, in general this is caused by a lack of calcium and vitamin D in the diet and contributed to by a number of other factors ranging from hormonal imbalance to physical activity level. One thing scientists can not officially tie it to is whether or not you have consumed an average amount of coffee on an ongoing basis.
Coffee is Addictive
While there are people in every office who swear they are “addicted to coffee”, the reality is caffeine fails to qualify as an “addictive” substance because ceasing to consume it does not trigger severe physical and psychological consequences for those who drink coffee.
Office coffee definitely makes the world a better place – but we promise, you could totally live without it…not that we recommend you live without coffee, just know that it is possible.
Insomnia is Coffee’s Fault
Tossing and turning in bed all night is no fun, and sometimes we all need someone (or something) to blame. But please, do not blame your delicious office coffee. Your liver is an amazing thing and works hard to process and expel close to half the caffeine in your beverages of choice within four hours of consumption.
An average person’s two-to-three cups a day are not enough to keep you up at night…unless there is something you really need to get off your chest compounding things.
Freezing Coffee is a Great Idea
No, it is not. Coffee is best kept in a cool, dry place where light does not bother it – this might make your freezer seem like coffee’s friend, but we promise it is not. Freezing leads to condensation, which can speed the dreaded loss of flavor from your beans.
A better strategy is to work with your office coffee supplier to establish a regular delivery of just the right amount of fresh-roasted coffee for your office’s thirst.
Coffee Reduces Stress
Coffee is a natural stimulant, blocking the body’s production of the stress-relieving hormone, adenosine, which means that coffee can lead to increased stress in some people, particularly those prone to anxiety. However, the buzz that coffee generates can make you more alert, productive and capable – which leads to an overall air of confidence and smooth sailing.
Coffee Boosts Weight Loss
Because caffeine stimulates your metabolism and serves as an appetite suppressant, it is easy to connect the dots and realize that losing weight is easier with the help of coffee. But, coffee is not fat free (espresso is about two and a half percent fat, while filter coffee is 0.6%) and those added packets of sugar and cream might not be helping your weight loss mission.
We hope this fair and balanced approach has debunked a few of those office coffee myths lurking in the corners of your break room. If you are looking for more answers about coffee questions your teams have, reach out and consult one of the coffee gurus at Corporate Essentials.
