Coffee is a drink made from the roasted seeds of coffea plant fruit, and it is not a drug. Coffee does, however, contain caffeine, which comes from those roasted seeds, or, as we know them, coffee beans, and caffeine is a drug.
This article looks at coffee and the ingredients coffee is made of, and we focus on caffeine, the known addictive stimulant that keeps us coming back for more.
What is caffeine?
Caffeine is a familiar, legal, and widely used stimulant, which has been deemed safe in certain quantities: no more than 400mg for adults, and considerably less for children and pregnant women, but can be toxic at doses of over 10g per day.
Caffeine is found in coffee beans, or in the seeds of the fruit of coffea plants, and when the seeds are roasted and ground up and steeped in hot water, the caffeine is released into the coffee drink.
It is then absorbed into the blood stream where it stimulates the central nervous system, and supplies us with a very pleasant and invigorating energy buzz.
Coffee occurs naturally in certain plants but is also synthesized in labs.
How doe caffeine get from the coffee beans into the coffee?
The caffeine contained in all the plants we use to make drinks, is released by steeping the plant product in water, or by infusion. To make a coffee, it is the coffee grounds that we brew to make our favourite coffee drink.
Our primary source of caffeine is the coffee bean, followed by tea leaves, and both of these drink varieties use the infusion method.
How much caffeine is there in coffee?
There’s about 95mg in an average cup of coffee, but the precise amount depends on the beans used to make your coffee, the type of brew you drink and the way it is made, and the size of the serving.
Coffee lovers all have their favourite brew. Serious coffee drinkers usually don’t use instant coffee. Instead they brew up (or order) a “real coffee” which is “built” on top of an espresso base.
An espresso contains around 65mg of caffeine, but if you prefer the doppio (and many people do), you’ll be consuming 130g of caffeine per cup because a doppio is made with a double shot.
Larger sized coffees, iced coffees for example, can contain the same amount of caffeine if made with just one shot of espresso, more if the shot is doubled, and more again if chocolate is added.
Decaffeinated coffee contains the least amount of caffeine – between 2 and 4mg, which is all that is left after the beans have been through a decaffeination process.
What does caffeine do to you?
Caffeine is a psychoactive stimulant, which means it stimulates our brains and nervous system. This occurs very quickly because caffeine is absorbed into the bloodstream almost immediately.
About halfway through a cup of coffee, we usually begin to feel energized, restored and focused, and these effects are typically more intense in the mornings.
These sensations provoke feelings of motivation, confidence and capability. However, it is important to note that the more intense our coffee (or the higher the amount of caffeine), the more we will need to produce the same sensations of energy and vitality.
And unfortunately, the more we drink, the more likely we are to develop an addiction to caffeine, however mild at first.
Is it possible to become addicted to coffee?
It is possible to become addicted to caffeine because caffeine is a known addictive stimulant which increases the circulation of brain chemicals, such as dopamine, cortisol, and adrenaline.
This makes us feel very pleasant: we feel “woken up” and focused, inspired and alive, and very capable of starting that new project or achieving that looming deadline after all. Eventually, we come to rely on coffee as the source for all our energy and motivation.
The only solution at this point is to drink more of it, a habit that will quickly begin to play havoc with our health.
Do all coffee beans have the same amount of caffeine?
The four main coffee beans grown in the world all contain different levels of caffeine, and each type belongs to the large family of flowering plants called Rubiaceae. The four types of beans used to make our coffee are:
- Arabica – a delicate bean and the most commonly used for coffee
- Robusta – the second most commonly used bean and which contains twice the amount of caffeine as the arabica
- Liberica – the largest and most expensive coffee bean
- Excelsa – occupies only a small part of the coffee market but its unique flavour profile is very popular with coffee connoisseurs
Does all coffee contain caffeine?
All coffee contains caffeine but in varying amounts. This includes conventional decaffeinated coffee because even after the beans have been through a leaching process to remove the caffeine, there will always be traces of it left in the bean.
The only way to avoid caffeine is to choose drinks which are not made with plants that contain caffeine in the first place.
If you are interested in reducing the amount of caffeine you consume each day, take care to check the bean variety you are using. Some beans contain more caffeine than others.
Furthermore, coffee companies are experimenting to produce super powered coffee, hoping to produce the “strongest coffee in the world”.
Death Wish Coffee, for example, has produced a blend of arabica and robusta beans with a caffeine level of 728mg per 12 fluid ounces. These super coffees come with serious health warnings.
How do I know if I’m having too much caffeine each day?
Too much caffeine will produce the following symptoms, which will all vary according to personal health:
- Fatigue
- Insomnia
- Trembling hands
- Irritability
- Stress and anxiety
- Inability to concentrate
- Loss of appetite
- Headaches
Recovering from caffeine reliance involves a gradual withdrawal until the symptoms of addiction have eased or disappeared completely. Coffee, because it contains a drug that is addictive, although mildly, is best enjoyed in small regulated amounts.
Hi, I’m Jen Williams, chief editor and writer for ThirstPerk.com.
I’ve been drinking coffee and tea for most of my life, but it wasn’t until I started working at Thirstperk.com that I became an expert on the subject. I’m a total caffeine addict who has spent hours upon hours reading about and experimenting with the different types of coffees out there in my search to find the perfect cup of joe.
I’ve been a tea lover for as long as I can remember as well. I grew up in a house with a mom who loved to drink herbal tea, and I think that’s where my love for tea first began. These days, I’m always on the lookout for new and interesting teas to try, and I love experimenting with different brewing methods and flavoring combinations.