5 myths about coffee that you thought were true

There are very few people who genuinely don't like coffee. And while we respect their taste, we truly don't understand it! It's hardly surprising that around a beverage with such a huge global following, quite a few myths and "facts" have accumulated—facts that simply aren't true, just ingrained assumptions taken for granted that no one bothers to verify anymore.

So let's take a look at the most common coffee myths that are simply untrue. A quick heads-up right at the start: we've saved the most common coffee myth for the very end.

Lightly roasted coffee contains more caffeine than dark roasted coffee

This is not true. The theory behind this claim suggests that some of the caffeine in coffee evaporates during roasting, and the longer the coffee is roasted, the less caffeine remains. It sounds logical, but it simply isn't true. The caffeine content in the beans does not change with roasting, so you'll find roughly the same amount of caffeine in light-roast beans as you would if the exact same coffee were roasted darker.

Afternoon coffee will ruin your sleep

This is not true, but… It depends on several factors. Caffeine is well known to be absorbed very quickly. Just think about it—how fast do you feel coffee "kick in" in the morning? Usually, it's after just a few sips. However, that also means caffeine is cleared from the bloodstream just as quickly. It all depends on genetics as well, but for most people, it takes no longer than three to seven hours. So if you have your last coffee around three or four in the afternoon, it won't affect your sleep unless you go to bed very early.

More than a cup of coffee a day is unhealthy

This is not true. Fortunately! When drinking coffee, how much sugar and milk you add naturally matters, as these ingredients can impact recommended daily limits. But if we're talking about coffee without any flavorings, the only factor we need to watch a bit is the caffeine amount. The recommended daily caffeine intake that shouldn't be exceeded in the long run is 300 mg. Just to illustrate—a single espresso has on average 63 mg of caffeine, and a 250ml cup of filter coffee contains roughly 115 mg of caffeine.

Coffee will help you sober up

This is not true. In this case, perhaps unfortunately so. Even though we've all seen movies, comic books, and various other stories where a drunk character is poured coffee to sober them up faster, research shows that neither coffee nor caffeine affects how fast you sober up. The boost in alertness that caffeine delivers might make an intoxicated person feel like they're "fine," but sadly, it's merely an illusion—and quite a dangerous one at that.

Coffee dehydrates

This is not true. Ha! Let whoever hasn't heard the myth that coffee dehydrates you cast the first coffee bag. It's true that coffee has mild diuretic effects, but at the same time, it contains far more water than the body eliminates. So despite this myth being wildly popular, study after study confirms that it is simply false. Theoretically, you could maintain your hydration by drinking coffee alone. Though we definitely don't recommend that!

Whatever coffee myth you may have encountered, the same rule applies to coffee drinking as everywhere else. Choose high-quality, freshly roasted coffee and enjoy it in moderation, because nothing should be overdone. But above all—never let anything spoil your craving for a cup of coffee.