Interesting and unusual information about coffee

You have your daily cup of coffee, but how much do you know about it? Here we share with you some not-so-common knowledge about coffee, some fun and perhaps surprising statements. 

Check out if you know these coffee facts!

Surprising coffee truths

When coffee was illegal 

Is it true that coffee was illegal in the past? Yes! There are many records of historic laws when coffee was illegal. Here are a few examples.

• In 1511 coffee was outlawed in Mecca as it was believed that coffee stimulated radical thinking

   

• In the 16th century an Italian priest tried to outlaw coffee, as he believed it was a ‘satanic’ drink and in fact, it was later outlawed by the church

   

• Pope Clement VII lifted the ban on coffee and baptized coffee in 1600

   

• In the 17th century King Charles II banned coffee shops because he believed that people meeting in coffee houses conspired against him

   

• In England in the 17th century coffee was considered a cause of alkoholizm

   

• Coffee was banned in Sweden in 1746, as it was thought to be dangerous

   

• In 1777 Frederic the Great issued an official statement urging his subjects to drink beer, not coffee 

Facts about coffee and health

• Coffee is the most widely consumed psychoactive substance in the world

   

• For about 30% of population coffee acts as a laxative

   

• 100 cups of coffee is a lethal dose of coffee

   

• Coffee reduces the risk of type 2 diabetes

   

• There are essential nutrients in coffee such as: vitamin B12, vitamin B5, niacin, riboflavin, pancreatic acid

   

• Coffee helps to burn fat

   

• Coffee drinkers have a lower risk of depression

   

• There is 1 calorie in 1 cup of coffee

   

• Coffee is a rich source of antioxidants which plays role in cancer and heart disease prevention as well as premature aging

   

• Low doses of coffee may help relieve muscle pain

   

• If you drink coffee after a meal, your body will process the food more slowly

More surprising coffee facts

• Coffee is not a bean! It’s actually a fruit and we consume the pits of berries. We use the term coffee beans only because of their looks.

   

• Coffee fruits (coffee cherries) are an edible fruit

   

• Coffee has a greater variety of aromatic characteristics than wine

   

• ‘Espresso’ means ‘pressed out’ in Italian

   

• The word ‘coffee’ originates from the Arabic ‘qahhwat al-bun’, which means ‘wine of the bean’

   

• Before people started brewing it, coffee was originally used as food. It was mixed with fat to make energy balls which were chewed.

   

• Coffee can be used as: air freshener, paint, skin exfoliator or BBQ seasoning

   

• Before coffee became popular, people drank beer for breakfast

   

• A coffee plant can live up to 200 years

   

• Coffee may replace fossil fuel as it can be made into biodiesel. In 2011 a car was constructed, which runs on coffee beans and it’s the fastest car which runs on organic fuels

• Instant coffee was invented in 1906 and commercially launched in 1909

   

• Coffee is the second most traded commodity in the world (after oil)

   

• Kopi Luwak (weasel coffee) is the most expensive coffee in the world. It’s made from coffee beans excreted by a Sumatran wild cat.

   

• 2.25 billion cups of coffee are drunk every day worldwide and this number is growing

   

• In the 18th century it was fashionable to slurp coffee from saucers, not to drink it from cups like now

   

• The Guiness World Record holder for the oldest cat ever drank coffee with cream every morning and lived 38 years

   

• The webcam was invented at Cambridge University for the purpose of checking if the coffee pot was full without making a trip to see it

   

• King Gustav II of Sweden and his medic experimented with twins: one drank only coffee and the other drank only tea for the rest of their lives. The king and the medic died before the twins, so before the end of the experiment. 

Which of the above statements surprised you, which of them did you already know? Share in the comments below!