Coffee drinkers know that sipping a cup-a is its own complex and nuanced experience. Its rich aroma, comforting warmth, and inclusion in our morning ritual make coffee special to us. Its place in our lives is pretty intriguing, considering coffee’s taste profile falls hard on the bitter side.
While coffee isn’t the only caffeinated beverage, it’s one of the more famous, widely consumed ones. Sodas, teas, and energy drinks all contain some form of caffeine. This article explores why we love caffeine so much and how these beverages impact our lives for the better.
The Global Impact of Caffeine
About 1 billion people drink coffee daily. Finland accounts for the highest amount of coffee drinkers at 12kg of coffee per capita per year. The USA’s annual coffee consumption is about 4.2 kg per year, making America’s the 8th highest coffee consuming country in the world.
After water, tea is the second most-consumed drink in the world. Although China is the leading global tea producer, Turkey is the highest tea-consuming country at 6.96 pounds per year.
Soft drink and energy drink consumption are quite high, as well. Mexico and the United States are the highest consumers of soft drinks at 610-630 8-ounce servings per capita per year. As for energy drinks, the United States takes the top spot at 29 liters per person, followed by the UK.
Caffeine’s global impact makes coffee, sodas, teas, and energy drinks fantastic gifts.
If you have a caffeine lover in your family, you can pick up some goodies for coffee drinkers, like the Ninja Dualbrew System. Tea drinkers should consider a Republic of Tea subscription box, while soda and energy drink lovers can shop at Specialty Sodas.
Why People Love Caffeine Worldwide
The top reasons why we love drinking caffeine aren’t limited to the caffeine itself, although it does play a part. Here are six reasons we include caffeinated beverages in our daily lives.
1. Caffeinated Beverages are Social Drinks
It’s hard to find someone who doesn’t incorporate caffeine in their lives. Although caffeine is considered a drug by all metrics, it doesn’t influence our thoughts and actions the same way alcohol might, making coffee, soda, and teas an acceptable beverage for a lunch date.
2. Caffeinated Beverages are Tasty
Not all of us like coffee, but most of us enjoy a soda or energy drink for its sugar content. Coffee and teas are customized to your liking, making them a more versatile, accessible beverage. Whether you like cappuccinos or Coca-Cola, you’ll easily find a drink that suits your taste.
3. Caffeinated Beverages Make Us Feel Great
The symptoms of caffeine consumption include dilated pupils, a quickened heartbeat, widened breathing tubes, and increased blood flow. All of these symptoms mimic the feeling of being in love, which is a big reason we can’t get enough of caffeine and chocolate.
4. Caffeinated Beverages Offer Energy
Caffeine blocks adenosine reabsorption and puts a chain reaction of neurotransmitters into action. Caffeine-adenosine amps up your norepinephrine, epinephrine, and dopamine, which sparks an adrenaline rush. After drinking caffeine, you’ll be able to stay up longer.
5. Caffeinated Beverages Improve Memory
Along with an increased amount of energy, caffeine also improves your short-term memory and speeds up your reaction time. When you’re tired, your brain starts to slow down as it prepares itself for sleep. For this reason, caffeine can improve your knowledge retention when studying.
6. Caffeinated Beverages Can Be Good For You
Not all caffeinated beverages are good for you. Energy drinks and soda are widely considered bad for your health, but it isn’t caffeine’s fault. When caffeine is taken straight, either through a beverage or pill, caffeine can reduce your risk of cancer, heart disease, and type 2 diabetes.
Remember: Caffeinated Beverages Can Be Addictive
When consumed in moderation, caffeine isn’t bad for your health, but you don’t want to get to the point where you have to drink sodas or coffee to feel good. Caffeine addiction is characterized by headaches and poor calcium absorption, which leads to brittle bones.
If you enjoy the taste of coffee or tea, try a decaffeinated variety to avoid addiction, so your love for this beverage remains pure. You may need to cut down on sodas and energy drinks because removing the caffeine content is difficult without making the beverage less healthy.
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