Many people believe coffee is one of the most wonderful of drinks in the world. And we would have to agree, of course: we live, breathe – and drink – coffee.
But the following four facts about coffee surprised us. Do they startle you?
- French press coffee could raise your cholesterol.
The unfiltered drink contains cafestrol, a compound that can interact with your liver to raise your cholesterol levels (even decaf coffee contains cafestrol).Now, the good news is that you’d need to drink a lot of French press coffee – about five cups a day for about a month to see a 6-8 percent increase in your blood’s cholesterol level. - Want to stay away from GMOs? You may want to avoid pumpkin spiced lattes.
Genetically modified organisms (GMOs) are foods (produce, meat and dairy) that have been genetically engineered in some way, often to produce crops that are less susceptible to pests and disease. The non-profit Center for Food Safety estimates that 70-75 percent of all products in your grocery store have at least one genetically modified ingredient.Many people are worried that modifying a plant’s genetics is playing with fire: a 1999 study found that inserting one organism’s gene into another “activates non-targeted (and sometimes toxic) genes” in the second organism. Others say the benefit of creating hardier foods is worth the risk.Still, a definitive answer to any health risks to those who ingest GMO foods isn’t conclusive. But, back to your pumpkin-spiced latte. If the pumpkin-flavored syrup is made from corn syrup, you’re more than likely ingesting GMO corn. Even it’s made of sugar, the sugar probably came from GMO sugar beets.
- It takes a LOT of water to produce enough beans to make one cup of coffee.
And we’re talking a massive amount: more than 34 gallons (130 liters) of water are needed to make enough beans for one cup of coffee. - Worldwide, we’re drinking more than two billion cups of coffee a day.
We humans love our coffee: together we’re drinking 2.25 billion cups a day, every day. In the U.S., those of us 18 and older are drinking more than 150 million cups a day.
What do you say about increasing that number? Drink more (Ubean) coffee! Find a distributor near you.