More Myths About Coffee by Karen Paterson

We have hundreds of visitors to our farm each year. They share some of the myths they have heard about coffee. The most popular are:

Coffee Increases the Risk of Heart Attack

Heart patients, especially those with high blood pressure, are often told to avoid caffeine. But in 10 studies of more than 400,000 people there was no increase in heart disease among daily coffee drinkers. Cardiologists at the University of California, San Francisco found that there is little evidence that coffee in typical dosages increases the risk of heart attack, sudden death or abnormal heart rhythms.

The Best Coffee Comes from Italy

Coffee isn’t grown in Italy. Italian roasting companies buy beans from around the world, ship them to Italy and roast them there. If the beans are current crop, fresh roasted, whole bean and flavor-sealed they can be very good. However, most Italian coffee sold on store shelves is not current crop, is ground and was roasted months before.

Coffee Causes Hypertension

Caffeine induces a small, temporary rise in blood pressure. But a study of 155,000 nurses, who drank coffee for a decade, found that they were no more likely to develop hypertension than non-coffee drinkers. A Johns Hopkins study that followed more than 1,000 men for 33 years found that coffee drinking played little overall role in the development of hypertension.

Coffee Stunts a Child’s Growth

While we don’t sell coffee to children, there is no scientific correlation between childhood coffee drinking and height. Coffee in moderation, because of its health benefits, is better for children than caffeinated soda drinks. Small amounts of caffeine may also help children diagnosed with attention deficit disorder and hyperactivity, because it helps them focus.