Image credits: mashable.com
When we talk about coffee, what goes into your mind? Does your brain somehow reminds you of the scent of a newly brewed one or does your brain gives you glimpses of the cup almost full of the creamy one you just ordered from a famous coffee shop? Perhaps you are feeling like having one cold one with lots of ice in it or a hot pourover coffee since you are at home to get you started for your day. Either way, one thing is sure about Coffee - it is addicting.
Today, as my husband does his own thing of going to YouTube and watching vlogs of some well known video makers such as Peter McKinnon, I thought of writing about coffee since Peter is addicted to it and I found it interesting to talk about. All of us can definitely relate to it so this blog would somehow come easy for me to talk about.
So let's talk about why coffee is addicting? What are the reasons behind it. I will try to give three and elaborate it.
Coffee and the Filipinos
Coffee has been in the blood line of the Filipinos. Looking back to my memory lane, I recall that coffee has been part of my childhood. Our mornings are always filled with those instant ones in packs.
Image credits: www.pinoyme.com
Also, back in the days, my late grandmother in my maternal side would make native coffee too out from their corn harvest. I was a favorite drink that always reminds me of her smile and her eagerness to make me drink more cups even if it was already noon time.
But even after years had passed and different things had changed, coffees in our tables are still present. There might have been changes in terms of the coffee type and brand used but the truth that these coffees are still in our tables has been constant through the years.
Bos coffee loving Philippine Arabica beans. Image credits: www.boscoffee.com
Reading on some of the articles online about the history of coffee in the Philippines, I found out that the country is one of the counties which produces certain varieties of coffees such as:
Arabica
Liberica (Barako)
Excelsa
RobustaThe climatic and soil conditions in the Philippines, from being lowland to mountain regions make the country suitable for growing these four varieties.
Today, the Philippines produces 30,000 metric tons of coffee a year, up from 23,000 metric tons just three years ago.
Information reference: philcoffeeboard.com
Filipinos Are Willing To Pay More for a cup of Coffee
Through the years, the technology of having and making coffee had also improved. Filipinos in a way had adopted the Western way of having coffee which had somehow increased the demands of these overpriced coffee brands.
Image credits: www.pinterest.com
From being contented with those five peso worth of instant coffees to a huge serving of IRISH CREAM COFFEE PUDDING FRAPPUCCINO® BLENDED BEVERAGE. Yes, I had set my caps lock on for that for its intensity.
Of course the prices of these coffees nowadays had boomed together with the booming business of Business Process Outsourcing companies which gives Filipinos employment opportunities where in they'll be working at night and to stay up all night long, coffees are needed in their system.
Aside from that, the intense pressure of having social media accounts which are giving each user the capability to share to the entire world their lavish lifestyles had impacted the lives of every millennial. This includes work and out of work activities and thus includes coffee for those day-job workers as well as those who have graveyard shifts.
Image credits: www.supercebu.com
Not to mention as well the loyalty reward cards that comes along with the brands. These cards have also increased the intake of these Filipino coffee lovers because of the limited time of acquiring such reward over coffee servings. The joy of being able to acquire this and that is giving them the sense of achievement.
Why is Coffee Addicting?
So let's dig into deeper why coffees seem to be addicting. Why can't we live without them? Why do we always look for them in the morning and even in the afternoon or at night? What is in caffeine that keeps us coming back and wanting to have more?
Image credits: www.standard.co.uk
Image credits: www.healthline.com
I know addiction to anything is not good but here's the good news. Being addicted to coffee is not a bad thing! In fact, coffee or caffeine addiction is not even true although there's a specific physical dependence to it but not having coffee or caffeine doesn't give you any withdrawal symptoms like other stuffs (cocaine or drugs) do. Also, it doesn't pose as a threat to the society!
In short, the right word to it is dedicated habit, a lifestyle!
But let's try to enumerate why we have this addiction or let's say dedicated habit to having coffee below:
1. Coffee contains Dopamine.
Dopamine is defined in medical terms as follows:
Dopamine is classified as a catecholamine (a class of molecules that serve as neurotransmitters and hormones). It is a monoamine (a compound containing nitrogen formed from ammonia by replacement of one or more of the hydrogen atoms by hydrocarbon radicals). Dopamine is a precursor (forerunner) of adrenaline and a closely related molecule, noradrenaline. Dopamine is formed by the decarboxylation (removal of a carboxyl group) from dopa.
Information reference: www.medicinenet.com
Check this video on how Dopamine works. Video credits: jklejka2 via YouTube.com
Coffee has caffeine and caffeine contains dopamine which is this chemical that sends signals to the brain and helps enhance or control the physical, emotional and motivational of a single person's system. This chemical produces that alert feeling which is why anyone who drinks coffee becomes alert and the sleepiness goes away in just a few minutes after drinking coffee.
No wonder why when we felt alert and active the other day after having our first coffee, our body wants to have the same feeling the next day. This habit goes on and on because of our daily redundant lifestyle thus, in the long run, we had created a behavioral dependence in connection to coffee.
Image credits: www.printawallpaper.com
Of course no one wants to go to work unhappy and inactive! Everyone wants to get work done fast with still a lot of energy left afterwards.
Fact : everyday, the world consumes around 300 tons of coffee
2. Coffee's Aroma is Irresistible.
Image credits: grub.gunaxin.com
Ever wonder why when someone is brewing coffee, or if your colleague is sipping one, the aroma that gets into your nostrils excites you, thus you tend to get your own? When this happens, your brain is registering and reminding you of what you felt when you were drinking your coffee the other day or the last time you had one. If that was a happy memory, it gives you the urge to buy or make your own coffee. But yes, the smell of coffee brings out its own benefits too and this has some scientific explanation.
When rats smelled coffee beans, genes connected with healthful antioxidants and stress-reduction were activated, according to researchers from Seoul National University in South Korea.
Levels of some brain proteins also changed in ways that could have a calming effect on stress or have antioxidant function.
Information reference: www.realsimple.com
With that, it somehow says that we don't even have to drink coffee to be addicted to it but simply smelling it is enough! But still, drinking it would be a better idea.
No wonder why coffee is already added into bath soaps, facial masks, incense, essential oils and even candles! Also, a plus is that insects such as flies don't like its smell so it is like hitting two birds with one stone! How brilliant is that?
3. Coffee Has Health Benefits.
Image credits: route66.com.ph
Too much of something is bad! That is true and that applies to all things specially in things that we take into our bodies. That includes coffee. But the amount of cups one has to take in to be overdosed with it is way way more compared to what an average person can take into his system in a day to day basis. This explanation makes coffee exempted to this rule.
As a matter of fact, our bodies releases the substance faster than we are able to take it in. We release them as we pee, poop or sweat since it is in liquid form.
And we can't get it out of our system because we believe it comes with health benefits too and that's also a fact. According to caffeineinformer.com, here are good reasons to drink coffee:
a. Two cups of coffee can cut post-workout muscle pain by up to 48%.
b. Increase your fiber intake
c. Protection against cirrhosis of the liver
d. Lowered risk of Type 2 Diabetes
e. Lowered risk of Alzheimer’s disease
f. Reduces suicide risk and Depression
g. Protection against Parkinson’s
h. Coffee drinkers have less risk of heart disease
i. Coffee drinkers have stronger DNA
j. Lower Risk of Multiple Sclerosis
k. Coffee reduces colorectal cancer risk
Information Reference: www.caffeineinformer.com
Video credits: The Health Nerd via YouTube.com
And there are more reasons behind the coffee addiction. It is safe and is very helpful for the society and economy as well to the point that the Philippines' Agricultural sector had encouraged farmers to invest in growing some coffee variety to their farms and lands as the demand of coffee beans had significantly increased both for local consumption as well as for exportation.
I encourage you to answer the Querlo chatbot below about healthy lifestyle:
With this, I would like to leave you with the question:
"Have you had coffee today?"
Best regards,
Jean Beltran-Figues
