Fixx Coffee

Although coffee has been in existence for thousands of years it’s only in the past half century that scientists have been able to identify and understand exactly what is contained in this mystical bean.  An excellent article from the Tea & Coffee Trade Journal provides some inciteful information on the chemical composition of coffee and explains the many myths surrounding caffeine.

With over 1000 compounds in coffee, compared to a few hundred in chocolate or wine thanks to advancements in technology, we have a better understanding on the chemistry. 

For many coffee drinking is simply a delivery of caffeine.  But mother nature distributed caffeine throughout many other forms of plant life.  Tea for example contains almost 3 times the concentration of caffeine than Arabica.

As humans we seek caffeine for both its stimulatory and psychological effects.  For all other life forms, caffeine is a potent toxin capable of sterilisation and antifungal properties. 

The caffeine content of the “Robusta” species is almost double that of the more delicate Arabica.

One common misconception in coffee is that darker roasted coffee contains a higher level of caffeine than lighter roasted coffee.  The belief stems from the fact that as coffee is roasted darker, it also increases its bitterness and astringency – which many associate with caffeine, since it is bitter also.

Source: Tea & Coffee Trade Journal, Feb 2009, Coffee Chemistry, Page 28