What Determines Caffeine in Coffee Beans and Is It Beneficial to the Human Body?

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The Effects and Content of Caffeine in Coffee

When it comes to caffeine, the first reaction that comes to mind is its stimulating, exciting, and refreshing effect on the mind. Legend has it that a flock of sheep, after eating coffee cherries, actually danced at night without sleeping - what a magical phenomenon.

For many people, the start of each workday begins with coffee as a way to refresh and energize. In the past, people have consumed coffee cherries and beans to obtain caffeine for its stimulating and exciting effects. For coffee lovers who also care about their health, discussing which coffee has lower caffeine content has always been a popular topic.

Factors Determining Caffeine Content in Coffee Beans

So what determines the caffeine content in coffee beans? First, the caffeine content is influenced by the coffee variety:

For example, each Robusta coffee bean contains about 3.2% caffeine, much higher than the 1.5% found in Arabica varieties. Other coffee species derived from Arabica also contain about 1.2%-1.7% caffeine per bean. Among these, the Bourbon low-caffeine variety has half the caffeine content, making it a delicious coffee that legend says allows for good sleep even with multiple cups. It was also the favorite of French writers and intellectuals like Honoré de Balzac.

The Relationship Between Roast Level and Caffeine Content

The caffeine content in coffee beans is also related to the degree of roasting.

According to a report from the Association for Science and Information on Coffee, the caffeine content as a percentage of bean weight in light roast, medium roast, and dark roast Arabica coffee beans are 1.37%, 1.31%, and 1.31% respectively. Light roast is only 0.06% higher. However, light roast coffee has a weight loss rate of 11-13%, while dark roast coffee has a weight loss rate of 15-17%. Therefore, during the roasting process, dark roast coffee experiences minimal caffeine loss due to sublimation, but these losses are negligible. When consumed in equal coffee gram amounts, dark roast coffee may have higher caffeine content than light roast coffee due to weight loss and extraction efficiency. Roast level is not a key factor affecting caffeine content.

Caffeine Content and Extraction Methods

The caffeine content in coffee liquid is inextricably linked to the extraction process. People are more concerned about the caffeine content in coffee liquid because not all caffeine contained in coffee beans is extracted into the coffee liquid. What we're actually concerned about regarding caffeine intake is the amount of caffeine that dissolves into water.

The same coffee beans using different extraction methods yield different caffeine content. If using 15g of Arabica coffee beans for pour-over brewing, the caffeine content of one pour-over coffee is about 100-150mg (200ml of coffee liquid). Meanwhile, one shot of Arabica espresso contains about 50-100mg of caffeine (30ml of espresso liquid).

In general, caffeine release is critically related to extraction time. The longer the contact time between water and coffee grounds, the more caffeine is released. Therefore, for the same coffee bean and equal weight: Cold brew > French press > Pour-over coffee > Espresso.

Health Considerations and Benefits of Caffeine

Caffeine has many pharmacological effects. For people who are pregnant or have stomach problems, it's best to control coffee intake. However, with moderate coffee consumption, one can effectively relieve fatigue and restore energy.

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