Caffeine, what exactly is it?

One of the questions that may arise for those of us who are somewhat interested in the world of coffee

What exactly is caffeine? Well, broadly speaking and to put it bluntly, it is a chemical component that some plants use as a natural pesticide. If we delve a little deeper, it's a very bitter-tasting alkaloid found in different types of plants, including our beloved coffee plant, which they use primarily for survival. It is a microtoxin that in very small living beings, such as insects, alters the nervous system to the point of killing them; it also produces some effect on our nervous system, but because we have more body mass it is almost imperceptible, and even in controlled doses it has been shown to be beneficial to health. Although it's also toxic to us, if we were to ingest it in large quantities it could disrupt our nervous system, causing cardiac problems and even cardiac arrest. But of course, we're talking about consuming it at massive levels, practically eating it by the spoonful. It would be like when an insect bites a coffee leaf; its size results in an enormous ingestion of the substance.

Relationship between caffeine and coffee flavor

What does this translate to in the final price? Well, depending on the coffee's contents, its taste is more or less bitter, since it has a bitter taste. Is bitterness always related to caffeine? No, many factors can contribute to excessive bitterness in your cup of coffee. These include a heavy roast, improper brewing (burning the coffee during extraction, or over-extraction, as this defect is known in professional coffee jargon), cultivation errors, or problems with drying or processing.

Amount of caffeine in coffee

Caffeine is found in Arabica coffee in proportions ranging from 0.7% to 1.7%, so its presence is low since in a properly extracted 30 ml espresso, we would find 40 milligrams of caffeine. Did you know that a can of cola contains almost 100 milligrams of caffeine? Well, seen that way it's not so bad, considering that it's not considered healthy to ingest more than 500 milligrams of caffeine per day, we can have a few coffees, but of course, of quality and good varieties. When choosing Robusta coffee, things get complicated because its caffeine content ranges from 1.7% to 4%, considerably more than Arabica. A properly extracted Robusta espresso contains about 85 milligrams of caffeine; the maximum is 500 milligrams, but we recommend not exceeding 300 milligrams. This is the basis for the theory that more than three coffees a day is bad, as it's assumed you'll be drinking low-quality coffee.

Always quality coffee

For all the reasons stated above, always ask for your coffee to be Arabica and of good quality; you will be able to enjoy it more often and it will taste much better. Other studies have shown that the human body develops a high tolerance to caffeine with regular consumption; in other words, we get used to it and it has less and less effect on us. But I think that every person and body is different, so we should regulate our intake according to what feels best for us. And now that you know a little more about this alkaloid, and if you are passionate about the world of coffee, you can say that you are already a "caffeine addict".