• 27% of US coffee drinkers and 43% of German drinkers add a sweetener to their coffee
  
• The world's largest coffee producer is Brazil with over 3,970 million coffee trees.
  
• Coffee beans are really berries
  
• Arabica and Robusta trees can produce crops for 20 - 30 years under proper conditions and care.
  
• Most coffee is transported by ships. Currently there are approximately 2,200 ships involved in transporting coffee beans each year.
  
• The popular trends towards flavored coffees originated in the US during the 1970's.
  
• October 1st is the official Coffee Day in Japan.
  
• The first coffee tree in the Western Hemisphere was brought from France to the Island of Martinique in the 1720's.
  
• Germany is the world's second largest consumer of coffee in terms of volume at 16 pounds per person.
  
• Over 53 countries grow coffee worldwide, but all of them lie along the equator between the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn.
  
• An acre of coffee can produce up to 10,000 of coffee cherries. That amounts to approximately 2,000 pounds of beans after hulling or milling.
  
• The percolator was invented in 1827 by a French man. It would boil the coffee producing a bitter tasting brew. Today most people use the drip or filtered method to brew coffee.
  
• With the exception of Hawaii and Puerto Rico, no coffee is grown in the US or its territories.
  
• Up until the 1870's most coffee was roasted at home in a frying pan over a charcoal fire.
  
• Each year some 7 million tons of green beans are produced world wide. Most of which is hand-picked.
  
• Cowboys made their coffee by putting ground coffee into a clean sock and immerse it in cold water and heat it over a campfire. When ready, they would pour the coffee into tin cups and drink it.
  
• Both the American Revolution and the French Revolution were born in coffee houses.
  
• Turkish bridegrooms were once required to make a promise during their wedding ceremonies to always provide their new wives with coffee. If they failed to do so, it was grounds for divorce (pardon the pun).
  
• Espresso has about 1/3 of the caffeine of a regular cup of coffee.
  

Numerous studies have shown that moderate amounts of caffeine - about 300 miligrams per day - are safe for most adults.
Caffeine content in coffee is determined by the length of time that the beans are in contact with the water.
An ideal extraction of espresso takes approximately 25 seconds. Regular coffee is in contact with the water for much longer.
The roast of the coffee beans also factors into caffeine content. The dark roast in espresso coffee beans diminishes the concentration. A single espresso has half to two-thirds as much caffeine as a cup of regular coffee.
Caffeine is also added to some foods and beverages for flavor.

• Double espresso (2oz) 45-100 mg
  
• Brewed coffee (8 oz) 60-120 mg
  
• Instant coffee (8 oz) 70 mg
  
• Decaf coffee (8 oz) 1-5 mg
  
• Tea - black (8 oz) 45 mg
  
• Tea - green (8 oz) 20 mg
  
• Tea - white (8 oz) 15 mg
  
• Coca Cola (12 oz can) 34 mg
  
• Pepsi (12 oz can) 38 mg
  
• Barq's Root Beer (12 oz can) 22 mg
  
• 7-up (12 oz) 0 mg
  
• Chocolate milk (8 oz) 4 mg
  
• Dark chocolate (1 oz) 20 mg
  
• Milk chocolate (1 oz) 6 mg
  
• Ben & Jerry's Coffee Fudge Frozen Yogurt (8 oz) 85 mg
  

Health-Related Facts Concerning Caffeine:
In 1958, the FDA classified caffeine as Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS). In 1987, the Federal Drug Administration reaffirmed its position that normal caffeine intake produced no increased risk to health. In addition, both the American Medical Association and the American Cancer Society have statements confirming the safety of moderate caffeine consumption.

There is no evidence that the caffeine in beverages causes dehydration.

There is no evidence to show that caffeine is associated with hyperactive behavior.

Scientific evidence suggests that children are no more sensitive to caffeine than adults.

The weight of scientific research indicates that moderate caffeine consumption does not affect fertility, or cause adverse health effects during pregnancy.

Caffeine-containing foods and beverages, in moderation, can be enjoyed while nursing. Both the American Academy of Pediatrics and researches of a review published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition confirm that caffeine consumption at usual amounts has no effect on the child.

Several recent studies of post-menopausal women have concluded that consuming moderate amounts of caffeine does not increase risk of osteoporosis.

There is no evidence linking caffeine to cholesterol levels

Caffeine does not cause chronic hypertension or any persistent increase in blood pressure. Studies show any rise in blood pressure is modest and less than normally experienced when climbing stairs.

There have been over 100 studies that have examined whether a relationship exists between caffeine and blood pressure, cardiac arrythmia or coronary heart disease. Most of this research has led to the conclusion that moderate amounts of caffeine is not associated with any increase in cardiovascular disease risk.

The AARP Magazine contained this article:
"Drink More Coffee"

"The steaming cup that wakes you up can also keep you healthy. Research shows that coffee protects against a variety of ailments - from cavities to colon cancer. And some studies suggest that the more your drink, the better. The beverage lowers your risk of type 2 diabetes and can protect your liver from damage, too. Caffeine gets the credit for some of coffee's magic powers, including protection against Parkinson's disease and gallstones. But coffee's main benefit comes from its wealth of antioxidants. In fact, the coffee bean, which is technically a berry, has one of the highest antioxidant contents of all berries, says Tomas de Paulis, Ph.D., formerly of the Vanderbilt University for Coffee Studies."

Caffeine Quick Facts:

• The full chemical name is 1,4,7 - trimethylxanthine and its chemical formula is C8H10N4 O2.
  
  
• Caffeine was first isolated from coffee in 1820.
  
  
• In its pure state, caffeine is a crystalline white powder.
  
  
• Caffeine can be found in over 63 different plants.
  
  
• 10 grams of caffeine is considered a lethal dose.
  
  
• It is the most popular drug in the world. 90% of Americans consume it in some form every day.
  
  
• Over 450,000,000 cups of coffee are consumed in the US every day.
  
  
• Darkly roasted coffee has less caffeine than lightly roasted coffee.
  
  
• Contrary to popular belief, caffeine (or coffee) will not help someone sober up.