The GuardianThe Guardian

The truth about caffeine: How coffee really affects our bodies

By Joel Snape

15 Feb 2023 · 8 min read

Editor's Note

It has been reported that coffee can boost your athletic performance and can decrease your risks of developing several forms of cancer. The Guardian explains exactly how caffeine impacts the body.

Coffee. Go juice. Liquid gold. The one with all the psychoactive properties. Once used by Sufi mystics as an aid to concentration during religious rituals, it’s now one of the most ubiquitous drinks on the planet: we get through about 2bn cups a day.

It’s also one of the most valued and pored-over drinks. One particularly sought-after blend, Black Ivory, which is produced by encouraging elephants to digest arabica berries, retails at more than £2,000 a kilogram, while coffee-making championships attract thousands of spectators.

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