Althouse: Exactly how many cups of coffee to drink, taking all the pro-coffee and anti-coffee study results into account.

November 22, 2013

Exactly how many cups of coffee to drink, taking all the pro-coffee and anti-coffee study results into account.

The answer is: 3.

26 comments:

Curious George said...: One press pot of Collectivo. Working on some Velo now. But that would be 8, but I often leave one mug behind...so then 6.; 11/22/13, 11:12 AM
traditionalguy said...: Sounds like wine. Three glasses is good, but four or more is bad.

Was that per day or per hour?; 11/22/13, 11:16 AM
Sorun said...: “Acute ingestion of caffeine … equivalent to the amount found in 2-3 cups of coffee … results in a short-term stimulation of urine output…”

I've found the same thing with ingesting water -- it stimulates urine output. But that's just me.; 11/22/13, 11:16 AM
Henry said...: The 56% increase in death (love the specifics) is for the population that has a very low death rate. Not all percentages are created equal.

But as the blurb says, don’t think too hard: Thinking could turn into ruminating—and ruminating quadruples your risk of depression.; 11/22/13, 11:16 AM
George M. Spencer said...: Is a cup a "cup"?; 11/22/13, 11:19 AM
Sorun said...: I assume 3 cups is for an average weight person. What's that? I'm 190 lbs, so I always bump these things up: 4 cups instead of 3, or 3 beers instead of 2.; 11/22/13, 11:20 AM
Ann Althouse said...: I'm sure what we look at as a cup today is at least 2 cups, possibly even 4 cups.

And what about the strength of the coffee?

And shouldn't one's body size matter. Should a 120-pound person drink the same amount as a 240-pound person?

And I would like to know the best amount of wine. We know it's at least one glass a day. But there too, I'll bet a lot of people who are pouring their "one" glass are pouring 10 or 12 ounces, which is 2 glasses. It's hard to be honest about that, and the glasses they make these days (like the coffee mugs) encourage fantasy.; 11/22/13, 11:23 AM
MadisonMan said...: I thought it was 42.

Douglas Adams was wrong?; 11/22/13, 11:23 AM
Deb said...: I know for a fact that when my coffee consumption sinks below 4 cups per day, I become very depressed.

As we speak I am on cup number 4. Or maybe 5.; 11/22/13, 11:26 AM
Deb said...: Not all cups are cups. I'm talking 12 oz cups.; 11/22/13, 11:27 AM
Ann Althouse said...: The trick is to have your number and to really believe in it.

The hope keeps you alive.; 11/22/13, 11:41 AM
Crunchy Frog said...: How many licks does it take to get to the tootsie roll center of a tootsie pop?; 11/22/13, 11:46 AM
Henry said...: The trick is to have your number and to really believe in it.

My number is 4:15 PM.; 11/22/13, 12:07 PM
Curious George said...: Also the darker the roast the less caffeine.; 11/22/13, 12:10 PM
lemondog said...: One cup = 8oz.; 11/22/13, 12:21 PM
3john2 said...: Five is right out.; 11/22/13, 1:26 PM
William said...: Why would anyone want to get out of bed except for a cup of coffee?......There are healthy addictions. Compulsive jogging. Coffee drinking. Blueberries mixed with extra dark chocolate and yogurt. These are proof that there is such a thing as a benign God if only we open our hearts.; 11/22/13, 1:28 PM
ALP said...: If you are worried about Alzheimer's, its 6 cups a day!; 11/22/13, 1:31 PM
Tank said...: Two cups just before bedtime.; 11/22/13, 1:55 PM
Freeman Hunt said...: I'm more curious about the ideal number of pots.

One hopes we might go past three into the bad and keep going, eventually coming around to it being good again.; 11/22/13, 3:08 PM
Ann Althouse said...: The traditional coffee cup was actually 6 ounces. In measuring for recipes, it's true that a cup is 8 oz.

And a traditional wineglass is 5.5 oz., which is why I'm saying 10 - 12 oz. is 2 glasses.; 11/22/13, 3:24 PM
Joe said...: I've tried to like coffee, but have never been able to.

(One irony; my oldest is a barista.); 11/22/13, 3:57 PM
Sam L. said...: I'm a Zero guy. Tea; by the bag, or loose (corralled, though).; 11/22/13, 4:23 PM
Lyle said...: I imagine I drink coffee like Christopher Hitchens drank alcohol.

It's a comfort to me.; 11/22/13, 6:46 PM
Strelnikov said...: According to Sheldon, 73 is the perfect number for everything.

That's a lot of coffee.; 11/23/13, 9:19 AM
Anonymous said...: Are these little glasses or huge bobo glasses? You know, the ones that can stylishly fit an entire bottle of wine.; 11/23/13, 2:58 PM