A caffeine handbook
Coffee. A one-word story.
We all have our own version of a cup of joe. Some like it plain, black and simple. Some prefer a whirlwind of flavours. One faction will run to the toilet after a cup. And another can’t function without one.
So what’s the science behind the love or hate relationship with this beverage? How healthy is your cup of coffee? We sought the help of a dietician, Reshmy Ranee to help break down the calories you’re slurping on.
Coffee in Malaysia
Coffee has long made its way to becoming a part of our dawn to dusk. British lads laid the grounds for coffee and our Hokkien friends birthed kopitiams (‘kopi’ meaning coffee in Malay, ‘tiam’ meaning shop in the Hokkien dialect). Our style is, of course, quirky and should we say more appetising, than the rest of the coffees out there! Ours isn’t brewed but prepared by pouring boiling water through a cloth filter. As we welcomed decades of urbanisation and adapted to bustling lifestyles, our caffeine addiction grew too. According to the Department of Statistics Malaysia, we have collectively downed 800,000 bags of 60 kg of coffee (Figure 1).
Caffeine has proved to facilitate by giving your body a brief burst of energy and alertness. This improves motor and cognitive function, aids with focusing attention, increases response accuracy and more. Studies in the land of England and Japan display interesting results showing the benefits of little quantities of coffee and your sleep. If you drink coffee and then nap for 20 minutes or less, you’re bound to have a shaper focus than if you just drank coffee or had a regular nap.
Coffee in its many flavours
Knowing your preference is key to a perfect cup of java. So here are a few famous types to try out:
Espresso coffee has it all in its name! It’s the expressway to enhance productivity for the next couple of hours.
Bulletproof coffee or keto coffee keeps your insulin levels low enough to keep your body in a fat-burning state. Resulting in a balanced, non-nervous stimulation that lasts for hours.
Decaffeinated coffee still has caffeine! About 3% of caffeine is present, so if you’re chugging 5 cups or more, you’re just adding one regular caffeinated cup to your day.
Black coffee is as simple as it gets. Some rich ground coffee beans plus water can never go wrong.
Coffee is great but too much isn’t. If you’re feeling these symptoms, you should slow down on your caffeine:
>> Jitters, restlessness, and nervousness
>> Nausea
>> Insomina
>> Heart palpitations
>> Anxiety
>> Dizziness
Calorie Count
1oz. = 30ml
Coffee
>>Hot Expresso (solo): 5 kcal (coffee/tea with no added milk or sugar has minimal kcal)
>>Hot Latte (12 oz.): 176 kcal
>>Hot Caffe Mocha (12 oz.): 290 kcal
>>Hot Americano (12 oz.): 17 kcal
>>Hot Cappuccino(12 oz.): 140 kcal
>>Cold Cappuccino (12 oz.): 197 kcal
>>Caramel Macchiato (12 oz.): 201 cal
>>Cold Brew, sweetened (12 oz.): 130 kcal
>>Original Cold Brew: 10 kcal
>>Flat White (12 oz.): 118 kcal
>>Long Black (12 oz.): 3 kcal
>>Bulletproof Coffee (3 oz.): 100 kcal
>>Mocha Frappé (12 oz.): 366 kcal
Toppings
>> Whipped Cream (for 12 oz. drink)
-> Hot beverages: 62 kcal
-> Cold beverages: 114 kcal
>> Chocolate Chips (1 tbsp): 50 kcal
>> Chocolate Syrup (1 tbsp): 56 kcal
>> Sugar 1 cubes: 16 kcal
>> Syrup (1 pump): 20 kcal
>> Milk:
-> Skimmed Milk (12 oz.): 125 kcal
-> Whole Milk (12 oz.): 223.3
-> Soy Milk (12 oz): 195 kcal
>> Cinnamon (1 tsp): 3 kcal
>> Vanilla Ice Cream (1 scoop): 137 kcal
>> Marshmallows (4 large): 92 kcal
>> Tapioca Pearls or Boba (1 tbsp): 25 kcal
Bet you didn’t know
>>ZUS Coffee is Malaysian-made! The coffee chain plans to extend over 180 stores by the end of 2022.
>> Coffee’s better half, tea also has its Malaysian alias – Tealive!
Opening its first outlet in the United Kingdom, the local boba provider is now available in Vietnam, the Philippines, Australia, and more.
Sources: Department of Statistics Malaysia, Bernama
