[1] Does iced coffee give you energy?
Some of us literally cannot function without a buzz from our morning cup of joe and this has become a daily ritual. When we drink coffee we feel more alert and energized, thanks to the caffeine it contains.
And if you’re wondering if iced coffee can give you the same energy boost you get from hot coffee, then you should know that it can. Because guess what? Iced coffee contain caffeine too. The buzz and level of stimulation you get from a cup of coffee actually depends on the amount of caffeine in it and your body’s sensitivity to caffeine.
When it comes to iced coffee, this can be a little tricky because iced coffee can be made in very different ways. Iced coffee is made by pouring coffee over ice or chilling it in the refrigerator. You can make iced coffee from an espresso shot, hot brewed coffee or even a cup of cold brew.
Now, if you make your iced from from a single shot of espresso, it will contain the same amount of caffeine a shot of espresso contains and that’s between 45-75mg. And this iced coffee will give you the same energy boost you will get from a shot of espresso. Alternatively, if you make an iced coffee from a double shot espresso except to get about 100 to 150 milligrams of caffeine.
[2] Does iced coffee keep you awake?
If you’re a regular coffee drinker then you must be very familiar with the effects of coffee on the nervous system, including its ability to keep you awake. Well, the caffeine in coffee does that to you. And since iced coffee also contains caffeine then yes, it can keep you awake.
Drinking iced coffee which a good amount of caffeine will definitely keep you awake for quite some time. But this actually depends on how much iced coffee you consume and within about 15 to 45 minutes of consumption you should feel more alert. This can continue for some hours, because the half life of caffeine is 5 hours.
Now this means that if you drink a cup of iced coffee containing 100 mg of caffeine, after 5 hours 50 mg of caffeine will be left in your bloodstream and after another 5 hours there will be 25 mg left and so on.
Depending on how iced coffee is made, the amount of caffeine it contains can be very similar to the caffeine in hot coffee and this can affect your nervous system the same way regular hot coffee does; including keeping you awake and mentally alert.
[3] Does iced coffee make you poop?
If you always find yourself rushing off to the restroom right after you’ve heard a cup of iced coffee, then you should know that it’s not unusual.
Caffeine is known to have diuretic effects which makes you expel lots of liquid affect consumption. But aside from making you pee frequently, it can also make you poop because caffeine is also a mild laxative.
Caffeine has the ability to stimulate muscle contractions in the large intestine and this is very similar to the contractions you get after eating. This laxative effect of caffeine is more strongly felt if you drink iced coffee containing lots of caffeine.
Also if your body is particularly sensitive to caffeine, then you’ll be more likely to poop after a cup of coffee. But caffeine isn’t the only culprit, other components of coffee like the chlorogenic acids and N-alkanoyl-5-hydroxytryptamides can stimulate the production of stomach acids which can speed up digestion and quicken the movement of food through the gut.
And when this happens, you’ll get symptoms of stomach discomfort and then you rush to poop. So yes, iced coffee can make you poop but it’s really nothing to worry about.
[4] Does iced coffee make you fat?
If you’re concerned about maintaining a healthy waistline and you’re wondering if you favourite beverage is ruining it for you, well the answer to that depends on how you drink your iced coffee.
Iced coffee is also coffee but with ice in it, this means it has the same composition as regular coffee. Black coffee is ideal for weight loss because it’s a low calorie beverage and one cup contains only about 2 calories. So if your favourite iced coffee is black coffee on the rocks, then rest easy because this beverage cannot make you fat, but instead it’ll help you shed some pounds.
On the other hand, if you add heavy cream and lots of sugar to iced coffee this will completely transforms the beverage from a healthy low-calorie beverage to one with lots of calories and depending on how much cream and sugar you added you can get a cup with up to 200 calories or more.
And regularly drinking high-calorie beverage will definitely make you fat and ruin your chances of maintaining a healthy waistline. But this doesn’t mean you should completely ditch cream and sugar and drink only plain iced coffee. No, because there are healthy ways to sweetening your coffee without introducing lots of calories.
[5] Does iced coffee wake you up?
An early morning cup of coffee is super important because it drives away any trace of sleepiness from your brain and makes you mentally and physically alert. And for many coffee lovers this is the sole reason for a morning cup of joe – every morning.
This caffeine kick is usually linked to regular coffee but what about iced coffee, can it make you feel alert and awake? Yes, iced coffee can make you feel alert if the beverage contains enough caffeine.
Remember that iced coffee is coffee with ice cubes in it and while these ice cubes melt into water, they increase the volume of the beverage making you drink more coffee but with the same caffeine content. With this in mind, the best way to make iced coffee which is strong enough to give you the caffeine kick is from espresso. Two espresso shots in a few ice cubes should do the trick, this should give about 150 mg of caffeine.
Another factor that will affect the way your body reacts to caffeine is it’s tolerance to it. If you’re a regular coffee drinker, chances are your body must have developed some kind of tolerance for caffeine.
This means that your body is gradually becoming immune to the effects of caffeine and to override this tolerance you’ll need more caffeine and this translates to more coffee. If this is the case with you, then iced coffee may not give the boost you’re craving.
[6] Does iced coffee stain teeth?
Coffee can stain your clothes, I’m sure you know that already. And if it can stain your clothes, it can stain your teeth. But why is that?
Coffee contains some substances called tannins, which are a type of natural dye found in some fruits and vegetables. The tannins in coffee come from the polyphenols it contains because polyphenols actually occur naturally as tannins.
So when you drink coffee or other beverages containing tannins like red wine and tea, the tannins in these beverages come in contact with your teeth and leave behind some color and overtime this tooth discoloration will become really obvious. Just like regular coffee, iced coffee also contains polyphenols and therefore it can stain your teeth.
But let’s look on the bright side, which is how to avoid tooth discoloration without ditching your favourite beverage. The best way to prevent coffee from staining your teeth is to prevent it from touching your teeth in the first place, and you can reduce the amount of coffee that will touch your teeth if you drink it from a straw.
Since you’re more likely to drink iced coffee from a straw, this is why it may not stain your teeth as much as regular coffee does. Another way to prevent tooth discoloration from coffee is by brushing regularly and using some teeth whitening toothpaste. Brushing your teeth with baking soda like twice a month can help whiten your teeth and you should also talk to our dentist about any of your dental concerns.
[7] When was iced coffee invented?
Iced coffee has been around for awhile now and the first cup of iced coffee or rather what eventually evolved to modern day iced coffee was first made in the mid-nineteenth century in Algeria, a country in North Africa.
During the battle of Mazagran, Algeria the French soldiers deployed to Mazagran crafted the mixture of cold water and coffee syrup and drank it to combat the scourging heat from the sun. This drink was concocted when the soldiers ran out of milk and it was named Mazagran.
When they flew back to France, these French veterans introduced their new invention to the cafes and the public loved it. This new coffee drink was called cafe mazagran. But it didn’t end there, the cafe mazagran spread like wildfire all over the world and different countries came up with slight variations to add some uniqueness to the mix.
For instance, in Portugal the beverage is made by pouring espresso over ice and adding a slice of lemon. This is called Portugese iced coffee, and sometimes rum or sugar syrup thrown in to sweeten the beverage. In Austria, cafe mazagran is served with ice cubes and rum while in Catalonia, the beverage is made with iced coffee and lemon.
Cafe mazagran continued to evolve and in the late 90’s Starbucks invented it’s famous frappuccino drink from by blending ice cold coffee.
