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By the Numbers: Coffee

In honor of National Coffee Day on Sept. 29, we sit back with a steaming cup of joe and look at some coffee numbers. In addition to the caffeine jolt many coffee drinkers seek, studies have shown health benefits to coffee drinking that includes offering protection against Parkinson’s disease, type 2 diabetes and liver disease. A new study by German scientists was able to modify a common age-related heart defect in mice with doses of caffeine that amounted to about four cups of coffee for a human. The molecular action of caffeine apparently enhances heart cell function and protects cells from damage (still unknown whether that applies to humans). Coffee also appears to improve cognitive function and decreases the risk of depression. So, cheer up with a cup.

$1.38

The average price for a brewed cup of coffee.

2

The ranking of single-cup brewers, since 2012, as the most common coffee preparation method.

$2.45

The average price of an espresso-based drink.

3.1

The average number of cups of coffee Americans drink daily.

5

The percentage of Americans that drink coffee with meals other than breakfast.

9

The average size in ounces of the daily cuppa.

30

The percentage of Americans that drink coffee between meals.

33

The percentage of the world’s coffee production that is imported by the U.S.

35

The percentage of coffee drinkers who prefer it black.

52

The percentage of Americans that would rather go without a shower than miss morning coffee.

54

The percentage of adult Americans that drink coffee every day.

65

The percentage of Americans that drink coffee with breakfast.

85

The percentage growth in the value of world coffee exports between 2000 and 2010, from $8.3 billion to $15.4 billion.

90

The percentage of coffee production that takes place in developing countries.

108

The milligrams of caffeine in a cup of generic brewed coffee.

330

The milligrams of caffeine in a 36-ounce Starbucks coffee Grande.

24,000

The number of coffee shops in America.

1.7 million

The approximate number of coffee industry jobs in the U.S.

$40 billion

The amount U.S. consumers spend on coffee annually, making it the world’s second most valuable commodity (more than natural gas or gold).

Source:  Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, The National Coffee Blog, foodrepublic.com, mayoclinic.org, scientificamerican.com

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