Caffeinated: The Science & Culture Of Your Coffee Habit

By Audrey Smith,

Anita Rao

Published June 24, 2022 at 10:31 AM EDT

Anita comes from a tea-drinking family, but she's happiest when she's holding a mug of coffee the size of her face. For years, she's been reading headlines about why coffee is "good" for you, but she's not sure where myth ends and fact begins. So, she turns to the experts: Dr. Rao (her dad) is back to explain why coffee makes you poop, and how it affects your gut. A neuroscientist tells her about what her brain is doing once coffee hits her system. And two folks with deep ties to java talk about coffee culture, from bean to brew.

Meet the guests:

Dr. Satish Rao, gastroenterologist and professor of medicine at Augusta University (and Anita’s dad), gives Anita the coffee-gut advice she needs
Dr. Shannon Odell, science communicator and neuroscientist goes Magic School Bus on coffee science
Samuel Ngwa, founder of Safari Pride Coffee, shares how his family’s story as coffee farmers in Cameroon inspired his coffee business today
Austin Jeffries, co-owner of Borough Coffee mobile coffee cart, talks about his hopes for a more slowed-down coffee culture in the U.S.