One US President Drank A Gallon Of Coffee Every Day

The diets of U.S. presidents, both recent and from bygone eras, is a fascinating topic that never fails to interest people on the internet (there's a whole TikTok account actually devoted to eating like historical political figures, and it has over 218K followers). Food Republic has covered the favorite foods and drinks of 18 U.S. presidents, as well as some pretty gnarly habits, like Richard Nixon's interesting breakfast combo. But one president stands out for what can only be described as a major coffee habit — up to a gallon daily — and it's the legendary bear hunter himself, Theodore Roosevelt.

Good old Teddy, who was the 26th president from 1901 until 1909, and who enjoyed his fried chicken smothered in gravy, reportedly started his day with an enormous cup of coffee at breakfast and then kept drinking the caffeinated beverage all day long. Though he seems like the kind of guy who would take his coffee black, he actually preferred it with milk and sugar.

His love of coffee was also passed down to his children, so much so that one, Kermit, spearheaded the creation of one of Manhattan's first coffee-house chains, initially called Café Paulista, before being changed to The Brazilian Coffee House (after Theodore's preferred roast), then finally Double R Coffee House. Sadly, this coffee shop business has not survived, going defunct sometime in the 1900s, but Roosevelt's storied love for the bean-derived beverage continues to impress and awe.

Theodore Roosevelt didn't just drink a gallon of coffee per day for the sheer love of the flavor — at least not to start. In fact, he began his lifelong journey with coffee in childhood. He suffered from asthma, as so many kids do, but with science still in its infancy, there was no effective medicinal treatment. Instead, the contemporary solution consisted of lots and lots of coffee, which Roosevelt's family opted to feed him starting at age 5, combined with a fitness regimen, which eventually included boxing.

He learned to manage his asthma over time, but the coffee might have actually helped. It's the caffeine in coffee, which has been proven to work as a bronchodilator (though not nearly as effectively as prescribed treatments); caffeine has also been proven to help treat respiratory muscle fatigue, as well as boost lung health temporarily. In fact, one study found that asthma sufferers who drink coffee every day experience a reduction of their symptoms by almost 30%. And since Roosevelt was daily consuming enough caffeine to fell one of the bears he so vigorously hunted, well, one has to wonder if this home remedy helped control his asthma for his entire life.