Coffee

You’ll be pleased to learn that many of the foods and drinks you love are not just “okay” as an occasional indulgence–they’re good for you! Let’s begin with coffee and tea…and I invite you to read my related articles on wine and beer, and on chocolate.

Coffee is made from the roasted and ground seeds of several tropical trees or shrubs of the genus Coffea.

An Arabian legend tells of a goatherd who made a beverage from berries growing on strange shrubs, and after drinking it experienced extraordinary lucidity and wakefulness. The shrubs were said to have been planted by the descendants of the Queen of Sheba, who came from Ethiopia, where Coffea arabica originates.

Nearly 20,000 scientific studies to date have been conducted on coffee or caffeine. Here, in a nutshell, are the results: not only is drinking coffee in moderation no threat to health, it actually can be a boon. It is harmless even during pregnancy, and children are no more sensitive to caffeine than adults.

The average American consumes about 200 milligrams of caffeine daily, roughly the equivalent of two cups of coffee (a figure that of course includes those who drink none at all). “Moderate” consumption is generally defined as 300 mg daily–two to five cups of coffee, or four to eight cups of hot tea, depending on the size of the cup.

Which has more caffeine, coffee or tea? It depends. On a pound-for-pound basis, tea has more. But because less tea is required to make a cup of tea, generally a cup of coffee has more caffeine–approximately twice as much. There are also significant variations in the variety of coffee or tea and the brewing method used. Dark-roasted coffees may contain less caffeine than more lightly roasted beans; arabica beans tend to have less caffeine and milder flavor than robusta.

“Decaffeinated” coffee and tea contain about 5 mg per cup.

Caffeine is a central nervous system stimulant. While individuals vary in their sensitivity to caffeine, some generalizations apply. Caffeine can increase the speed of rapid information processing, alertness, energy, endurance, motivation, and concentration. All this has important implications especially for night shift workers and for drivers, as well as for anyone wanting to remain productive on the job after lunch. This alertness-enhancing effect also can relieve the malaise associated with the common cold. (Now, that’s good news for those of us who prefer coffee but feel obligated to switch to herbal tea with the onset of a sore throat or stuffy nose!)

Caffeine soothes headaches by constricting blood vessels in the brain, which in turn reduces cranial pressure. So it’s no surprise that it’s an active ingredient in headache relievers.

Some studies have linked caffeine consumption to a decline in levels of depression and anxiety.

Caffeine has long been known to help asthmatics, many of whom have found regular consumption of coffee to have a moderating effect on attacks. That’s no surprise, either, thanks to the ingredient theophylline–a drug prescribed for symptomatic relief of bronchial asthma.

Higher caffeine intake is associated with a significantly lower incidence of Parkinson’s disease. That’s because caffeine intake reduces the amount of dopamine depletion, one of the characteristics of Parkinson’s.

Last but not least, caffeine stimulates metabolism.

Caffeine aside, coffee has a complex chemical composition. A characteristic of many plants is the abundance of compounds with antioxidant properties, and coffee is no exception. Flavonoids are particularly widespread in plants and likewise important in disease protection.

Antioxidants reduce the risk of cancer and prevent good (HDL) cholesterol from turning into bad (LDL) cholesterol, a cause of heart disease. Antioxidants neutralize the effect of “free radicals,” highly reactive molecules that travel around the body causing chemical chain reactions that can damage cells, by binding with the extra electrons. Free radicals also have been implicated in strokes, cancer, and the aging process. Substances with antioxidant activity are found to be generated in the roasting process.

Coffee is a good dietary source of potassium. That makes coffee a good choice as a diuretic; potassium loss is an undesirable side effect of most diuretics. Coffee can reduce the risk of cirrhosis of the liver.

Tea is made from the leaves of a shrub of the Camellia genus.

The Chinese first gathered tea leaves in the wild, and have cultivated the tea plant at least as far back as 350 AD. The court of England’s Charles II in the 17th century established tea as a fashionable drink for the elite.

The firing, fermenting, and/or oxidizing that is done to the leaves determines whether the tea will be green, black, or oolong.

Tea is a source of vitamins A and B6, thiamin, and riboflavin; nicotinic, pantothenic, ascorbic, and folic acids; manganese, potassium, and fluoride.

Flavonoids are found in all types of tea; green tea has the highest concentration. Tea is being studied for its benefits in enhancing immune function, lowering LDL and raising HDL levels, reducing blood pressure, thinning blood, reducing the risk of heart attack, stroke, and cancer, increasing longevity, aiding digestion, and promoting dental health.

There is convincing evidence for a protective effect of both coffee and tea against colorectal cancers, the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the United States. High coffee intake decreases the excretion of bile acids, which are suspected carcinogens to the colon. Because of its diuretic properties, caffeine may help lower the risk of bladder cancer.

Greater intakes of coffee and tea, both regular and decaffeinated, were associated with a decreased risk of kidney stone formation, significantly more so than water. (A slight advantage was found in caffeine-containing coffee over decaffeinated.) Interestingly, increased consumption of apple and grapefruit juices correlated with increased risk of stone formation.

One study has found that people who drink coffee are less likely to suffer heart disease than are tea drinkers. This may not, however, be a straight cause-and-effect relationship: possibly people who choose to drink coffee have more youthful/healthful lifestyles in other respects.

Science has debunked the dark myths that caffeine contributes to breast cancer, bladder cancer, ulcers, indigestion, and osteoporosis.

Is there any reason not to consume caffeine? In some patients, caffeine is associated with temporary rises in blood pressure, so people with high blood pressure might be advised to avoid caffeine during high-stress times.

Moreover, those more sensitive to caffeine may not be able to drink coffee or tea late in the day because caffeine delays the onset of sleep. Worse, some people may not be aware that they are not as rested the following day as they should be, and thus may be more prone to fatigue-related accidents.

Is it possible to become addicted to caffeine? Coffee drinkers do not exhibit the behaviors that define addiction–severe withdrawal symptoms, tolerance, the need to consume the addictive substance at all costs, and antisocial behavior including crimes. Neither coffee nor other products containing caffeine are classified by drug dependence experts as addictive.

Nevertheless, giving up caffeine suddenly can be unpleasant. The most common withdrawal symptoms include headaches, fatigue, drowsiness, irritability, depression, and flu-like feelings. Weaning oneself gradually–say, over a week–should minimize the discomfort.

So drink up–without the guilt.

About The Author
Lisa J. Lehr is a freelance writer with a specialty in business and marketing communications. She holds a biology degree and has worked in a variety of fields, including the pharmaceutical industry and teaching, and has a particular interest in health matters. She is also a graduate of American Writers and Artists Institute (AWAI), Americas leading course on copywriting. Contact Lisa J. Lehr Copywriting www.ljlcopywriting.com, for help with your business writing needs. This article Lisa J. Lehr 2005.

Author: Lisa J. Lehr
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
Tissot virtual reality

From the year dot, my mother taught all her children that coffee was not bad for you. But of course it is. As a result, I managed to keep away from coffee, at least until the difficult age of 10, when, as I recall, I was allowed to join my mother and her neighbors in their regular gossip sessions at the coffee table.

That was when I started to exercise my taste buds on coffee. In those days, I developed a liking for coffee with milk. Perhaps I should have said I drank milk with coffee. However, I know now that the coffee I was drinking back then really was not so good. It was pre-ground, over-boiled and sometimes brewed with the grounds from the day before. Could you imagine anything worse? No wonder I wanted to hide that hideous flavor with tons of milk.

In the meantime, I probably took a good sip of coffee on the road and woke up to a much more pleasant reality. Coffee can be very good. But why do so many voices whisper that coffee and health do not belong together?

Caffeine

Call it food or beverage, coffee is free of any nutritional value. As indecent as it may sound, we consume it exclusively for pleasure.

Yes, the caffeine content in coffee is partly responsible for that pleasure. Caffeine acts as a mild stimulant across the central nervous system. It leads to a better memory, better judgments and idea associations, better coordination of body movement.

A single-serve espresso contains between 80 and 120 milligrams of caffeine. A normal cup of coffee (even drip coffee) contains about 100 – 150 milligrams of caffeine. Common sense calls this moderate consumption at one sitting. Within several hours (although this may vary from one person to another) caffeine is eliminated from the body. Average coffee drinkers can have three or four cups of coffee every day without from any health risk.

As with other foods and beverages, the effects of coffee consumption vary with the dose. Moderate coffee-drinking can be medicinal. Excessive coffee-drinking can be poison. The average female coffee drinker can experience ill-effects after ingesting 550 milligrams at one session. The amount for males is 700 milligrams. These effects refer to headaches, nausea and petulance. Ten grams of caffeine constitutes an overdose. This would be impossible to reach exclusively by drinking coffee. You would need to ingest 100 cups at one session. If you ever do, this may be the last thing you will ever do.

Coffee consumption is not recommended when certain health problems arise. While we have no solid proof for this it is wise to avoid unwanted risks.

Acidity

Acidity describes the sour component of the coffee taste. It is particularly strong in Arabica coffee and in light roasts. It may have a negative effect on digestion. People less tolerant of acidity but who still wish to drink coffee, can choose a decaffeinated coffee or a natural low-acidity coffee from Brazil, India or the Caribbean.

Other effects noted (for example, in pregnant women) have not been proved to be significantly negative. The medical community today has tended to clear coffee of long-term negative effects upon human health.

The beneficial effects of coffee

Coffee has proved beneficial for asthma sufferers. Two to four small cups of coffee throughout the day will help to reduce the recurrence of astma-attacks, and moderate their intensity.

Coffee contains natural antioxidants called ‘flavonoids’ which are widely known as disease protectors.

The beneficial effects of moderate caffeine consumption are widely recognised: caffeine works on alertness, mood, sensorial activity and memory. Of course, you may choose to take your daily caffeine ration from other foods and beverages, such as chocolate, carbonated drinks based on coca-nut extract, or tea.

Beside these effects, more or less proved by the medical community, I would mention one more: the pure pleasure of sipping a good cup of coffee. If every person on this planet did this every day, I believe there would be fewer wars, suicides and health problems generally, fewer people who suffer from depression. But I could be wrong.

Iulia Pascanu writes for http://www.madcoffeemaker.com where you can find more information about The Mad Coffee Maker

Please feel free to use this article in your Newsletter or on your website. If you use this article, please include the resource box and send a brief message to let me know where it appeared. mailto: iuliap@gmail.com.

Author: Iulia Pascanu
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
Unix inter-process communication (IPC)

The source of controversy over coffee is it’s most studied (though not necessary largest) element, caffeine. Caffeine, generally considered to be the most widely used drug in America and Europe is an often powerful central nervous system stimulant that, in some people, can cause modest increases in blood pressure and heart rate, arrhythmia, anxiety and sleeplessness.

A normal person can cope with 300 milligrams of coffee a day- that’s about three cups of coffee. However, response to caffeine can be as individual as a fingerprint.

The beauty of coffee is that, unlike many other caffeinated beverages, it has a way of tipping off the body when enough is enough. If you’ve walked into a Starbucks or a meeting you’ll notice a lot of half-drunk cups lying around. At a subliminal level, there’s an automatic stop with coffee. You don’t even have to think about it.

But a lot of people have been worrying about their coffee drinking since some research studies have linked coffee drinking to heart disease, cancer and even birth defects.

Below are some answers to some questions of the most troubling questions you may have about coffee.

1. Will coffee make you nervous and irritable?

It can. The most common side effects are nervousness and insomnia. Whether or not you experience them depends largely on how much caffeine you are taking in and your individual susceptibility. According to Dr. Kroger Ph.D professor of food science at Pennsylvania of Food technologist, “people should learn to observe their bodies the way they do their cars” because your body will tell you what you can and can’t handle.

You may be drinking too much if you’re unusually nervous, restless or battling with insomnia. You could also be overdosing if you’re experiencing heart palpitations, diarrhea, heartburn or headaches. For some, coffee acts as diuretic so you may have increased urine output.

2. Will coffee keep you up at night?

Your metabolism–specifically how quickly your system eliminates caffeine-may determine whether coffee keeps you up at night. Researchers have found that people who said coffee kept them up consumed less coffee-explained by their bad reaction to it-and eliminated it more slowly from their systems than people who claimed coffee didn’t affect their sleep. Individual metabolism dictates whether coffee will rob your of a good night’s sleep or not.

3. Why do I drink coffee?

It may be the taste or the buzz it gives you. In a Swiss study, volunteers who drunk the equivalent of one cup of coffee admitted to feeling full of ideas with greater vigor alertness and energy.

Other researchers have found that coffee can increase reading speed without increasing errors, improved the capacity for sustained intellectual effort and lead to less aggressive behavior. There is even some indication that coffee increases aerobic capacity, which can give an athlete more staying power. However, it’s important to understand that what coffee gives coffee may take away.

Some folks experience a post stimulation letdown that can make them as tired and lethargic as they are alert and energetic. One problem you can face if you treat coffee as more than simply a satisfying beverage is that you’ll start to reach for more than you can handle just to prolong the kick.

Coffee can be mildly addicting. Any coffee drinker who has given it up cold turkey can tell you about the withdrawal headaches and the bouts of weakness and lethargy which though quite real, aren’t permanent or dangerous

4. Are there any long term health effects from drinking coffee?

Early studies linked caffeine with heart disease and cancer, bust since then most of those findings have been disputed. Most medical experts believe there is no clear evidence supporting them. But moderation is the key. There is some indication that heavy coffee consumption when accompanied by other diet and life style factors may increase cholesterol levels.

5. Are there any special health problems coffee may aggravate?

If you have ulcers or experienced heartburn or gastrointestinal problems, such as esophageal reflux, after drinking coffee you may want to limit your coffee intake or switch to decaffeinated.

Coffee seems to promote gastric secretion. People with hypertension or heat disease who experience an increase in blood pressure or heart arrhythmia when drinking coffee should follow their common sense and switch to decaffeinated coffee or a less stimulating beverage. Coffee can cause modest increases in heart rate and blood pressure and in large amounts-more than 9 cups a day-is associated with arrhythmia.

Another group of people who ought to exercise caution are those with anemia as coffee inhibits the absorption of iron. As well as people who experience panic attacks, such as agoraphobics. Researchers at Yale University found that caffeine produces a more pronounced reaction in people who have panic episodes than in normal, healthy people.

6. How does coffee affect my nutrition?

There is some evidence that coffee can inhibit the absorption of both iron and the B vitamin thiamine. In the case of thiamine, it doesn’t appear to be caffeine that’s the culprit but chlorogenic acid, another coffee ingredient, which is not shed during the decaffeinating process.

7. How can I enjoy coffee without worrying?

Although moderation is the key to coffee comfort, for some the most logical solution is to switch to decaffeinated coffee. Many people can’t tell the difference between decaffeinated and the real thing. But if you can, you might want to stick to either instant or percolated coffee which depending on how strong you make it can contain less caffeine on average tan drip coffee.

Adelaide Kwaning is a ghost writer who writes on a number of different topics regarding health. To read another great article on healthy living visit http://healthmad.com/weight-loss/how-to-eat-more-and-weigh-less/

Author: Adelaide Kwaning
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
Provided by: Guest blogger