Coffee

Coffee shops are one of the fastest growing businesses. Leading the high demand for coffee is the United States with 400 million cups of coffee consumed by Americans per day. 14 billion coffee espressos are consumed in Italy each year. So, there is no doubt that coffee is popular, but, is coffee healthy?

Well, if you read the literature, there does not seem to be a clear cut answer to that question. So, we’ll address the good and the bad. First, there are some potential health concerns for coffee drinkers. On the flip side, if used in moderation or in certain circumstances, coffee can have health benefits. So, let’s find out about these concerns and benefits.

Health Problems Related to Coffee and Caffeine

1. Adrenal Fatigue can result from over-consumption of coffee. This is when your adrenal glands become exhausted from over-stimulation. The caffeine in coffee is a nervous system stimulant, which causes your body to produce adrenaline. Adrenaline is the hormone that regulates heart rate, blood pressure and respiration. It is the adrenaline rush from caffeine that gives coffee drinkers the extra “go” to keep up with the heavy demands of their busy lifestyles. Becoming dependant on this adrenaline rush is part of what makes coffee and caffeine addictive.

   Failing to nurture your adrenals can have detrimental side effects. Our adrenals are necessary for producing hormones, which directly influences the operation of other body systems. If the adrenals become depleted and can no longer keep up with the energy demands you are placing on them, your health will suffer and you will be like a car without fuel or a car that has just gone head on into a rock wall.

2. An acidic pH environment is created in the body when there are too many negative influences from acidic food, thoughts, toxins and stressors. The pH balance of the body can range from alkaline, neutral to acidic. Coffee is very acidic with over 200 different acids including uric acid from the breakdown of caffeine. Many health problems such as arthritis arise in the body when it is acidic.
3. Mineral deficiency can arise from the over-consumption of coffee. Some nutrients are blocked from absorption and excessively secreted through urination with the consumption of coffee. Necessary minerals for the body such as magnesium, calcium, potassium, iron and other trace minerals are at risk of depletion for those who drink coffee.
4. Blood sugar swings such as hypoglycemia can be induced by coffee consumption. Caffeine taxes both the pancreas and the liver by forcing them to produce glycogen and insulin on a double duty rollercoaster. This excessive push of up and down can result in blood sugar swings. Your blood sugar balance is directly connected to hormone balance and fat metabolism.

Health Symptoms that Can Arise from Over-Consumption of Coffee and Caffeine

• Fatigue
• Anxiety, nervousness, irritability
• Irritable bowel syndrome, colitis, diarrhea and other digestive ailments
• Yeast overgrowth, candidiasis
• Hypoglycemia, diabetes
• Dizziness
• Gout
• Heart palpitations or other heart disorders
• High blood pressure
• High cholesterol
• Insomnia
• Heartburn
• Liver and gallbladder problems
• Bladder and kidney disorders
• Headaches or migraines
• Ulcers, stomach problems
• Osteoporosis
• Hormone imbalance
• PMS
• Severe menopause symptoms
• Skin eruptions, rashes, acne, eczema
• Urinary tract infections
• Weight gain
• Fibrocystic breast disease
• Infertility
• Miscarriage
• Low baby birth weight
• Enlarged prostate
• Arthritis
• Fibromyalgia
• Memory lapse
• Moodiness
• Lack of concentration

Okay, now on to the flip side of drinking coffee. What if any are the benefits?

If coffee and caffeine consumption is kept to a minimum and not abused, there are some potential health benefits. Some studies suggest that many people can safely drink one to two cups of coffee per day. However, if you are a coffee drinker, what is safe for you may vary. Listen to your body. If you are noticing any of the health problems noted above, consider that coffee might just be the culprit.

Potential Health Benefits of Drinking Coffee

1. In some studies caffeine has shown to improve focus and memory.
2. Coffee and caffeine has been documented to assist athletes in performance and overcoming fatigue.
3. Coffee consumption helps regulate bowel function.
4. Coffee contains antioxidants, which are highly beneficial to our body for fighting free radicals.
5. In some studies, coffee has shown promise in lowering the risk of Parkinson’s disease.

Ultimately, whether coffee is healthy or not comes down to your own personal body and how sensitive or not you are to its affects.

If you are a coffee drinker, you might want to access your relationship to coffee. Are you addicted to it? Can you quit for a day or two without negative side effects? Does it cause you to experience negative symptoms? Are you using coffee as a crutch to get through the day instead of for occasional enjoyment? Can you drink large amounts of coffee with little reaction? This may be a sign that your adrenals are overloaded and no longer responding to stimulus.

If you’ve accessed your coffee consumption habits and coffee is affecting your health in negative ways, first consider giving up coffee or cutting back, and secondly consider supporting your body with some additional nutrients through improved diet and high quality supplements.

With some things in life, a little goes a long way and moderation is the best advice.

If you would like to know how to have more energy without relying on coffee, get your FREE special report “Great Awakening Natural Health Tips” by clicking HERE

Author: Kelly Hoffman
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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There are many different distinct flavors of coffee throughout the world, ranging from fruit flavors, candied flavors, and even the distinct types of roasting that go into making different and unique flavors of coffee.

For example a light roast will have a unique flavor compared to a dark or medium, and its these different roasts that will determine and discern the different flavors of coffee. Also different fruit flavors go into making coffee, and other additives can appear in frappucinos, lattes, and espresso mixtures.

There are espressos with heavy and light cream, as well as lattes of many different and distinct flavors. Different coffee houses as well as different distributors will create different coffees in these unique ways, relying mostly on the roast of bean to determine the flavor of the coffee.

To begin with the best flavored gourmet coffees, the very beginning has to deal with roasting. Most of the most distinct flavors come from the Middle East as well as South America. These areas are good for roasting and distributing coffee to other regions of the world because in these areas coffee got its very beginnings.

Humans before us toyed with different roasting to produce highly aromatic and flavorful gourmet coffee based on different roasting techniques. Coffee will taste heavier or lighter depending on the particular roasting technique and the flavor and origin of the bean.

In the middle east strong coffee was usually brewed, making for a more distinct and strong flavor as opposed to other areas of the world where coffee is brewed differently. Some places are known for mixing cream and sugar into coffee and affecting the flavor. Flavor depends on a variety of different factors and substances that go into the coffee itself.

To explore these different regions, its best to begin with Italy and the origin of the latte and espresso. Espresso is flavored gourmet coffee based on distinct techniques and is a type of coffee that is made with heavy cream usually and is gaged in strength depending on the roast of the bean and the skill of the maker.

Many coffee houses expertly train their employees to get the skill of making espressos and lattes down pat, because without these skills the flavor of the coffee can be ruined dramatically.

In Italy people are generally extremely skilled at making espressos and lattes because these two different types of coffee have had much Italian influence. The handling of lattes is also crucial because of the different amount of cream or milk that needs to be added in to flavor the coffee effectively.

To get true, rich gourmet flavored coffee, its best to head to skilled coffee houses or to countries where the particular gourmet beverage originated from. Many of these skills are passed down or learned through much practice. All these factors are used when determining the flavor of coffee. It isn’t simply a matter of going to Starbucks or Coffee Beanery and picking up a bag of coffee and brewing it.

There is a good deal of effort and tasting that goes into making different beans and different brews have that distinct taste.

Discover the best Flavored Gourmet Coffees on the Planet at: Gourmet Coffee Net [http://www.premiumgourmetcoffee.net/the-zest-of-flavored-gourmet-coffee/]

Author: Jack Harmon
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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A wonderful traditional Italian concentrated coffee beverage is espresso. This is brewed by forcing hot water (195 degree Fahrenheit) at high pressure (90 bars) through special coffee ground to a consistency between extremely fine and powder. The appliances that are used to prepare the beverages are the espresso machines. The knowledge and efficiency in making the finest espressos is considered as a craft and the baristas who are adept in using the espresso machines professionally are regarded as skilled craftsmen in this light.

Specially designed espresso coffee machine types offered The range of espresso coffee machines on offer now include the automatic, super automatic and home espresso makers catering to various needs and budgets. It needs to be remembered that the making of espresso depends to a great extent on the barista or person making the espresso. The espresso coffee machine, is but a machine that lies at the behest and disposal of the barista.

Espresso coffee makers can be purchased as models designed for use in the home or for serving at commercial settings. There are a whole lot of models on offer to choose from.

The following are the types of espresso coffee machines coming up over a period of time that can be conveniently chosen from:

• The manual espresso machines: These are regarded as the hardest espresso machine type to use and require a certain amount of skill in handling. However, upon mastering the skill great cupfuls of espresso drinks can be provided using these.
• The semi automatic espresso machines: These make use of a pump that does away with using hands and manually operating. Quick making of the espresso drink is what it provides.
• The fully automatic espresso machines: This is a recent introduction and is a hands free device. Professional delivery is what it promises because of which esteemed coffee houses and cafes make of it. The fully automatic machines get cut off with no help required upon the right amount of espresso passing through.
• The super automatic espresso machines: Unlike all the other espresso machines aforementioned that require taking charge of the espresso extraction the super automatic versions of espresso machines seeks to take control over the entire process all by itself. The user need only press a button and every necessary thing is programmed and set. The perfect cup is what is got requiring little attention and work on the part of the user. These have become popular in recent times and the trend of rise in popularity is expected to continue.

Espresso machines often come accompanied with a steam wand. This comes of special use in steaming and frothing milk that is required for preparing milk based espresso drinks like lattes and cappuccinos. Choosing from among available espresso machine models judiciously The espresso coffee machines that will particularly suit your purpose needs to be checked out depending on what level of convenience you are on the lookout for. The extent to which you wish to become involved in the espresso preparation process will help ascertain the perfect espresso coffee machine for you. Costs are important too. Often the more sophisticated machines are large and costly. So, finally, it is based on your budgetary constraints and space availability considerations that you will be choosing an espresso coffee machine from the variety on offer. Esteemed automatic espresso coffee machines of the day include Delonghi espresso machines and La Pavoni espresso machines. The Delonghi espresso machines are acclaimed for their quality construction and attractive styling. These produce delicious authentic espresso, cappuccino and latte beverages. A wide range of Delonghi coffee makers are on offer including affordable yet functional models and super automatic models going from bean to cup at the touch of a button. The models of Gaggia Carezza that feature Italian designs are among the choicest espresso machines too. These espresso coffee machines not only have better functionalities but also look elegant and appealing with their Italian designs and makes. They can serve as an adornment for the kitchen corner. Searching on the Internet can be a wonderful way to get started on the quest for the right espresso coffee machine for you. You may also conduct the search so as to secure results of coffee espresso maker models that meet your desired specifications and budget.

Premier beverages secured using premium espresso machines Perfectly brewed espresso as prepared by special espresso machines [http://www.finest-coffee-makers.com/espresso_machines.html] of the day consists of three major parts, namely, the heart, the body and the crema. The crema of espresso is its most distinguishing feature. This is the reddish-brown foam floating on the surface of the espresso drink. It is the high pressure brewing procedure that leads to all the flavors and chemicals in a cup of espresso coffee becoming concentrated. It is these intense and highly concentrated ingredients that render coffee espresso to be easily mixed into other coffee based beverages. The coffee espresso lends itself to be easily mixed with latte, cappuccino, mocha, while not becoming too diluted in the coffee drink that is produced as a result on mixing.

There are different types of espresso machines [http://www.finest-coffee-makers.com/espresso_machines.html] that are available today. While venturing towards purchasing an espresso machine of choice the important thing is to decide upon is the extent of control that one wishes to exert over the coffee brewing process. Often the extent of control over the brewing process that is offered involving superior functionalities becomes directly proportional to the difficulty in operating i.e. increase in operational complexity. The differences in the various espresso machines of the day ought to be understood in order to make a worthy purchasing choice.

The special espresso coffee machines of the day are also capable of producing the special cappuccino, latte and ordinary coffee drinks. These special coffee makers deliver rich and nearly syrupy espresso beverage as there is extraction and emulsifying of oils found in ground coffee. With usage of the superior espresso machines the ideal double shot of espresso should be taking only between 25 to 30 seconds to make ready the espresso drink from the time the pump of the coffee maker is turned on.

Dene Lingard is the owner of Target Net Publishing.

Tania Ray of Content Genie writes most of the content for the many information rich websites that he publishes. This latest article was written with an interest in coffee and coffee makers in general. [http://www.finest-coffee-makers.com]

You are very welcome to take this article and place it on your site as long as you leave the resource box and all links intact. Thank you!

Author: Dene Lingard
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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