Coffee

Coffee can make us feel more alert, boost our metabolism, make our heart race, affect our digestive system and more. And though most of us are aware of the brief caffeine high that coffee offers, most of us don’t really know how coffee truly affects our body.

To learn more about the effects of coffee, both immediate and long-term, keep reading.

Coffee as a Stimulant

Coffee and caffeine are stimulants. You know that when you drink coffee you feel more awake, but you also know that too much coffee can give you the jitters or cause irritability.

Because coffee is a stimulant, it can also wreak havoc on your sleeping schedule. If you have trouble falling asleep at night, try cutting back on your coffee consumption or opting for water or decaf after noon.

Coffee on the Digestive System

Coffee actually has fairly high acid levels, particularly with beans like Kenyan or Ethiopian roasts. This is why when you drink too much coffee on an empty stomach, you’ll often experience “coffee tummy” or “coffee gut,” a basic discomfort in your digestive system.

The caffeine and acid in coffee can also be problematic for people suffering from ulcers. So, if you’re having trouble with coffee, try switching to water, herbal teas or drinking milk with your coffee.

Coffee and Antioxidants

Coffee is actually the primary source of antioxidants for most North Americans. Antioxidants are, essentially, any compounds that fight or neutralize free radicals, which cause cells to break down and are cancer causing agents.

Studies have shown that coffee consumption can reduce the risk of developing liver cancer, throat cancer, Type 2 Diabetes, Alzheimer’s Disease, Parkinson’s disease and cancer of the esophagus.

Coffee and Physical and Mental Performance

Coffee isn’t just a study aid because it helps you stay awake – regular coffee consumption can actually improve your cognitive ability. A recent study showed that participants who regularly consumed at least one to two coffees a day scored higher on short term memory recall, spatial ability, logic tests and general IQ testing.

Coffee and Weight Loss

Coffee is a stimulant, meaning with every sip of caffeine, your metabolism will get a kick start. You’ll also have more energy. For example, if you read the ingredients list for most pill-form dietary or weight-loss aids, you’ll see one of the main ingredients is often caffeine.

Coffee and Your Teeth

While coffee can actually reduce cavities thanks to its acidity, it can also cause major teeth staining. To keep your teeth white, follow a cup of coffee with a bottle of water and brush your teeth at least two to three times a day.

For details on enticing coffee flavors that explode your taste buds, please visit coffeetryst.com, a popular site of great coffee options, such as almond flavored coffee, a commercial super automatic Espresso machine, and many more!

Author: Wesley Johnson
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
Alternative energy

One of the most popular beverages in North America is a cup of hot coffee. Many North Americans consume these beverages every day, and so few know anything about the history of coffee or even how it is produced. The following 20 facts, from the very well known to the obscure, will give you a little bit of insight into that morning beverage we all love to consume – coffee:  

1) Coffee is a hot beverage brewed from the roasted seeds of the coffee plant.  

2) The seeds are harvested from the fruit of coffee plants, which are called coffee cherries.  

3) These seeds are harvested twice a year; Once from the south of the equator between April and May and the second time from the North of the equator between September and March.  

4) Once ripe, the coffee cherries are picked and the seeds are extracted. The seeds, referred to as green coffee, are then roasted where they double in size and turn into the dark chocolate brown colour to form the familiar coffee bean.  

5) Roasting only begins when the temperature inside the seed reaches 200°C.  

6) Once roasted the coffee beans are sorted into categories and labeled as light, medium light, medium, medium dark, dark, or very dark.  

7) Darker roasts are smoother in flavor because they have less fiber content and more sugar. Lighter roasts have more caffeine and may taste bitterer.  

Decaffeinated coffee is produced when the coffee seeds are still green by soaking the seeds in hot water or steaming them, then using a solvent to dissolve the caffeine containing oils.  

9) The majority of decaf coffee is only 97 to 99% decaffeinated.  

10) Coffee drinking is reported to have originated in Ethiopia in the 9th century, although the earliest credible evidence of beverages made with coffee appears in Yemen in the middle of the 15th century.  

11) Coffee was used in Muslim states as an alternative to wine in religious ceremonies. As a result many Christian nations originally banned the ‘Muslim’ beverages.  

12) Coffee became more widely accepted after Pope Clement VIII deemed it a Christian beverage in 1600.  

13) Even though it is now considered the national drink, coffee was originally banned in Ethiopia by the Orthodox Christian Church until 1889.  

14) Coffee is now grown in over 50 countries worldwide.  

15) Brazil is the top exporter of coffee, followed by Vietnam.  

16) As of 2006, green coffee is the second most traded commodity in the world, just behind crude oil.  

17) On average, total coffee intake is about a third of that of water in North America.  

18) It takes approximately 140 litres of water to grow the coffee beans required for one cup of coffee.  

19) The concept of fair trade coffee was developed in the Netherlands by the Max Havelaar Foundation.  

20) According to a study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, coffee contains more antioxidants than typical servings of grape juice, blueberries, raspberries and oranges.  

Whether you have brewed it from home, or purchased your morning cup of coffee from the local coffee chop, the next time you take a sip of one of North America’s favorite beverages take a minute to reflect upon the 1200 years of its history and be thankful for the process that it takes to get the coffee to your lips. That morning cup of coffee may just be that much more enjoyable if you do.

For freshly roasted coffee with a great selection, check out Morning Coffee Shop’s website, Morningcoffeeshop.com.

Author: Paul Scobie
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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