Coffee

Do coffee drinkers perceive a difference between single origin coffee versus blended coffee? A scientific study was conducted by the University of Padova in collaboration with the Tasters Study Centre in order to provide a definitive answer to this question. In order to determine whether coffee drinkers can perceive a difference between single origin and blend, 350 taste tests were made at Padova according to standards established by the International Institute of Coffee Tasters coffee shop supplies. Among the contending coffees were a blend of Arabica coffees with seven ingredients of four different origins (namely Haiti XXXXX, Colombia Armenia Supremo, Ethiopia Sidamo, and Santo Domingo Barahona Toral AA). The group of tasters was half male and half female, age range between eighteen and sixty-four. The tasters were able to distinguish the blended coffee from the single origin coffee, preferring the blended coffee, in a way which is statistically significant. The study notes that coffee drinking has evolved as an art, with drinkers becoming more sophisticated in their tastes and at the same time fussier. This has caused a boom in coffee menus at restaurants, new niches in the coffee shop and bar sector, and selections of coffee type based upon sensory pleasure. Coffee roasters have also noticed the increased attentiveness and curiosity of coffee drinkers. Our society is increasingly producing people who are knowledgeable about taste and who are seeking new sensory experience. Brand loyalty doesn’t mean as much to these consumers as does qualitative excellence. The fact that tasters preferred the blend shows that roasters are very good at selecting coffees from distinct locations and bringing out the best characteristics of each in creating an unbeatable blend.

There are already many restaurants and bars which specialize in single origin coffee and supplies. Often the choice espressos change on a monthly basis, alternating between Guatemala, Dominican Republic, Costa Rica, etc. It is thought that consumer curiosity about single origin coffees is sparked by the ideas these places are connected with, rather than to genuine nuances in tastes. In the first place, the term “single origin” connotes a homogeneity of product which is not there. When consumers read the word “Brazil” on a bag of coffee they believe that all the coffee bearing that name is basically identical, which is not at all true. An example of a successful single origin marketing vision is Evancaffe, which introduced its menu of gourmet coffees into topnotch restaurants. In the beginning the clients were wary; but interest in single origin coffee has grown with the years. This was helped along by the enthusiasm of the proprietors and the maitres who ran the restaurants to promote single origin coffees.

Interest level varies with nation – in Italy it is noticeable that while there is a large interest in single origin coffees among the coffee drinking public, nonetheless restaurants and commercial coffee suppliers don’t seem to respond. At the present time single origin coffees are very much a small niche in the total volume of coffee marketed worldwide, but one that is bound to grow.

Commercial coffee suppliers should take note of the increasing interest in single origin coffee and supplies among knowledgeable consumers. Coffee shop supplies in the future will be geared more and more to single origin coffees.

Author: Alice Lane
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
Canada duty

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

Coffee and tea are quickly becoming one of the largest exports of many countries around the world as coffee and tea drinkers quickly spend over $20 billion annually for their daily cup of caffeine. Twenty billion is nothing to be scoffed at these days.

We often hear the dangers of drinking caffeine such as insomnia, headaches, and raised blood pressure (which is not good if you have hypertension). But are there any benefits to drinking coffee?

Here are some interesting facts about the average coffee drinker who drinks three to four cups of coffee each day:

• Regular coffee drinkers have about 1/3 less asthma symptoms than those of non-coffee drinkers according to a Harvard researcher who studied 20,000 people.

• A Kaiser Permanente Medical Care Program study of 128,934 nurses found that coffee drinkers were significantly less likely to commit suicide than nondrinkers.

• Average coffee drinkers can have three or four cups of coffee every day without any health risk.

• One study found that coffee drinkers have poorer health habits than those who drank no coffee.

• Some heavy alcohol drinkers who also drink coffee regularly have less incidence of liver damage than expected.

• Another study found that people who drank three to four cups of coffee each day had an 80% lower risk of cirrhosis of the liver and a 25% less chance of contracting colon cancer when compared to drinking no coffee at all.

• Coffee can cause insomnia, and a common complaint among coffee drinkers is that the caffeine disturbs their sleep.

• Another study found that non coffee drinkers are five times more likely to develop Parkinson’s disease than coffee drinkers and those who drank three to four cups of coffer per day

These are some very interesting facts about the average coffee drinker who drinks three to four cups a day. They have a lower incidence of some problems such as colon cancer and Parkinson’s, while at the same time they have poorer health habits.

The poorer health habits probably stem from grabbing a cup of coffee in the morning as they head out the door rather than sitting and eating a healthy breakfast. Then for lunch, in the middle of a busy day, they might grab another cup of coffee.

Another characteristic is the coffee drinker who has to have something sweet with their coffee. Instead of having an apple or banana for an afternoon coffee break, they have a cup of coffee with a donut. That sounds delicious, but it is not healthy.

Another poor habit is the coffee drinker who drinks to stay awake after being up till late the night before. Getting very little sleep might not seem unhealthy, but it tears down your body’s defenses and leaves you in a weakened condition for an assortment of diseases.

Many coffee drinkers also neglect to drink an adequate amount of water each day. In between coffee cups be sure to get in your eight eight-ounce glasses of water that your body needs each day.

According to these studies, coffee drinkers apparently get some health benefits from coffee. They would get even more benefit if they coupled that with healthy habits such as exercising, eating right, drinking plenty of water, and getting a good sleep.

Carol Stack has written numerous articles and reviews about coffee and related items. She lives with her husband, three children, and various dogs and cats in the United States. Carol and her sister Barbara are constantly adding to their website dedicated to the enjoyment of coffee. Visit it at: http://www.coffeeloversportal.com

Author: Carol Stack
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
Canada duty

Coffee can actually be healthy for you! This is good news for all coffee lovers out there. Many people assume that caffeine is bad for you. Caffeine has been blamed for everything from high blood pressure to cancer. Many people still avoid caffeinated beverages because they worry about the health effects. However, current research reveals that not only is coffee safe but it even offers some health benefits.

Some of the most significant research recently relates to caffeine and diabetes. A study by researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health and Brigham and Women’s Hospital found that participants who regularly drank coffee significantly reduced the risk of onset of type 2 diabetes, compared to non-coffee drinking participants. Scientists are quick to caution against increasing your caffeine intake as a way to decrease your risk of diabetes as they aren’t sure why caffeine is beneficial to diabetes and have indicated that more research is needed. However, it does clearly show that coffee may be healthier than people have thought in the past.

In other promising research, at least six studies indicate that people who drink coffee on a regular basis are up to 80% less likely to develop Parkinson’s, with three studies showing the more they drink, the lower the risk. Also, research shows that coffee may reduce the risk of developing gallstones, discourage the development of colon cancer, improve cognitive function and reduce the risk of liver damage in people at high risk for liver disease.

Contrary to popular opinions, coffee can also actually be beneficial to heart health. One study found women who drink two to three cups of coffee a day have a 25% lower risk of heart disease and an 18% lower risk of developing diseases other than cancer than non-coffee drinkers. And, some research indicates that coffee can offset some of the damage caused by other vices. People who smoke and are heavy drinkers have less heart disease and liver damage when they regularly consume large amounts of coffee compared to those who don’t. These health benefits may be linked to the anti-inflammatory properties in coffee as well as its rich supply of antioxidants. On the flip side, however, caffeine is also linked to coronary vasospasms – the cause for 20% of all fatal heart attacks. Both decaf and regular coffee increase cholesterol and homocysteine, the biochemical that is linked to increased risk for heart attack.

More good news about coffee – it also can have beneficial effects that people can relate to on a daily basis. Caffeine can help with headaches as it is a mild analgesic, or painkiller, and it has the ability to increase the availability of other analgesics that it’s combined with. It also can cause blood vessels to constrict which assists with those types of headaches which are caused by the dilation of blood vessels.

Caffeine can improve mood and irritability in some folks. Studies have shown that people report increased well-being, happiness, energy, alertness and sociability after consuming caffeine in moderation. This may be the reason that women who drank coffee were less likely to commit suicide than those who drank none. Beware, however -consuming excessive amounts of caffeine can produce increased anxiety, nervousness, jitteriness, and upset stomach in some people.

Coffee can enhance athletic endurance and performance. Caffeine helps the body burn fat instead of carbohydrates, and it blunts the perception of pain. Both can boost endurance. In fact, caffeine works so well in boosting athletic performance; it used to be on the list of banned substances from the International Olympic Committee. Even though caffeine has now been removed from the list of prohibited substances, the controversy continues as experts differ in their opinions as to whether caffeine consumption on the day of performance can give an athlete an unfair advantage or not.

Why is coffee healthy? This is largely attributed to the antioxidants present in coffee. In fact, a recent study found that coffee is the No.1 source of antioxidants in the U.S., largely because Americans drink so much of it. Coffee has large amounts of antioxidants such as chlorogenic acid and tocopherols, and minerals such as magnesium which are beneficial in a variety of ways. For example, antioxidants help quell inflammation, which might explain coffee’s effect in inflammation-related diseases like diabetes and heart disease. Magnesium in coffee might help make cells more sensitive to insulin.

This is not to say that coffee is not completely innocent or that you should drink coffee to prevent disease. Caffeine, coffee’s main ingredient, is a mildly addictive stimulant. And coffee does have modest cardiovascular effects such as increased heart rate, increased blood pressure, and occasional irregular heartbeat that should be considered. However, the studies clearly show that consuming coffee in moderation definitely can have beneficial effects on your health.

Conclusion: There is no health reason to avoid consuming caffeine or coffee. If you enjoy it, go ahead and drink it in moderation. However, if your goal is to prevent disease, it is too early in the research to say that coffee is a health drink.

Rachel Nielsen is a coffee lover and a coffee fanatic. See her website The Java Press for a more complete coffee resource guide.

Author: Rachel Nielsen
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
Low-volume PCB Assembly

One of the nation’s leading authorities on nutrition said most people would not have expected him to write this, but this is what he wrote in one of his books, “Coffee is a remarkably safe beverage. Its dubious health history, which stretches back hundreds of years, is more image than substance.”

The author of that statement explains that researchers produced many studies of coffee drinkers who came to a bad end. But in retrospect, these studies proved to be defective. The bad end was caused by the subjects’ smoking, not by their coffee drinking. Now experts agree that coffee is a safe and even healthy beverage. This may be good news that ranks with the recent revelation that dark chocolate (the darker, the better) is loaded with healthful antioxidants and – in small amounts – to avoid a calorie problem – is even upgraded to a heath food.

The above quote is from Dr. Walter C. Willett of the Harvard Medical School who co-developed an excellent book on nutrition with the Harvard School of Public Health entitled Eat, Drink and Be Healthy: The Harvard Medical School Guide to Healthy Eating (2001). Of course, this doesn’t mean you can consume any amount of coffee (and the caffeine it contains) without some adverse effects.

Dr. Willett writes, “Drinking too much coffee can give you the shakes, make you irritable, and keep you from sleeping. It’s also addictive. Regular caffeine consumers tend to get nasty headaches if they miss their morning cup(s). Drinking espresso, French press, or other coffee that doesn’t drip through a paper filter can increase your cholesterol a few points. And people who drink a lot of coffee may be more at risk for developing osteoporosis or breaking a bone. In moderation, though, coffee is low on the totem pole of health risks and even has a number of benefits.” They include lower chance of developing kidney stones and gallstones. In addition, in a major study, it was found that coffee drinkers had a 50 percent lower risk of suicide than non-coffee drinkers.

He notes one unresolved health issue for coffee drinkers: “One lingering concern about coffee is its potential for increasing bone loss and risk of fracture. Increased risks with four or more cups per day have been seen in several studies, but the final answer is not in. Given the body of research on coffee, it’s safe to say that there aren’t any major health hazards lurking in the murky depths of you cup. In short, when drunk in moderation, coffee is no threat to your health.”

Other authoritative experts on diet and health have taken this same view. For example, the American Dietetic Association (ADA) Complete Food and Nutrition Guide (2nd Ed.- 2002) gives coffee a clean bill of health: “No scientific evidence has been found to link caffeine intake to any health risks, including cancer (pancreatic, breast, or other types), fibrocystic breast disease (benign fibrous lumps), cardiovascular disease, blood cholesterol levels, ulcers, inflammatory bowel disease, infertility, birth defects, or osteoporosis.”

The ADA does have a few special cautions:

“If you are pregnant or nursing … it’s wise to go easy on caffeine.”

If you have a medical problem, you might want advice from your doctor on caffeine consumption. For example, in the case of stomach problems, “both caffeinated beverages and their decaffeinated counterparts” can be chancy for some, as both stimulate the flow of stomach acids, which can irritate the stomach lining.

If you are older, you should be aware that caffeine sensitivity sometimes increases with age. You should also be cautioned against letting coffee (or tea or soft drinks) take the place of more nutritious foods or beverages. What might be excessive caffeine varies from individual to individual and may depend on many factors.

The latest material I’ve seen on coffee contains an even more ringing endorsement of the drink. Bottom Line Health (June 2007) carries a column by an expert on food-based chemical compounds, Dr. Joe Vinson of the University of Scranton, with the headline, “The Amazing Healing Power of Coffee: Fight heart disease, diabetes, memory loss and more…with coffee.” Some of these benefits have been demonstrated by epidemiological studies, but further clinical studies will be necessary to confirm the first results. Here are some of those study findings:

-A study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition (May 2006) found that women who drink one to three cups of coffee daily are 24 percent less likely to develop cardiovascular disease.

-Another study in the same publication noted above (February 2007) found that older adults (age 65 and older) who had four or more servings of caffeine daily had less than half the risk of these who consumed smaller amounts.

-A study in the Archives of Internal Medicine (June 26, 2006) found that postmenopausal women, who drank four to five cups of coffee (especially decaffeinated), were 16 percent less likely to develop type 2 diabetes.

-A study in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition (August 2006) found that non-coffee drinkers had four times the mental decline of coffee drinkers.

-A study in the Archives of Internal Medicine (June 12, 2006) found that coffee might reduce the risk for cirrhosis of the liver, especially in alcoholics.

These latest findings are in addition to some of the benefits of coffee and caffeine documented by earlier studies or experience:

-Caffeine can help you stay alert and prevent fatigue.

-Caffeine may enhance mental performance by “increasing alertness and the ability to concentrate.” Readers Digest, Foods that Harm; Foods that Heal (2004).

-Many athletes claim that one or two caffeine drinks an hour before a competitive event improves performance, especially in endurance sports.

-The Reader’s Digest book claims caffeine “may abort an asthma attack by relaxing constricted blood vessels.”

-Caffeine can also boost the pain-relieving effects of some analgesics, and that’s why it is in many over-the-counter pain relievers. Caffeine may have some anti-cancer effects.

The book Nutrition for Dummies (2004) by Carol Ann Rinzler summarizes the case for coffee this way, “In moderation, coffee definitely qualifies for anybody’s list of superfoods.”

The caffeine in coffee, tea, chocolate and certain soft drinks (mainly colas) may have similar effects, but each of the four types of caffeine-containing foods has different effects on the body.

Boris Erlikh
Gloria Jean’s Coffees
http://www.gloriajeans.com

Author: Boris Erlikh
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
Digital Camera Information