Coffee And Health

Coffee is a brewed beverage prepared from roasted seeds, commonly called coffee beans, of the coffee plant. They are seeds of "coffee cherries" that grow on trees in over 70 countries. Green coffee is one of the most traded commodities in the world, often described as being second only to crude oil although this often repeated "fact" should be subjected to more careful scrutiny. Due to its caffeine content, coffee can have a stimulating effect in humans. Today, coffee is one of the most popular beverages worldwide.

It is thought that the energizing effect of the coffee bean plant was first recognized in Yemen in Arabia and the north east of Ethiopia, and the cultivation of coffee expanded in the Arab world.The earliest credible evidence of coffee drinking appears in the middle of the fifteenth century, in the Sufi monasteries of the Yemen in southern Arabia. From the Muslim world, coffee spread to Italy, then to the rest of Europe, to Indonesia, and to the Americas.

Coffee berries, which contain the coffee bean, are produced by several species of small evergreen bush of the genus Coffea. The two most commonly grown species are Coffea canephora (also known as Coffea robusta) and Coffea arabica; less popular species are liberica, excelsa, stenophylla, mauritiana, racemosa. These are cultivated primarily in Latin America, Southeast Asia, and Africa. Once ripe, coffee berries are picked, processed, and dried. The seeds are then roasted, undergoing several physical and chemical changes. They are roasted to varying degrees, depending on the desired flavour. They are then ground and brewed to create coffee. Coffee can be prepared and presented in a variety of ways.

Coffee has played an important role in many societies throughout history. In Africa and Yemen, it was used in religious ceremonies. As a result, the Ethiopian Church banned its secular consumption until the reign of Emperor Menelik II of Ethiopia. It was banned in Ottoman Turkey in the 17th century for political reasons, and was associated with rebellious political activities in Europe.

Coffee is an important export commodity. In 2004, coffee was the top agricultural export for 12 countries, and in 2005, it was the world's seventh-largest legal agricultural export by value.

Some controversy is associated with coffee cultivation and its impact on the environment. Many studies have examined the relationship between coffee consumption and certain medical conditions; whether the overall effects of coffee are positive or negative has been widely disputed. However, more recently it was determined that the method of brewing coffee is important.

By Nicholas Webb

One of the things people think of with Italy is it's coffee. In fact Italian roast coffee is perfect for bringing a touch of Europe to your home. Can 50 million plus Italians all be wrong? Well, with Italian roast you can't go wrong either.

Generally speaking, Italian Roast coffee is darker in colour than most roasted blends of coffee and consequently develops an intense, full-bodied flavour from the blend of Pacific and Latin American origins. It seems to be richer and fuller and has a bit of a bite to it. The aroma is balanced and complex.

Why the name Italian Roast when coffee comes from Brazil?

As is known, most of the coffee we drink today originates from Latin America or the Pacific, so where does the name Italian Roast come from?

Well, the name Italian Roast derives from the dark roasted blend style that is commonly used in Italy. And do the Italians know a thing or two about their coffee? I think they do. Naturally it goes without saying, if you grind your own, Italian roast coffee is perfect for making authentic espresso. If served in Illy Collection cups, for instance, you cant go wrong.

There is espresso coffee and espresso coffee, but with an Italian roast blend the difference is clear

In fact, most of today's household names, such as Gaggia, Lavazza and Illy are Italian family companies that have conquered the world with their particular blends of coffee, targeted marketing and wonderful coffee making machines. Gaggia, for instance started business in the 1940's, not so long ago, but they are recognised as a well respected coffee-company in most of the world.

Similar with Lavazza, started in Turin, not only famous for its coffee, but also a prestigious calendar, similar to that of Pirelli. And what espresso lover isn't familiar with the Illy Collection; neat espresso cups with exclusive designs produced in limited numbers.

Do you think all this could have been possible without a deep knowledge and respect for coffee? Italian roast must deserve some of the success of these companies.

Many sober, law abiding people who would never dream of knowingly taking a mind- altering drug, actually consume one every day. Chances are that youâ??re doing it too! What is this drug? â?" Caffeine!

Caffeine is so pervasive in our culture and in many other cultures that we often forget it is literally a drug that affects our brain. Caffeine is present in coffee, tea, many cola drinks and over the counter medications.

The real question isâ?"is caffeine a bad drug, or is it â??okayâ??? Is caffeine even better than â??okayâ??, does it do good things for us?

The verdict on caffeine, particularly when taken in the form of coffee, seems to be mixed. There are nutritional advisers who claim that coffee makes us age faster, wears out our adrenal glands, and causes all sorts of untold damage to our cells. Other researchers claim that coffee, especially if itâ??s freshly roasted and ground, is full of antioxidants, and therefore good for us. Most doctors say that drinking one or two cups of coffee a day is probably not harmful. And of course there are others who say we ought to avoid caffeine altogether.

Many of us feel that we cannot really get going in the morning until we have had our first cup of coffee. We often continue to use it throughout the day whenever our energy appears to be flagging and our brain seems to need additional help to think more clearly.

Does caffeine really enhance mental performance, or is that just a myth? Yes, caffeine does give a temporary boost to brain cells. But the amount required to improve mental performance is not very high. Even half a cup of coffee will be enough to give your brain a boost that lasts several hours.

Oddly enough, more caffeine is not necessarily better. In one test done when high-level executives were given the equivalent of fourteen cups of coffee in a day, they made their decisions faster, but the decisions were not of very good quality.

Not every person reacts to caffeine in the same way. Some people experience greater mental clarity, alertness and productivy after a cup of coffee. Others become jittery, anxious, or depressed. Although caffeine will keep most of us awake if taken at night, it does not have this effect in everyone.

In some older people, coffee or tea can improve memory and alertness enough to partly offset the effects of aging.

It is true that caffeine is mildly addicting for most people. Some people can quit using caffeine with absolutely no withdrawal symptoms, while others will feel headaches, fatigue, and experience cravings for caffeine for weeks.

Caffeine works by blocking one of the neurotransmitters--adenosineâ?"which normally tells brain cells to calm down. Brain cells that have been affected by caffeine will remain excited and on high alert for several hours.

The most noticeable negative effect of caffeine is that it can interfere with sleep. In most people, drinking coffee, tea or cola in the late afternoon or in the evening will cause insomnia. The quantity and quality of sleep will be greatly reduced, setting in motion a vicious cycle, where the person affected will feel so tired all the next day that he drinks a lot more coffee in order to try feel awake.

If this is happening to you, cut back on the amount of caffeine you consume each day. You may experience fewer withdrawal symptoms if you cut down gradually. You may wish to substitute green tea for some of your cups of coffee. Green tea has some caffeine, but not as much as coffee.

Better yet, consider substituting exercise for some of those cups of coffee. If you can't leave your workplace, at least get up from your chair periodically. Do a few stretches, walk around a bit, and jump up and down a few times. Take some deep breaths. A little exercise break can revitalize your brain without giving you the caffeine jitters.

Remember that your brain wonâ??t really benefit from more than one or two cups of coffee in a day.

This article is taken from the new book by Royane Real title "How You Can Be Smarter - Use Your Brain to Learn Faster, Remember Better, and Be More Creative"

Coffee can likely contribute to greater health of the consumption of fruits and vegetables,
according to the results of scientific research by experts of the United States (U.S.).
The scientists counted the number of anti-oxidant content (anti-free radical ingredient red) in more than 100 types of food including vegetables, fruits, nuts, various spices, oils and beverages.
The findings are then combined with existing data on the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the contribution of each type of diet the average American.
Coffee proved to be the source of the largest anti-oxidants from every time and level of consumption.
After coffee the following sequence is black tea, bananas, dry beans, and corn.
The American people have a source of anti-oxidants than coffee consumption compared to the type of food or other drinks, and so far there was no food or drink that matched the coffee, "said chief researcher Professor Joe team Vison from Scranton University in Pensylvania.
Both caffeinated coffee or decaffeinated both contribute the same anti-oxidant levels.
Meanwhile in the UK coffee consumption was lower than in the United States, recorded only 47 percent of British people who regularly drink coffee or instant coffee powder, according to market analysts Mintel body.
Anti-oxidants help the body dispose of substances harmful to the body radicals, destructive molecules that damage cells and DNA (blue print of the smallest living cells).
Anti-free radical element is associated with a number of benefits and health benefits including protecting a person from the get cancer or heart disease.
The results of these studies shows Coffee may reduce the risk of liver and colon cancer, type II diabetes and Parkinson's disease.
But Vinson suggested that coffee consumption was fixed at the level of one or two cups per day. But, he said again, it is also important to keep attention to the benefits of fresh fruits and fresh vegetables.
"Unfortunately, consumers take advantage of vegetables and fresh fruits in the amount less, a far better health than other foods viewed from the side with the nutritional value of vitamins, minerals and fiber," Vinson said at the time the results of his research at the annual meeting of the union American chemist (States) in Washington DC.
The results also showed that compared with other food ingredients, "date" also contain the highest antioxidant.
But because Americans consume dates in a very small amount of the contribution to the U.S. public health standards are not so great.
Cranberry fruit and red wine also contain anti-oxidants are high.
A spokesman from the British Society of coffee drinkers said: "The results of this research has emphasized the fact that coffee consumption in the current amount, approximately four to five cups a day not only safe, but also provides many benefits for health.

If you are a fanatic coffee drinker, would not hesitate to convince myself, coffee is safe for consumption during no exaggeration, is not it? Do not be surprised if, since the former is always there so many parties who accused ringleader of coffee as the emergence of various health problems. Call it heart disease, cancer, osteoporosis, or whatever it was. In fact, recent research shows, coffee is rich in antioxidant substances and contain hundreds of antibacterial compounds and pain. Although the results of this discovery was exciting, but do not drink coffee and then casually without rules, yes! To get the benefits, simply limit the consumption of 1-2 cups of coffee in the morning only. Well, to be more clearly again, following some statistical data which you should consider.

Many Benefits

Did you know, in America there are over 160 million coffee drinkers? It is assumed everyone in the country are taking Uncle Sam's Coffee average 8.8 lbs of coffee per year. While the heaviest coffee addicts in the world apparently citizens of Finland, the consumption of coffee could approach 30 lbs per year. Amount not less, of course. Other statistics reveal, no less than 19 thousand studies that try to analyze the impact of coffee. Although the results of this research are often saddled with other interests - such as the personal interests of the penggagasnya - these are the things that were agreed upon many parties. Consume 2-3 cups of coffee a day is still tolerable because it is more rewarding than the danger. Recent studies also show, when drinking coffee in reasonable limits can reduce the risk of colon cancer. Perhaps this is related to the habit of regular bowel movements. Coffee also reduces the risk of gallstone disorders, liver cirrhosis, and a series of other diseases, since it proved a lot of coffee contains antioxidants that are good for health. Therefore, antioxidant content of coffee has turned out to higher levels than other favorite beverage, like tea or fruit juice.


Antioxidants Sources

Some studies also dedicated to the patients with diabetes and Parkinson's. This study reveals, drinking a cup of coffee a day can reduce by half the risk of Parkinson's disease, a disease that is attacking the brain, which causes the patient's body is always shaking and impaired movement. Likely caffeine content in coffee can protect brain cells damaged in Parkinson's disease. However, women undergoing hormone replacement therapy will not reap any benefits from drinking this coffee. May be because the hormone estrogen weakens the effectiveness of caffeine in coffee. In addition, women who drank coffee to 3 cups of coffee per day, will decrease the risk of type 2 diabetes by about 20-30 percent. Coffee is believed to enhance or accelerate the delivery of insulin into the body tissue. And experts now are still doing the research to test if the various antioxidants contained in coffee (among other amino acids klorogenik and caffeine) can help fight Alzheimer's disease. This opinion may be related to the caffeine stimulates the area's role in the brain thinking. In fact, people with asthma who drink coffee actually has a chance of about 25 percent to decrease asthma symptoms. This is understandable, because one of the compounds in coffee is a theophylline bronchodilator that acts as a salve respiratory alias.

Reduce Disease Risk

A study conducted recently in Brazil also confirmed, coffee consumption can increase the ability of sperm motion. This research continues to examine what kind of coffee that can be counted on to help the men who belong to less fertile. Coffee also contains polyphenols, a substance that is suspected to reduce the risk of cancer and coronary artery disease. Contrast, coffee is formulated with added caffeine, it was deliberately omitted kafeinnya content. And caffeine is what helps you be more careful thinking, because it makes you stay focused, especially when faced with the kind of work that is less favored. Other research states, caffeine can increase scores on a series of tasks related to cognitive abilities, such as taking decisions in a fast learner, and not easily awakened during deep sleep. No other because of the caffeine found in coffee proved capable of providing signals to the brain to respond faster and agile processes in the brain's memory. Coffee can also improve your mood and make you feel more energetic. The news that no less menggembirkan, coffee contains antioxidants that was proven to improve the health of the body as a whole.

Here are some benefits that have proved successful learned from coffee:

* Reduce the symptoms of Parkinson's
* Has antibacterial content
* Reducing the risk of gallstones enlargement
* Maintain mental stability
* Reducing the risk of worsening of diabetes type 2 (but if you are diabetic, of course, avoid or at least reduce consumption of coffee)
* If you are free from high blood pressure, coffee probably will not benefit this
* Reducing the risk of all cancers
* Increase physical endurance
* Reduces headaches.

One look at a line at the local Starbucks in the morning and you don't need to be convinced of the huge amount of coffee consumption in the U.S. The National Coffee Association found in 2000 that 54% of the U.S. adult population drinks coffee daily. Guess there's nothing like the first double espresso in the morning to clear the cobwebs from our heads so we can face the day.

But what are the effects relating to fitness? If that grande-no-foam-double-whipped-extra-shot-no-fat latte gives us the get-up-and-go to start our day at work, will it do the same if we're headed to the gym?

Physiological Effects

The main ingredient in coffee that gives us that jolt is caffeine, a central nervous system stimulant. Caffeine is found naturally in coffee beans, tea leaves, and chocolate, and is a popular added ingredient in carbonated beverages and some over-the-counter medications such as cold remedies, diuretics, aspirin, and weight control aids. It is estimated that in the U.S., 75% of caffeine intake comes from coffee.

Caffeine stimulates the central nervous system by blocking adenosine, a neurotransmitter that normally causes a calming effect in the body. The resulting neural stimulation due to this blockage causes the adrenal glands to release adrenaline, the "fight or flight" hormone. Your heart rate increases, your pupils dilate, your muscles tighten up, and glucose is released into your blood stream for extra energy. Voila? you now have the caffeine buzz.

But wait?we're not done yet. Caffeine also increases dopamine. Dopamine activates the pleasure in parts of the brain. It has been suspected that this also contributes to caffeine addiction.

Physiologically, caffeine makes us you feel alert, pumps adrenaline to give you energy and changes dopamine production to make you feel good. Another espresso, anyone?

Ergogenic Effects of Caffeine to Performance

In addition to various psychological and physiological benefits, numerous studies have documented caffeine's ergogenic effect on athletic performance, particularly in regard to endurance. Studies show that caffeine ingestion prior to exercising extended endurance in moderately strenuous aerobic activity. Other studies researching caffeine consumption on elite distance runners and distance swimmers show increased performance times following caffeine consumption.

Despite effects on endurance, caffeine produced no effect on maximal muscular force in a study measuring voluntary and electrically stimulated muscle actions. However, the same study did show findings that suggest caffeine has an ergogenic effect on muscle during repetitive, low frequency stimulation.

Caffeine's positive performance-enhancing effects have been well documented. So much so that the International Olympic Committee placed a ban leading to disqualification for an athlete with urinary limits exceeding 12 mg/mL. Roughly 600 to 800mg of caffeine, or 4 to 7 cups of coffee, consumed over a 30-minute period would be enough to exceed this level and cause disqualification. The National Collegiate Athletic Association has a similar limit, set at 15 mg/mL.

Coffee: A Pre-Workout Drink?

Before you make Starbucks part of your pre-workout warm-up in order to harness the effects of caffeine, be aware that simply downing a grande may not give you similar benefits found in these studies. A recent Canadian study published in the Journal of Applied Physiology compared the effect of coffee and caffeine on run time to exhaustion. A group of nine men took part in five trials. Sixty minutes before each run, the men took one of the following:

A placebo

Caffeine capsules

De-caffeinated coffee with caffeine added

Regular coffee

Performance times were up to 10 times longer in subjects using the caffeine capsules, with no differences in times among the other trials. Since the level of caffeine absorption was similar during the caffeine trials, researchers concluded something in the coffee itself that interferes with caffeine's performance-enhancing effects. This makes sense considering that there are literally hundreds of compounds dissolved when coffee beans are roasted, ground and extracted. Results of this research suggest that if benefits of caffeine on endurance times are desired, caffeine capsules work better than coffee.

Caffeine and Creatine Supplementation

Although caffeine has been shown to increase endurance time, further research shows it may actually blunt the effect of creatine, a popular and well-researched compound known for its consistent ergogenic effects. In a study evaluating the effect of pre-exercise caffeine ingestion on both creatine stores and high-intensity exercise performance, caffeine totally counteracted any effects of creatine supplementation. It was suggested that individuals who creatine load should refrain from caffeine-containing foods and beverages if positive effects are desired.

The Downside of Caffeine

Despite coffee/caffeine's positive effects on psychological states and performance, there are numerous documented risks that must considered when consuming caffeine, whether for performance-enhancing effects or simply as a part of daily dietary consumption.

Caffeine stimulates the central nervous system and can produce restlessness, headaches, and irritability. Caffeine also elevates your heart rate and blood pressure. Over the long-term as your body gets used to caffeine, it requires higher amounts to get the same effects. Certainly, having your body in a state of hormonal emergency all day long isn't very healthy.

Caffeine is also a diuretic and causes a loss of fluid, which then leads to a dehydrating effect. This is obviously not conducive to fitness activities such as resistance training, as fluid is needed for the transfer of nutrients to facilitate muscular growth. It is also important when considering the further loss of fluid while exercising in hot environments.

Perhaps the most important long-term problem is the effect of caffeine on sleep. The half-life of caffeine in the body is about 6 hours. If you drink a big cup of coffee with 200 mg of caffeine at 4PM, at 10PM you still have about 100mg in your body. By 4AM, you still have 50mg floating in your system. Even though you may be able to sleep, you may not be able to obtain the restful benefits of deep sleep. What's worse, the cycle continues as you may use more and more caffeine in hopes of counteracting this deficit.

Caffeinated Conclusions?

Though caffeine has some benefits in relation to exercise performance, risks have been documented. Most problems seem evident with very high consumption. The American Heart Association says that moderate coffee drinking (one or two cups per day) does not seem to be harmful for most people. As with everything else, moderation is the key to healthy caffeine consumption. Further research is needed to clearly determine whether the performance-enhancing benefits of caffeine outweigh the potential risks.

By. Marina Kushner

One of the most common complaints among coffee drinkers is that the caffeine can disturb their sleep. This result has been known for thousands of years and is, in fact, one of the reasons why many drink coffee in the first place: to stay awake.

Some coffee drinkers, on the other hand, claim that their sleep is as restful as ever, regardless of their coffee consumption. And without statistical evidence, who can refute their testimony? While it is obvious that caffeine affects all of us in different ways, it is equally interesting to note that we oftentimes don't know how coffee is affecting our system and, therefore, we cannot evaluate what's happening to our sleep.

Subjects in several studies show that oftentimes coffee drinkers don't have the least idea what a good night's sleep is all about ? so rarely have they recently had one. In brain wave studies, researchers have found that caffeine impairs the quality of sleep during the first three hours, a fact that agrees with the rate of metabolic elimination of caffeine by the liver.

Another researcher noted that caffeine consumption not only substantially delays the onset of sleep, but diminishes the quality of sleep as well. Significantly more body movements were noted among high caffeine users and the quality of sleep was substantially diminished.

One study proved just how ignorant we might be about our sleep. The researcher studied the sleeping habits of medical students and found that many students claimed caffeine did not disturb their sleep, even when objective observations confirmed that it had. This denial, says the researcher, reinforces the clinical impression that many coffee drinkers simply don't attribute undesirable clinical symptoms to their caffeine intake.

This situation illuminates one of the insidious aspects of coffee addiction: we often are unaware of how it affects us. Studies often reveal that respondents reported that, when they quit coffee, they experienced improved energy levels produced by better, more restful sleep.

What is more remarkable is that they believed they had been getting a good night's sleep before they quit drinking coffee. In short,coffee is ruining the sleep of millions of Americans ? and they don't even know it.

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.