Facts about Coffee - The Pros and Cons

Most if not all coffee drinkers will agree that there is nothing better than the smell of freshly ground beans in the morning and even better the smell of freshly ground beans being brewed and then that first sip of your first cup of the day, oh so good.

The health effects of coffee are disputed. Lower dosages show some great benefits where excessive amounts are believed to have negative affects.

Benefits:

• Would you believe that coffee could lower your risk of type 2 diabetes, Parkinson’s, Colon cancer and it can lift your mood and even cure headaches and even lower your chance at getting cavities? Well it is true. These finds have been in the news and apparently the more you drink the better.

• Harvard researchers analyzed data for up to 18 years on 126,000 people and found that compared to people who do not enjoy a cup of Joe in the morning that drinking one to three cups a day can actually reduce diabetes risk into the single digits. If they had six or more cups a day compared to non coffee drinkers it cut men’s risk by 54% and women’s by 30%.

• There are more than a few studies that show that people who drink coffee on a regular basis are up to 80% less likely to develop Parkinson's, a few show that the more they drink, the lower the risk. Other research shows that compared to not drinking coffee, at least two cups daily can translate to a 25% reduced risk of colon cancer, an 80% drop in liver cirrhosis risk, and up to half the risk of getting gallstones.

• Some evidence shows that coffee may even help manage asthma and help to control attacks when medication is not available.

• The reported benefits of coffee can be attributed to the high concentration of caffeine. An eight ounce cup of brewed coffee contains around 85mg of caffeine. That is three times the amount of the same serving size of tea or cola or one ounce of chocolate.

Now on the flip side there are some other things to consider if you are a coffee drinker.

• Caffeine raises blood pressure. One report suggests that caffeine raises blood pressure enough to increase their risk of heart attack by 20 to 30 percent.

• Other health risks to consider are heartburn and indigestion, worsening of PMS symptoms in some women, Insomnia, anxiety, irritability. Might reduce fertility in women trying to conceive. Causes Bad breathe.

Types of coffee beverages

There are many ways you can enjoy coffee. You can drink it straight up which is my preference or you can add milk and sugar and honey and even froth it, steam it and on and on. Just use your imagination.

Some of the more popular types of coffee drinks are; Café Latte, Café Mocha, Cappuccino, Frappuccino, iced coffee, instant coffee, Liqueur coffee, Espresso, Vienna coffee and many more to chose from.

Ways of making coffee include:

Coffee can be made in many different ways and each different way will affect the way your coffee tastes when done. You can use a drip coffee maker, French Press, Percolator, Balancing siphon, Ibrik, a vacuum pot, a Moka pot and an automatic espresso machine. I guess you could also boil water to make instant coffee if you must.

Coffee is also found in different food recipes like the endless versions of coffee cake. You can find many great recipes for free on the internet. One of my favorite websites for any type of recipe is allrecipes.com

Some great facts about coffee

• Coffee is the seed (but referred to as a bean) from coffee plants
• Coffee is the second most valuable commodity in the world behind oil
• It is believed that coffee first appeared in Ethiopia in the 9^th century
• Most commonly grown species of coffee plants are C Arabica and Coffea Canephora
• Arabica is the most popular because of it’s smooth taste and being more aromatic than CanePhora
• The seeds are roasted at around 200 celsius and once caramelized the seed changes color and is then ready to enjoy.
• Seeds are roasted to either to a light, medium or dark roast
• The longer a bean(seed) is roasted the less caffeine it retains therefore light roast packs a bigger punch with more caffeine.
• Brazil is the largest coffee exporting nation
• An acre or coffee trees can produce up to 10,000 lbs of beans, 2000lbs after they are hulled
• It takes 5 years for a coffee tree to reach maturity
• Ground coffee loses it’s freshness faster than whole beans because more of the bean is exposed to air and light which in fact leach away the flavor. That is why coffee tastes the best if you grind it right before you brew it
• Another wonderful liquid to include in your diet is water.