The Things You Need to Know about ... COFFEE

Published on: April 5, 2007

The history of coffee is redolent with fable, saturated with myth, and couched in legends. Was coffee a known beverage during the 9th century in Persia? Did Egypt, Libya, and Abyssinia know coffee in the year 1000? Coffee historians are still debating. And, that's what makes the story of the bean as intriguing today as it was 50 years ago, and 500 years before that.

What we do know for sure is that the Ottoman Turks brought coffee from Yemen (or the Levant) to Constantinople in 1453, and in 1471 (some say 1475) the first coffee house was established, Kiva Han. It exists today, with the same name if not the heirs to the founders, a small shop on a nondescript cobblestone street in today's Istanbul, formerly known as Constantinople. Kiva Han was a natural outgrowth for the surging popularity of coffee during the 15th and 16th centuries when thousands of acres of coffee trees were planted throughout the Arabian Peninsula and in Yemen and trade flourished. Especially in Turkey and Syria where coffee lovers in Damascus started that country's first coffee house in 1530.

At first coffee, like tea, was used for medicinal purposes, then as enthusiasts became more and more adventurous with the bean, they segued from grinding the green bean to roasting it to its now-familiar luscious brown, then grinding it and boiling it with water to make coffee that is drunk in a similar style today throughout the area. The style is small cups of thick, rich coffee, water and grounds together, sometimes sweetened heavily, other times drunk for its edgy bitterness.

A good cup of coffee, no matter what technique is used to brew it, almost demands companionship, and in Kiva Han, men met to discuss the issues of the day, drink coffee "hot and black as the devil," play games, discuss business, and even listen to a poet or two. While it was men who sat in Kiva Han, it was the women who used coffee for "female troubles" and as an aphrodisiac. So serious was the claim that coffee was an aphrodisiac that Turkish men could be sued for divorce if they did not provide their wives with enough coffee, thus giving new meaning to "grounds for divorce."

The reputation of coffee was soon spreading outward like caravans of camels on the Arabian pathways. In 1650, Baba Budan, a Muslim from India, allegedly hid coffee beans in his garments and planted them in Mysore where India's premier coffee plantations still grow. Also in 1650, a Turk known as "Jacob the Jew" opened the very first coffee house in Oxford, England and started such a huge trend that by 1698 London sported more than 2,000 coffee houses covering more retail real estate than any other industry.

By 1848, many of these places had died off, as had many of its fondest patrons. The ladies, still denied access, turned to tea and elaborate tea gardens for socializing, and the British East India Company sailed the seas for the tea trade. Some of the more renown coffee houses became hotels, others taverns, still more simply shuttered their doors; the world of the London coffee house fell into the abyss of legend and memory.

Fast forward to the United States where in 2007 Starbuck's, Dunkin' Donuts, Peet's and other coffee retailers have reinvigorated and upped the coffee experience, and created an entirely new generation of coffee aficionados.

Coffee is big business with dollar sales at just under $3.5 billion, according to Nielsen. It's easy to go out and pay $4 for a good cup of coffee �?but now you won't have to! Today's supermarkets shelves are jammed with over 460 different brands or varieties of coffees and with lots of innovations taking place in coffee and espresso machines you might want to save your money and make that perfect brew at home.

HERE'S WHAT TO LOOK FOR
Some coffee packages proudly display "100% COFFEE" on their label, which means absolutely nothing. What you really want to see is the KIND of bean used in the coffee, for example 100% Colombian (100% Arabica), which means that there is no Robusta or Vietnamese beans and also very few sticks or bad beans. When selecting beans look for those that are chocolate brown in color �?those that are almost black and shiny are typically over-roasted and can be bitter.

VARIETIES OF COFFEES
There are over twenty species of coffee plants, but only two accounts for the majority of commercial coffee sold worldwide: Arabica and Robusta. Robusta coffee beans constitute the majority of low-quality, mass-produced, pre-ground coffee blends and freeze-dried coffee found in jars and cans which tends to be bitter and bland. Arabica coffee beans are the world's most flavorful beans and also contain only half the caffeine of Robusta.

Today's shelves are lined with coffees that tout "organic" or "fair trade" (or both!) on their labels.

Organic coffee
Organic standards require that the land used to grow organic coffee crops go through a three year "transition period" to make sure the crops are free of synthetic pesticides and synthetic fertilizers and then prohibit the use of synthetic pesticides and fertilizers, irradiation, sewage sludge and no genetically modified organisms can be contained in any coffees labeled organic.

Fair Trade coffee
Under Fair Trade conditions, an importer must pay a minimum price per pound, and provide financial and technical assistance to producers whenever possible. Since Fair Trade Organizations bypass middlemen and work directly with producers, they are able to operate very efficiently and return a greater price to the producers. Fair Trade is about building long-term relationships and while it's a relatively new effort, many coffee brands are beginning to join the program. For example, 100% of Dunkin' Donuts espresso-based beverages use Fair Trade Certified coffee beans.

BREWING TIPS
For the best flavor, always use cold, fresh water. Bottled spring water is recommended. Do not use bottled mineral water as it will affect the taste and also cause mineral deposits in your coffee maker. Most coffee makers measure "cups" as just one 6 oz. portion. Always allow the coffee maker to complete its entire brew cycle (even on those machines that allow you to take one cup during brewing �?wait, it will be worth it!) to ensure that the coffee is at its desired strength. The first coffee that passes through the filter is the most concentrated, and the coffee near the end the weakest. The proper grind of coffee is important �?so read those labels carefully �?and use the variety that is designed specifically for your preferred method of brewing. Generally, the faster the infusion process, the finer the ground of coffee. So for those who prefer a "French press" use a coarser grind. Drink your coffee as soon as the brewing finishes as the longer the coffee sits the more bitter it will become. Do not leave the coffee pot on the burner (whether it be a stove-top or coffee machine), as it will burn.

The Top Five Health Benefits of Coffee

Protects against diabetes.
Researches have discovered that drinking coffee is a positive addition to the lifestyle for those at-risk or who already have diabetes. Anywhere from two to six cups a day has proven beneficial. The reason? Antioxidants plus other chemical elements in the complex profile of coffee. Risk factors are reduced up to 30 percent, and scientists believe that the body's metabolism of sugar is balanced by the compounds found in coffee. While the recommendations have been from two to six cups a day, all the scientists agree that it is best to space the consumption out over the day as the compounds are eliminated rather quickly and do not remain in the body for great lengths of time even though they are beneficial while consumed.

Protects against liver disease.
Two recent studies by Kaiser Permanente Medical Care Program revealed that subjects who drank four or more cups of coffee per day had upwards of 80 percent less chance of developing liver cirrhosis than non-coffee drinkers. In another study, death from the disease was reduced 23 percent. (Cirrhosis caused by Hepatitis C appears to be unaffected by coffee consumption.) Another study, in Norway, showed that cancer of the liver can be reduced by drinking coffee. Those in the study who drank coffee regularly versus those who never or hardly ever drank coffee developed only 214.6 cases versus 547.2 of those who did (per 100,000 people).

Caffeine in coffee can rev up the body and keep the mind alert.
Several recent studies reported the therapeutic value of coffee and caffeine for protecting against the onset of dementia and/or Alzheimer's, which affects the mind. Scientists now believe that caffeine can stimulate the brain cells to stimulate choline, a necessary element in making "neurotransmitters" which are greatly reduced in dementia patients. Caffeine also helps Parkinson's patients who experience a lack of dopamine in the brain, which causes tremors and general mobility problems. The explanation for caffeine efficacy may be that it is a phytochemical (a plant-derivative chemical) and phytochemicals are well known for therapeutic, medical properties.

Coffee has powerful antioxidants.
Antioxidants, plentiful in fruits and vegetables, are absolutely vital for excellent health and appear in high levels in coffee. Antioxidants are chemical compounds that fight free radicals, which, if allowed to grow, will attack our body and cause disease, most commonly cancer. Fats and sugars elevate free radicals, so it makes good sense to eat high amounts of fruits and vegetables daily - at least five servings - plus drink two cups of coffee per day.

Protects against gallstones. Caffeinated coffee appears to help reduce the symptoms of gallstones. Men have a 4 percent lower risk of developing them when they drink two or three cups of caffeinated coffee per day; however, men who drink four or more cups reduce the risk up to 45 percent over those men who do not drink coffee. These are the conclusions from a Harvard School of Public Health study that involved 46,000 male participants over a ten-year period. A separate study done by the Harvard Nurses' Health Study followed 80,000 women for 20 years and reported that coffee reduces the risk of gallstones among women by 25 percent when they drink four or more cups a day, compared to those women who did not drink any coffee.

STORAGE TIPS
Air is coffee's biggest enemy, and if left exposed after roasting, coffee gets stale after just 9 days. Store coffee in an air and light tight container. Do NOT store coffee in the fridge or in the freezer, doing so will diminish the coffee's flavor as the moisture is absorbed by the beans or ground coffee.

FOOD SAFETY WARNING
It is important to rinse both the brew basket and the coffee pot with warm water immediately after use. Coffee left in the paper or mesh filter will grow bacteria and mold within a couple of days.

To find out even more "things to know" about coffee, sign up for Phil's free monthly e-newsletter at CoffeeChatNews.com

From: SupermarketGuru Weekly Newsletter

 

 

Caffeine Aids Golden Girls' Mental Health

Janet Raloff

Although wine may improve with age, the human body tends to falter during the so-called golden years. Among the most exasperating declines occur in memory and critical aspects of reasoning. However, downing plenty of caffeine-rich coffee-or tea-may offer one low-cost solution for keeping aging wits sharp, a French study finds. The rub: This strategy appears to benefit only women.

Karen Ritchie of the French National Institute of Health and Medical Research (abbreviated in French as INSERM) in Montpellier and her colleagues recruited more than 7,000 men and women-all 65 and older-from the cities of Bordeaux, Dijon, and Montpellier. All took a battery of tests to measure how nimble their minds were. Then 2 and 4 years later, each study volunteer still living took the tests again. The scientists correlated test scores with information on each participant's diet, prescribed medicines, medical history-especially heart disease and depression-and even such details as education and income.

Mental acuity tended to diminish over the 4 years of follow-up throughout the population, Ritchie's team found. However, women who drank three or more cups of coffee per day stayed sharper, on average, than those who drank less of the brew. Ladies who downed six or more cups of regular tea per day-an amount delivering caffeine about equal to the critical coffee dose-received comparable cognitive protection, the researchers report in the Aug. 7 Neurology.

No matter how the researchers analyzed their data, they could find no evidence that heavy caffeine intake similarly benefited any of the 2,800 participating men. Although the study's design precluded investigating the possible mechanism for a gender difference, Ritchie notes that at least one animal study published by others "suggests there's an interaction between caffeine and the [female] sex hormones estrogen and progesterone."

If caffeine's protective effect works by interacting with receptors for estrogen on a women's cells, this might explain another preliminary observation by the French team: that among heavy caffeine consumers, women over age 80 faced half the risk of significant cognitive decline during the study than ladies 65 to 80 did.

Ritchie explains that even though all the women were past menopause, the older women would tend to have less estrogen in their systems to tie up those receptors. The reason: Although all of the participants' reproductive organs had long ago shut down the hormone's production, women in the older group were less likely to be taking estrogen-replacement therapy. Moreover, a physical wasting that typically accompanies advanced age would leave less abdominal fat in the older women, and fat around the middle can produce substantial estrogen.

One disappointing observation, Ritchie notes, is that even heavy caffeine intake didn't reduce the risk of developing outright dementia, such as Alzheimer's disease. Rates of dementia diagnosis didn't vary among groups stratified by caffeine intake. However, the neuropsychologist points out, "4 years is probably too short a time period to look at this." Her group will soon have 8 years of follow-up on the study's participants and will recheck dementia rates at that time.

"I think there are so many factors that affect the development of Alzheimer's disease-in particular, genetic factors-that something like a little coffee is not likely" to stop the mental decline associated with the disease, Ritchie says. However, she observes, there's a long time between the initial signs of cognitive impairment and the onset of debilitating symptoms that will ultimately lead to a diagnosis of Alzheimer's. "My most optimistic speculation," Ritchie says, is that caffeine might lengthen the time it takes Alzheimer's disease to fully manifest itself.

What they found

Although the caffeine content of any given cup of coffee or tea can vary, the researchers estimated a participant's daily intake on the basis of typical quantities: 100 milligrams per cup of coffee and 50 mg per cup of nonherbal tea.

Overall, two-thirds of the participants consumed more than 100 mg of caffeine per day. Among these volunteers, some 13 percent of men and 16 percent of women reported consuming more than 300 mg of caffeine daily. These figures included caffeine from prescribed medications, which were generally minor contributors.

People with high blood pressure were less likely than others to drink substantial amounts of coffee or tea. In contrast, people with atherosclerosis or other forms of heart disease were more likely to take in at least 200 mg of caffeine per day. Caffeine intake showed no link to body weight, cholesterol status, an individual's mobility, cancer, diabetes, or sleep disorders.

In men, caffeine consumption didn't correlate with scores on mental-performance tests. However, women reporting heavy caffeine consumption typically exhibited less of a decline during the 4-year-study in their scores on an Isaacs test. This exam challenges an individual to retrieve verbal material. For instance, participants might be asked to name all the animals they can think of in 90 seconds.

Women consuming the most caffeine were also less likely than those in other groups to suffer declines in their scores on a test of visual recall. Here, volunteers viewed a shape and later had to pick it out from a field of disparate shapes.

Even among women, caffeine's benefit didn't show up in all mental tests. For instance, the INSERM team found no evidence of caffeine's protective effect on women's scores on the Mini-Mental State Examination. This test, frequently used to screen for cognitive impairment in the elderly, assesses whether individuals know the date and where they are as well as their abilities to do simple arithmetic in their heads, spell a common word backwards, copy simple geometric shapes, repeat a spoken phrase, and craft a sentence.

Strength of this study

The new French study is not the first to look for a caffeine link to mental health. Indeed, Ritchie says, her research project was prompted by several promising but ultimately inconclusive studies in people. In a clearer result, high intakes of caffeine protected memory in aging rats and mice.

Researchers conducting the rodent study showed that caffeine blocked brain receptors for adenosine, a cell-signaling molecule. "By so doing," Ritchie explains, the stimulant "stopped damage" caused by amyloid-beta, the proteinlike material that accumulates in the brains of all elderly people and especially those with Alzheimer's disease.

Such data suggest "quite a good theoretical link" between caffeine and brain protection and were the underpinning her team's new study, Ritchie explains.

The earlier caffeine-cognition studies in people didn't account for many potentially confounding factors, such as whether someone with heart disease had been told to avoid caffeine, or an individual was depressed or disabled and therefore might not join in coffee klatches. These and other medical conditions might independently increase people's risk of mental decline, says Ritchie.

The new INSERM study accounted for all such potentially confounding factors. Usually, when scientists better account for such factors, associations between caffeine or other intakes and health become weaker, Ritchie notes. "In our case, however, we found that as we started to control for these other factors, our link actually became stronger."

[http://www.sciencenews.org/articles/20070818/food.asp]